Species richness affects genetic diversity in experimental grassland communities
This study investigates how plant species richness infludences wihtin-species genetic variation in a long-term experimental grassland biodiversity experiment (the Jena Experiment, Germany). We generated 3-end RNA--seq data from 22 plant species sameple across 64 experimental plots spanning a controlled gradient of species richness (moncultures to 60-species communities). The data were used to characterize individual heterozygosity and population genetic differentiation among plots using transcriptome-derived variants. This dataset enables analyses of species-genetic diversity relationships, demographic dilution effects, and species-specific genetic responses to community context. The dataset provides a resource for studying how ecological interactions at the community level can shape patterns of genetic variation within species over ecological timescales.