Seed and seedling predation by vertebrates mediates the effects of adult trees in two temperate tree species

This dataset presents the proportion of Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies seeds per plot that transitioned into seedlings within the period of 15 biweekly censuses ("Establishment.csv") and the proportion of surviving Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies seedlings per plot at each seedling census interval ("Survival.csv"). Our experimental design comprised six forest sites, 24 blocks and 192 seedling plots. Because three of the sites were represented by Picea abies monocultures and another three by Fagus sylvatica monocultures, we designed a two-level conspecific vs. heterospecific treatment to test for the effects of conspecific and heterospecific adults. Within each block, we randomly assigned half of the seedling plots to Fagus sylvatica and another half to Picea abies. Plots were then sown with the seeds of a particular species. Conspecific treatment was represented by seeds and seedlings of a species situated in the plots of conspecific monocultures, while heterospecific treatment was characterised by seeds and seedlings of a species situated in the plots of heterospecific monocultures.

Given the four seedling plots of each block belonging to either Fagus sylvatica or Picea abies, we randomly assigned one of the four levels of an enemy exclusion treatment to each plot in order to manipulate seed and seedling predation by one or another enemy type. Four levels of this treatment were designed, excluding fungal pathogens by the use of fungicide, herbivorous insects by insecticide and herbivorous vertebrates by cages. The fourth level was used as a control with no enemy exclusion applied.

To account for the effects of environmental conditions on seedling establishment and survival, establishment and survival models also included light and soil resource availability parameters.

Data contains (1) the proportion of established seedlings (sumEst), adult tree species (Stand), seedling species (Species), enemy exclusion treatment (Treat), block ID , stand ID, plot ID and light and soil resource availability parameters for the analyses of seedling establishment ("Establishment.csv"), and (2) the proportion of established seedlings (sumEst), the proportion of surviving seedlings (Surviving), adult tree species (Stand), seedling species (Species), enemy exclusion treatment (Treat), block ID , stand ID, plot ID, census interval (Week) and light and soil resource availability parameters for the analyses of seedling establishment for the analyses of seedling survival ("Survival.csv").