Data from: Abundant top predators increase species interaction network complexity in Northeastern Chinese forests

Species interactions remain a cornerstone in shaping community dynamics
and structure, alongside other factors such as climate conditions and
human activities. Although network structure is known to influence
community stability and ecosystem functioning, the roles of top predators
in shaping interaction network structure remain obscure. We
examined a 5-7 year time series of species detections for mammal
communities in multiple protected areas to investigate the association
between top predators and interaction network structure. Our
findings suggest that abundant species, day-active species and species
with wide habitat breadth interact with more species, as did species that
were more affected byvehicle disturbance. With increased densities of top
predators, interaction networks exhibited greater complexity, with
increased connectance, nestedness, and average degree. An increased
density of mesopredators, such as yellow-throated martens andbadgers, was
associated with sparser, less nested, but more centralized interaction
networks. Top predators reduced the degree of highly interactive species,
making them more specialized, and increased the degree of less abundant
species, making them more generalist. In particular, this redistribution
of interactions was not driven by direct changes in species density of top
predators but seemingly by nonconsumptive or indirect
effects. Our findings emphasize the pivotal role of the main
predators in structuring interactions within Northeastern China mammal
communities, with large implications for conservation and management.