Accompanying Data for Ecology Letters Report "Mutualism disruption by an invasive ant reduces carbon fixation for a foundational East African ant-plant"

Resultant data from a before-after-control-impact study in which Acacia drepanolobium ant-trees were invaded by a non-native ant species, Pheidole megacephala, inducing changes in leaf-level gas exchange 5-7 months after the displacement of native acacia-ants. Control trees were monitored during the same time period to control for background variation to to environmental conditions. Resultant data from an accompanying comparative-factorial field study in which the effects of herbivore exclusion and ant removal on leaf and canopy gas exchange and leaf water potential were recorded in both long-term invaded and un-invaded Acacia drepanolobium tree stands.

本数据集包含两项研究的衍生数据：其一为前后对照影响研究（before-after-control-impact study），该研究针对镰荚金合欢（Acacia drepanolobium）蚁栖树展开，这类树木被外来蚁种大头蚁（Pheidole megacephala）入侵后，在原生金合欢蚁被驱离5至7个月时，引发了叶片水平气体交换的变化；同期对对照树进行监测，以控制环境背景变异。其二为伴随开展的比较析因野外研究，该研究记录了植食动物排除与蚂蚁移除操作，对长期入侵样地及未入侵镰荚金合欢林分的叶片、冠层气体交换及叶片水势的影响。