Data from: Microhabitat selection in the common lizard: implications of biotic interactions, age, sex, local processes, and model transferability among populations

Modeling species' habitat requirements are crucial to assess impacts of global change, for conservation efforts and to test mechanisms driving species presence. While the influence of abiotic factors has been widely examined, the importance of biotic factors and biotic interactions, and the potential implications of local processes are not well understood. Testing their importance requires additional knowledge and analyses at local habitat scale. Here, we recorded the locations of species presence at the microhabitat scale and measured abiotic and biotic parameters in three different common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) populations using a standardized sampling protocol. Thereafter, space use models and cross-evaluations among populations were run to infer local processes and estimate the importance of biotic parameters, biotic interactions, sex, and age. Biotic parameters explained more variation than abiotic parameters, and intraspecific interactions significantly predicted the spatial distribution. Significant differences among populations in the relationship between abiotic parameters and lizard distribution, and the greater model transferability within populations than between populations are in line with effects predicted by local adaptation and/or phenotypic plasticity. These results underline the importance of including biotic parameters and biotic interactions in space use models at the population level. There were significant differences in space use between sexes, and between adults and yearlings, the latter showing no association with the measured parameters. Consequently, predictive habitat models at the population level taking into account different sexes and age classes are required to understand a specie's ecological requirements and to allow for precise conservation strategies. Our study therefore stresses that future predictive habitat models at the population level and their transferability should take these parameters into account.

构建物种生境需求模型，对于评估全球变化的影响、开展保护工作以及解析驱动物种存在的机制均至关重要。尽管非生物因子的影响已得到广泛研究，但生物因子、生物间相互作用的重要性，以及局域过程的潜在效应仍未得到充分阐释。要验证其重要性，需在微生境尺度下开展更多研究与分析。本研究采用标准化采样方案，在微生境尺度下记录了3个不同的胎生蜥蜴（*Zootoca vivipara*）种群的物种出现点位，并测定了相关非生物与生物参数。随后，通过构建空间利用模型并开展种群间交叉验证，推断局域过程，并评估生物参数、生物间相互作用、性别以及年龄的重要性。相较于非生物参数，生物参数能够解释更多的变异；且种内相互作用可显著预测蜥蜴的空间分布格局。非生物参数与蜥蜴分布之间的关系在种群间存在显著差异，且模型在种群内部的迁移性优于种群间，这一结果与局域适应和/或表型可塑性的预测效应相符。上述研究结果凸显了在种群尺度的空间利用模型中纳入生物参数与生物间相互作用的重要性。不同性别、成体与一龄幼体之间的空间利用模式均存在显著差异，其中一龄幼体与所测定的参数并无关联。因此，若要解析物种的生态需求并制定精准的保护策略，需构建兼顾不同性别与年龄组的种群尺度生境预测模型。本研究强调，未来的种群尺度生境预测模型及其迁移性评估应纳入上述相关参数。