Data from: MADA: Malagasy Animal trait Data Archive

Species are characterized by their behavioral, physiological and
ecological attributes, which determine their role in ecosystems. In turn,
ecosystems and their functions are defined by the species that inhabit
them. Thus, evaluating the functional diversity and distributions of
species is of utmost importance to studies of biogeography, community
ecology, macroevolution, and conservation. The functional diversity of
species are determined by traits such as diet, foraging strata, trophic
level, activity cycle, litter size, generation length, habitat breadth and
body mass. While there has been a recent growth of information regarding
the vertebrate taxa of Madagascar, this information is not always easy to
access (non-digitized), and is often fragmented by taxon, location, trait,
or combinations thereof. Here, we present the Malagasy Animal trait Data
Archive (MADA), a compilation of these and other functional traits,
representing the ecological and geographical diversity of all 214 extant
mammal and 242 bird species of Madagascar. Data were collected from
extensive literature reviews. This Archive is currently limited by select
cases of missing data, errors, and uncertainty in the literature; however,
it represents the most comprehensive collection of functional trait data
of Malagasy mammals and birds to date. The structure of the database
allows for different levels of information (and specificity) in each entry
and organization by taxon, range, bioclimate and trait. MADA will be
continuously updated as new data become available. Potential uses of MADA
include ecological research on the trait or trophic structure of
communities, inquiries regarding the mechanisms of community assembly,
comparative studies of functionally (dis)similar species, and conservation
efforts concerned with the loss of ecosystem function. Madagascar is
simultaneously home to one of the most exclusive, diverse, and endangered
faunas of the world, making MADA a uniquely valuable resource for
biodiversity science and conservation. No copyright restrictions are
associated with this dataset. We would appreciate that researchers cite
this paper if using all or part of the datasets.