Chronic anthropogenic disturbance mediated the bottom-up effects of plant diversity on arthropods in tropical forests

Data for: <b>Chronic anthropogenic disturbance mediated the bottom-up effects of plant diversity on arthropods in tropical forests</b>Orou G. Gaoue^1,2,3,*, Hermann Bassoki², and Anicet G. Dassou⁴¹<i>Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA;</i><i> </i>²<i>Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, BP 123, Parakou, Benin;</i><i> </i>³<i>Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Sciences, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa.</i><i> </i>⁴<i> </i><i>National School of Biosciences and Applied Biotechnology (ENSBBA), National University of Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, BP 14, Dassa, Benin.</i> e-mail: [e-mail] of the study In this study, we used structural equation modeling to investigate how chronic anthropogenic disturbance can alter the bottom-up influence of plant diversity and abundance on arthropod diversity and abundance. We also investigated the implications for the top-down effect of arthropods communities in plant biomass via herbivory. We hypothesized that plant diversity would have a positive bottom-up effect on arthropods abundance and then diversity. We also hypothesized the diverse and abundant arthropods community will exert a top-down effect on the plant community as measured by increasing plant herbivory rates. We hypothesized that anthropogenic disturbance will decrease the diversity and abundance of arthropods and therefore reduce the top-down herbivory effect.This study was conducted in two climatic zones in northern Benin: the dry Sudanian zone (9°45’N and 12°25’N) and the moist Sudano-Guinean zone (7°30’N and 9°30’N). We sampled five sites in each zone<i>.</i> In each of the ten sites, we installed ten transects of 5m x 50m every 15m. These transects were established to survey all plant species and estimate species richness and diversity for each transect using the Chao 1 abundance-based estimator. The herbivory rate was estimated between 0% and 100% of leaf area lost and averaged at the plant and transect levels. On each individual plant, we sampled five leaves. To estimate arthropods abundance and diversity, we installed in each transect, pitfall traps, ceramic plates with bait, and used sweeping nets. We combined these three sampling methods to maximize the sampling effort considering the different behaviors and habitats of arthropods. Disturbance was estimated at each site considered tree pruning/debarking, fire and logging.We included the data file and the r script.<b>Variables</b><b>transect</b>: Transect number; 100 transects were ran at a rate of 10 transect per site<b>chao1p</b>: Species richness for all arthropods estimated using the Chao 1 abundance-based estimator.<b>disturbance</b>: Site disturbance intensity; Sites were categorized as low, medium and high disturbance.