Freshwater zooplankton metapopulations and metacommunities respond differently to environmental and spatial variation data files

We used this data to examine how crustacean zooplankton and rotifer species’ metapopulation genetic structure and metacommunities respond to environmental and spatial variation both within and across four regions of boreal Canada (see Martin et al. in press, Freshwater zooplankton metapopulations and metacommunities respond differently to environmental and spatial variation, Ecology).

Whole community zooplankton samples were collected from 113 lakes from four environmentally, geologically, and geographically distinct regions of Québec, Canada. Each lake was sampled once, and the bulk zooplankton samples were sequenced using metabarcoding targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene region. Sequences were clustered to species based on 3% OTUs and within species-variation was captured based on ASVs. Read abundances were then normalized using rarefaction to the lowest library to accommodate differences in sequencing depth across sites. In addition 16 environmental variables plus two spatial variables were used to capture abiotic variation between lakes. The data files include the ASV sequences, OTU and taxonomic assignment, and site variables.