Citation:

s41559-017-0434-x

Name: Data from 14 labortories testing the impact of introduced variability on the reproducibility of a microcosm ecological experiment
Published: 2017-09-26
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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Published: 2017-09-26 • DOI registered: 2017-09-28

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Abstract:

Although microcosm experiments are a frequent tool used to address fundamental ecological questions, there has been no quantitative assessment of the reproducibility of any microcosm experiment. This dataset contains the response variables measured in a multi-laboratory microcosm study in which the same microcosm experiment was repeated in 14 laboratories across Europe. All laboratories simultaneously run a simple microcosm experiment using grass (Brachypodium distachyon L.) monocultures and grass and legume (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.) mixtures. All twelve variables were then used to calculate the effect of the presence of nitrogen-fixing legume on the grass-legume mixtures (i.e. the net legume effect).

The project tested a controversial hypotheses postulating that stringent levels of environmental and biotic standardization in experimental studies reduces reproducibility by amplifying impacts of lab-specific environmental factors not accounted for in the experimental design. This implies that the deliberate introduction of controlled systematic variability (CSV) in experimental designs can increase reproducibility. To test this hypothesis, each laboratory followed the same experimental protocol and introduced environmental and genotypic controlled systematic variability (CSV) within and among replicated microcosms established in either growth chambers (with stringent control of environmental conditions) or glasshouses (with more variable environmental conditions). Data were used to test the extent to which the effect size of the net legume effect varied with the CSV treatment and to estimate the number of laboratories that produced results that can be considered reproducible.

Parameter(s):

#	Name	Short Name	Unit	Principal Investigator	Comment
1	Laboratory	Lab		Milcu, Alexandru
2	Method comment	Method comm		Milcu, Alexandru	type of setup
3	Identification	ID		Milcu, Alexandru	Microcosm ID
4	Block	Block		Milcu, Alexandru
5	Treatment	Treat		Milcu, Alexandru	legume
6	Treatment	Treat		Milcu, Alexandru	controlled systematic variabiliy
7	Genotype	Genotype		Milcu, Alexandru
8	Biomass, dry mass	Biom dm	g	Milcu, Alexandru	seed
9	Biomass, dry mass	Biom dm	g	Milcu, Alexandru	shoot
10	Biomass, dry mass	Biom dm	g	Milcu, Alexandru	root
11	Biomass, dry mass	Biom dm	g	Milcu, Alexandru	total
12	Root/shoot ratio	Root/shoot		Milcu, Alexandru	biomass
13	Brachypodium distachyon, height	B. distachyon height	cm	Milcu, Alexandru
14	Nitrogen, shoot	N shoot	%	Milcu, Alexandru
15	Carbon, shoot	C shoot	%	Milcu, Alexandru
16	δ15N	δ15N	‰ air	Milcu, Alexandru
17	δ13C	δ13C	‰ PDB	Milcu, Alexandru
18	Evapotranspiration	ET	ml/day	Milcu, Alexandru
19	Litter mass	Litter m	g	Milcu, Alexandru	mass remaining

License:

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-NC-ND-3.0)

Size:

18824 data points

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