Data for: DNA metabarcoding uncovers dispersal-constrained arthropods in a highly fragmented restoration setting

Degraded areas are often restored through active revegetation, however recolonisation by animals is rarely engineered. Recolonisation may be rapid for species with strong dispersal abilities. However, poor dispersers, such as many flightless arthropods, may struggle to recolonise newly restored sites. Actively reintroducing or ‘rewilding’ arthropods may therefore be necessary to facilitate recolonisation and restoration of arthropod communities and the ecological functions they perform. However, active interventions are rare. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we asked whether potential source remnant arthropod communities were dispersal-constrained and struggling to recolonise restoration sites. Second, we tested whether reintroducing entire arthropod communities from remnant populations would help dispersal-constrained species establish during farmland ecological restoration in southern Australia. Rewilding was conducted in summer 2018 by transplanting leaf litter, soil, an..., , , # Data for: DNA metabarcoding uncovers dispersal-constrained arthropods in a highly fragmented restoration setting

This data contains the raw metabarcoding output files from sequencing.

## Description of the data and file structure

Data are raw fastq files from each sample of both the forward and reverse reads. Files are labelled as 'Site','Month''Treatment'-'Sub-sample'. 'Sites' are either '1','2','3','4','5', or '6'. 'Month' is only 'M', for May. 'Treatment' is either 'C' for control, 'R' for remnant, or 'T' for rewilding transplant. 'Sub-sample' is either '1','2', or '3'.