This dataset contains data for a study of primary productivity and diversity for grassland, meadow, and savanna (GMS) vegetation in northeastern Pennsylvania, USA, where the landscape is primarily forests, agriculture, and urban or suburban development. Data were collected in late summer and early fall of 2014-2015. It includes data for primary productivity, plant species diversity, invertebrate order diversity, and avian abundance and species diversity of 14 grasslands and open areas that were actively managed and three that apparently occurred naturally. Four grasslands were dominated by warm season grasses with the C₄ photosynthetic pathway, nine were dominated by C₃ grasses, forbs, and shrubs, and four had a mixture of both types.

We selected 17 grasslands of diverse types in a region that covered most of northeastern Pennsylvania, ranging from State Game Land 036 in the northwest to Fort Indiantown Gap in the southwest to State Game Land 205 in the southeast to Cresco Heights in the northeast. The sites included those that were dominated by cool season grasses, warm season grasses, and mixtures of both types; areas ranged from 0.2 to 97.7 ha. Geographic information system (GIS) (ArcView, ESRI, Redlands, CA) was used to determine the area of each grassland, the ratio of area to perimeter, and the distance to the nearest GMS vegetation with an area greater than 15 ha.

We estimated aboveground primary productivity by harvesting ten 0.09 m² quadrats randomly positioned along each of two transects at each site and sorting the harvested material by species. The harvests took place in late summer of 2013-2015 after the vegetation had reached maximum height. At most of the grassland sites, the vegetation was entirely herbaceous with minimal visual evidence of herbivory, so the harvested biomass samples were considered close approximations of annual aboveground net primary productivity. At sites with shrubs, we separated current year production from the previous year’s growth. The vascular plant samples were collected by clipping at ground level, separated according to species, dried at 65°C, and subsequently weighed. This information was also used to determine the ratio of C₃ and C₄ biomass. Plant species were identified using morphological traits and several keys. Plants that could not be identified were designated as unknown. In 82% of cases, these were less than 10% of the total biomass in a sample. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Rosenthal Herbarium at Wilkes University.

Aboveground invertebrates were sampled from early June through early August 2014 using sweep nets and pitfall traps. At each site within each grassland, we carried out four sweep samples of 100 sweeps each along a 50 m transect on two separate days with two days between them. We also established four pitfall traps filled with propylene glycol, which were monitored for two days. Invertebrate samples were preserved in 95% ethanol and classified to order. Voucher specimens are stored at Wilkes University.

In 2014 and 2015, birds were surveyed between May 26 and July 17 when birds were likely resident and breeding. Each grassland was surveyed twice, with two weeks separating visits. Surveys began at sunrise (typically by 630) and ended by 1100 AM. Point count locations were located at least 75 m from an edge and at least 200 m from other points. Bird species were identified by calls or song. Point counts were 10 minutes in duration divided into five two-minute sections. The first detection for each individual was recorded.

Data files can be accessed using Excel, R and JMP.