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Aims Understanding fine‐grain diversity patterns across large spatial extents is fundamental for macroecological research and biodiversity conservation. Using the GrassPlot database, we provide benchmarks of fine‐grain richness values of Palaearctic open habitats for vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and complete vegetation (i.e., the sum of the former three groups). Location Palaearctic biogeographic realm. Methods We used 126,524 plots of eight standard grain sizes from the GrassPlot database: 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 m2 and calculated the mean richness and standard deviations, as well as maximum, minimum, median, and first and third quartiles for each combination of grain size, taxonomic group, biome, region, vegetation type and phytosociological class. Results Patterns of plant diversity in vegetation types and biomes differ across grain sizes and taxonomic groups. Overall, secondary (mostly semi‐natural) grasslands and natural grasslands are the richest vegetation type. The open‐access file ”GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks” and the web tool “GrassPlot Diversity Explorer” are now available online (https://edgg.org/databases/GrasslandDiversityExplorer) and provide more insights into species richness patterns in the Palaearctic open habitats. Conclusions The GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks provide high‐quality data on species richness in open habitat types across the Palaearctic. These benchmark data can be used in vegetation ecology, macroecology, biodiversity conservation and data quality checking. While the amount of data in the underlying GrassPlot database and their spatial coverage are smaller than in other extensive vegetation‐plot databases, species recordings in GrassPlot are on average more complete, making it a valuable complementary data source in macroecology.

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Question Could tests of proportionality for functionally defined guilds provide a rapid means of revealing potential mechanisms of co‐existence in species‐rich meadow communities? Study site A species‐rich meadow in Slovenia. Methods Species presence/absence was recorded in 830 contiguous 0.2 m × 0.2 m quadrats arranged in a rectangular transect. Evidence for guild proportionality was assessed for guilds defined by (1) taxonomy, (2) growth form and (3) functional group defined by leaf inclination or leaf phenology. We also tested whether classifying the graminoid‐like forb Scorzenera villosa as a graminoid improved evidence for proportionality in taxonomic guilds. Results There was no evidence of guild proportionality for guilds defined by either taxonomy or growth form. There was significant proportionality for functional groups defined by leaf phenology and leaf inclination. Classifying S. villosa as a graminoid did not improve evidence for proportionality of taxonomic guilds. Conclusions Testing for proportionality in functionally defined guilds provides a rapid means for detecting potential mechanisms of co‐existence in species‐rich communities. We found evidence that species differing in strategy for spatial light capture (leaf inclination) and temporal resource use (phenology) were more likely to co‐exist than expected by chance. These findings may help to guide future experimental work attempting to confirm co‐existence mechanisms in meadow communities. This approach may prove useful in other poorly studied, species‐rich vegetation types.

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