Armitage et al., 2025

This dataset accompanies the manuscript “Biogeographical diversity meets functional similarity: Trait convergence in benthic fauna from the Arctic ice-covered North to ice-free South” (under review). It provides the biological, environmental, and trait data used to analyse benthic infaunal communities along the West Greenland shelf. Study overview Macrobenthic invertebrates were collected from nine stations between 64° N (Nuuk) and 71° N (Disko Bay) on board R/V Dana during the ECOTIP project (Horizon 2020). Samples were taken using a standard 0.1 m² box corer, sieved (1 mm mesh), and preserved in ethanol for taxonomic identification. Species densities were standardised to individuals m⁻². Environmental data include station position, depth, sediment characteristics (grain size fractions, organic and carbonate content, C / N ratios), and bottom-water properties (temperature, salinity, oxygen, density, and current speed). Sea-ice concentration and current velocity were derived from Copernicus Marine Service datasets, and CTD variables were processed in Ocean Data View. Biogeographic and trait data Species were assigned to Arctic, Boreal, or Cosmopolitan biogeographic groups using a combination of occurrence records (GBIF, OBIS, WoRMS) and trait information (Arctic Traits Database). A fuzzy-coded trait matrix was compiled for eight categorical traits related to resource and dispersal strategies. Files included WG_mf_classification.csv – WoRMS-based taxonomic classification for all taxa. DANA_Env_Station.csv – Station-averaged environmental dataset (physical, chemical, and sediment variables). WG_mf_count_station.csv – Mean species abundance matrix per station. WG_mf_count.csv – Species abundance matrix including replicate samples. WG_traits.csv – Trait scores (fuzzy-coded) for all taxa used in analyses. WG_sti_trends.csv – Intermediate dataset created during species biogeographic affiliation procedures. DANA_Env.csv – Environmental dataset including replicate samples. Sp.Arctic.csv, Sp.Boreal.csv, Sp.Cosmopolitan.csv – Subsets of the total community abundance matrix by biogeographic group. Usage All data are provided in CSV format and are compatible with R (v. 4.3 or later). The dataset supports analyses of biogeographic composition, β-diversity, and functional trait structure of benthic infauna across Arctic–sub-Arctic gradients.本数据集配套于正在审稿中的论文《生物地理多样性契合功能相似性：从北极覆冰北部到无冰南部的底栖动物群落性状趋同》。本数据集包含用于分析西格陵兰陆架海域底栖内栖动物群落的生物数据、环境数据与功能性状数据。 ## 研究概况 本研究依托欧盟地平线2020（Horizon 2020）框架下的ECOTIP项目，搭乘Dana号科考船（R/V Dana），在北纬64°（努克）至北纬71°（迪斯科湾）的9个站位采集大型底栖无脊椎动物样本。采样采用标准0.1平方米箱式采泥器完成，样本经1毫米孔径网筛冲洗后，以乙醇固定用于分类鉴定。物种密度统一标准化为每平方米个体数。环境数据涵盖站位坐标、水深、沉积物特征（粒度分级、有机碳与碳酸盐含量、碳氮比）以及底层水理化参数（温度、盐度、溶解氧、水密度与流速）。海冰浓度与海流流速数据源自哥白尼海洋环境服务（Copernicus Marine Service）数据集，CTD变量则通过Ocean Data View软件处理得到。 ## 生物地理与性状数据 结合物种出现记录（GBIF、OBIS、WoRMS）与性状信息（北极性状数据库（Arctic Traits Database）），将所有物种划分为北极、北方（Boreal）或广布（Cosmopolitan）三大生物地理类群。针对与资源获取及扩散策略相关的8个分类性状，构建了模糊编码性状矩阵。 ## 数据集包含文件 - WG_mf_classification.csv：基于WoRMS的所有分类单元分类学分类表 - DANA_Env_Station.csv：站位平均环境数据集（包含物理、化学与沉积物变量） - WG_mf_count_station.csv：各站位的平均物种丰度矩阵 - WG_mf_count.csv：包含重复采样样本的物种丰度矩阵 - WG_traits.csv：本分析所用全部物种的性状得分（模糊编码格式） - WG_sti_trends.csv：物种生物地理归属分析过程中生成的中间数据集 - DANA_Env.csv：包含重复采样样本的环境数据集 - Sp.Arctic.csv、Sp.Boreal.csv、Sp.Cosmopolitan.csv：按生物地理类群划分的群落丰度矩阵子集 ## 使用说明 所有数据均以CSV格式提供，可兼容R语言（v.4.3及以上版本）。本数据集可用于分析北极-亚北极梯度下底栖内栖动物群落的生物地理组成、β多样性与功能性状结构。