The files refer to the data and R code used in Mey et al. "From small forest samples to generalised uni- and bimodal stand descriptions" (2021) _Methods in Ecology and Evolution_. __Generalised stand descriptions__ are coming from the simultaneous examination of samples that are representative for a specific target area (here, Switzerland) and link available information about forest stand attributes. They combine the modelling of uni- or bimodal diameter distributions and species compositions, i.e. the shares of stems of individual species. Generalised stand descriptions may be used to interpret tree species diversity, regeneration and harvest potentials on a plot-level basis, and to initialise forest models with representative stand data. The data stored here were derived from the fourth campaigns of the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI). The raw data from the Swiss NFI can be provided free of charge within the scope of a contractual agreement (http://www.lfi.ch/dienstleist/daten-en.php). --------------------------------------- The file 'Data Figures 2 and 4' is publicly available and contains the data used to produce the Figures 2 and 4 published in the paper. The files 'Data diameter modelling' and 'Data species modelling' contain all the data required to reproduce the diameter and species model building. The access to these two files is restricted as they contain raw data from the fourth Swiss NFI, submitted to the Swiss law and only accessible upon contractual agreement. The files 'Script diameter and species modelling' and 'Functions diameter modelling' are publicly available and provide the R code used to derive the generalised stand descriptions from the Swiss NFI data.