A multi-proxy dataset of plant functional traits in Italian semi-natural grasslands under grazing exclusion and simulated drought

Semi-natural grasslands are high-value biodiversity hotspots that provide critical ecosystem services, yet land-use changes and shifting precipitation patterns increasingly threaten them. Understanding the ecological stability of these habitats requires high-resolution data integrating taxonomic and functional perspectives. This paper presents a multi-proxy dataset (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19052795) collected within the “CAROLINA: Impact of land-use change on climate resilience of semi-natural grasslands” project, focusing on the short-term impacts of grazing exclusion and simulated drought across three distinct Italian climatic zones: Mediterranean plains (San Rossore), Central Apennine hills (San Venanzo), and Alpine mountains (Tesino). The experimental design employs a manipulative approach using three treatment levels: grazed, as a control, grazing exclusion, and grazing exclusion + drought, with the latter simulated via rain-out shelters following the International Drought-Net protocol. The dataset integrates taxonomic diversity from floristic-vegetational surveys (88 plot × 164 species), leaf morphological functional traits for 39 species (leaf area, LA, specific leaf area, SLA, leaf dry matter content, LDMC, and plant height, H), and ecophysiological functional traits based on carbon and nitrogen elemental and stable isotope composition (δ13C, δ15N) from 37 surveyed species across the three sites. This comprehensive repository provides a foundational resource for long-term monitoring and ecological modelling of grassland responses to global change, supporting the development of effective conservation practices.