<b>herbivory</b>: Plant herbivory rate; herbivory rate was estimated between 0% and 100% of leaf area lost and averaged at the plant and transect levels.<b>site</b>: study populations. 10 population were sampled. These were spatially independent sites.<b> </b><b>habitat</b>: habitat type; this represents the type of vegetation in the site: gallery forest, dry forest, woodland.<b> </b><b>zone</b>: this represent the climatic zone in which the study was conducted: the dry Sudanian zone (9°45’N and 12°25’N) and the moist Sudano-Guinean zone (7°30’N and 9°30’N).<b>shannon</b>_<b>herb</b>: Shannon diversity estimate for herbivore arthropods.<b>abondance</b>_<b>herb</b>: abundance estimate for herbivore arthropods.<b>shannon_pred</b>: Shannon diversity estimate for predatory arthropods.<b>abondance_pred</b>: abundance estimate for predatory arthropods.<b>chao1_herb</b>: Chao1 species richness for herbivore arthropods.<b>chao1_pred</b>: Chao1 species richness for predatory arthropods.<b>chao1_arthropod</b>: Chao1 species richness for predatory arthropods.<b>shannon_arthropod</b>: Shannon diversity estimate for all arthropods.<b>abondance_arthropod</b>: abundance estimate for predatory arthropods.**长期人为干扰介导热带森林中植物多样性对节肢动物的上行调控效应** Orou G. Gaoue^1,2,3,*, Hermann Bassoki², and Anicet G. Dassou⁴ ¹ 美国田纳西大学诺克斯维尔分校生态与进化生物学系，田纳西州诺克斯维尔 37996，美国； ² 贝宁帕拉库大学农学院，BP 123，帕拉库，贝宁； ³ 南非约翰内斯堡大学地理、环境管理与能源科学系APK校区，约翰内斯堡，南非； ⁴ 贝宁达萨国家科学、技术、工程与数学大学国家生物科学与应用生物技术学院（ENSBBA），BP 14，达萨，贝宁。 电子邮箱：[e-mail] ## 研究概况 本研究采用结构方程模型（Structural Equation Modeling），旨在解析长期人为干扰如何改变植物多样性与多度对节肢动物（arthropods）多样性与多度的上行调控效应，同时探讨节肢动物群落通过植食作用对植物生物量产生的下行调控效应的生态学意义。我们提出如下研究假说：1）植物多样性对节肢动物多度及多样性具有正向上行调控效应；2）多样且丰富的节肢动物群落将通过提升植食率对植物群落产生下行调控效应；3）人为干扰会降低节肢动物的多样性与多度，进而削弱下行植食调控效应。 ## 研究区域与采样设计 本研究在贝宁北部的两个气候带开展：干旱苏丹亚带（9°45′N至12°25′N）与湿润苏丹-几内亚亚带（7°30′N至9°30′N）。每个气候带布设5个样地，总计10个空间独立的样地。 在每个样地内，每间隔15m设置1条5m×50m的样带，共计布设100条样带（每个样地10条样带）。通过每条样带调查所有植物物种，采用基于多度的Chao 1估计量计算物种丰富度与多样性。 植食率以叶片损失面积的百分比（0%~100%）进行估算，分别在单株植物与样带水平取平均值。每株植物采集5片叶片用于植食率分析。 为估算节肢动物的多度与多样性，我们在每条样带内设置陷阱法诱捕、带诱饵的瓷盘诱捕以及扫网法三种采样方式。结合三种采样方法以最大化采样效率，适配节肢动物不同的行为习性与栖息生境。 在每个样地内评估人为干扰强度，评估指标包括树木修剪/剥皮、火灾与伐木。 本研究附带数据文件与R脚本文件。 ## 变量说明 1. **transect**：样带编号；本研究共布设100条样带，每个样地设置10条样带。 2. **chao1p**：基于Chao 1多度估计量计算得到的所有节肢动物物种丰富度。 3. **disturbance**：样地人为干扰强度；样地分为低、中、高干扰三个等级。 4. **herbivory**：植物植食率；以叶片损失面积百分比（0%~100%）估算，分别在单株植物与样带水平取平均值。 5. **site**：研究样地种群；共采样10个空间独立的样地。 6. **habitat**：生境类型；代表样地内的植被类型：河岸林、干旱林、林地。 7. **zone**：研究开展的气候带：干旱苏丹亚带（9°45′N至12°25′N）与湿润苏丹-几内亚亚带（7°30′N至9°30′N）。 8. **shannon_herb**：植食性节肢动物的香农多样性指数（Shannon diversity index）。 9. **abondance_herb**：植食性节肢动物的多度估计值（原文为abundance的拼写笔误）。 10. **shannon_pred**：捕食性节肢动物的香农多样性指数（Shannon diversity index）。 11. **abondance_pred**：捕食性节肢动物的多度估计值。 12. **chao1_herb**：植食性节肢动物的Chao 1物种丰富度。 13. **chao1_pred**：捕食性节肢动物的Chao 1物种丰富度。 14. **chao1_arthropod**：所有节肢动物的Chao 1物种丰富度（原文标注为捕食性节肢动物，存在笔误）。 15. **shannon_arthropod**：所有节肢动物的香农多样性指数（Shannon diversity index）。 16. **abondance_arthropod**：所有节肢动物的多度估计值（原文标注为捕食性节肢动物，存在笔误）。