The dataset contains plant and soil empirical data collected in Norway in 2023. The samples were collected within a grazing area in the Setesdal Vesthei. The samples are separated into three groups representing those inside experimental herbivory exclosures, outside herbivory exclosures and on a set of islands in the region. Plant abundances were assessed using the point-intercept method. Samples of plant biomass and soil samples were dried, weighed, ground or sieved, and measured for their chemical composition. There are five data files containing the plant cover data, the mass of the plant samples, the chemical composition of plant leaves and biomass, and the soil parameters. The metadata for each dataset is stored as a csv file denoting the hierarchical sampling structure (site, grazing status, plot and species where relevant) and the units for each measurement within each broad category of plant cover, plant biomass, plant leaves and soil samples.