Data underpinning: The invasive Rudbeckia laciniata in a high-density sika deer landscape (Shobugahama, Nikko National Park)

This dataset underpins the article "The invasive Rudbeckia laciniata in a high-density sika deer landscape: light-governed distribution and seasonal, non-lethal deer herbivory" (T. Takahashi). It comprises two data files and a README: • mesh_data.csv — a 20-m mesh distribution and environment survey (303 cells) of the invasive plant Rudbeckia laciniata at Shobugahama, a former ski slope in Nikko National Park, Tochigi Prefecture, central Japan (surveyed 17–19 August 2024). Fields include cell coordinates (WGS84 latitude/longitude and UTM zone 54N), tree-overstorey presence, R. laciniata presence/cover/height, understorey cover, and mean canopy height, elevation, slope and aspect derived from Tochigi Prefecture 0.5-m airborne-LiDAR products (DCHM/DEM) released via the G-Spatial Information Center. • camera_records.csv — cleaned camera-trap records of deer behaviour at nine plots (three treatments: untreated, rock-salt, saltwater) over 5 June – 31 August 2025, with timestamps and binary flags for feeding on R. laciniata and on its apical (reproductive) parts. • README.txt — full column definitions, treatment coding, coordinate reference systems, data provenance, and the 30-minute binary feeding summary reproducible from the records. Study site: Shobugahama, Lake Chuzenji, Nikko National Park (ca. 36.756°N, 139.447°E; ca. 1300 m a.s.l.). Research permits: Nikko National Park Office, Ministry of the Environment; national-forest surveys: Nikko District Forest Office, Forestry Agency. Funding: JSPS KAKENHI JP22K05705. License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).