Data from: Adult sex ratio and operational sex ratio exhibit different temporal dynamics in the wild

Adult sex ratio (ASR, the proportion of adult males in the adult
population) and operational sex ratio (OSR, the proportion of sexually
active males in the mating pool) are fundamental properties of breeding
populations and they are often linked to mating systems and sexual
selection. However, ASR and OSR emerge via different routes in a
population and may exhibit different temporal patterns. Here, we use data
from a well-monitored polygamous snowy plover Charadrius nivosus
population sampled over 3 consecutive breeding seasons to investigate
whether temporal changes in ASR relate to changes in OSR. We found that
snowy plovers exhibited male-biased ASR and OSR. Consistent with
theoretical expectations, OSR was more variable than ASR. However, there
was no consistent relationship between OSR and ASR: in only 1 of the 3
study years we found a weak positive relationship (r = 0.22). The lack of
association was corroborated by time series analyses and sensitivity
tests. Our work therefore suggests that ASR and OSR exhibit different
temporal patterns in a polygamous population, and we call for further
theoretical and empirical studies that analyze their relationship across a
range of different breeding systems.