Applying invasion biology frameworks to predict impacts of range-expanding predators

Aim: Global change is driving many species to expand their geographic ranges into novel communities. The impacts of range expansions on recipient populations and communities, which remain uncertain, might be anticipated using frameworks derived from invasion biology. Our goal, therefore, is to test whether two frameworks developed in invasion theory—that impacts of expanding predators on prey and community diversity would be nonlinear (negatively density-dependent) and greatest in novel (i.e, expanded) ranges—can be used to predict the impacts of two range-expanding predators.
Location: The Pacific coasts of California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico.
Time Period: 2022-2023.
Major Taxa Studied: Two species of intertidal carnivorous snail, the whelks Acanthinucella spirata and Mexacanthina lugubris.
Methods: We conducted observational surveys and manipulative experiments in the historic and expanded ranges of both predators. We assessed how impacts on prey (acorn barnacles and mussels)..., **Overview:  **
There are two main data sources in this dataset: (1) observational survey data collected from 2022-2023, spanning 23 intertidal sites from Baja California, Mexico, through northern California, USA, and (2) manipulative density data from 6 sites in Baja California, Mexico, and northern California USA. These geographic ranges compromise the historic and expanded ranges of the two range-expanding intertidal whelks, Acanthinucella spirata and Mexacanthina lugubris.  
**Observational Data: **
To assess the current distributions and abundances of Acanthinucella and Mexacanthina, as well as in situ associations with abundances of prey species and community diversity metrics, we conducted field surveys at 23 sites across California, USA and Baja California, Mexico between April 2022 and October 2023. Sites in northern California, USA, and Mexico were surveyed once per year in the spring (2 surveys per site), and sites in southern California, USA, were su..., , # Data from: Applying invasion biology frameworks to predict impacts of range-expanding predators

This README file was generated on 2024-01-26

## Data Collection Period

Spring (Apr-June) and Fall (Sept-early Nov), 2022-2023.

## Files and Description

### Data and Metadata Files

**ExptCommunityData (.csv)**
Provides community data from the manipulative experiment. Data were collected in approx. 2 week intervals (see Methods for additional details). Rows correlate to individual observations of each plot. Columns provide plot identifying information and community data.

**ExptData_Metadata (.csv)**
Provides the metadata for all columns in the ExptCommunityData file, including all abbreviations and codes.

**SurveyCommunityData (.csv)**
Contains all observational community survey data. Rows correspond to individual quadrats, and columns provide quadrat identifying data and community information.

**SurveyTransectData (.csv)**
Contains information about each vertical transect from the o...,