Population dynamics in greenhouse experiments of aphids and their predators

The data was collected to determine the role of habitat use and non-trophic predator-predator interactions on food-web dynamics. We developed four dynamic food-web models - with vs without habitat use and non-trophic predator interactions - and fit the models to the data. We used mesocosm experiments in the greenhouse, combining all combinations of 0, 1 or 2 predator species with 1 or 2 prey species (33 combinations in total, each with 6 replicates). aphid_counts (1734R × 6C) and pred_counts (180R × 8C): Aphid populations were counted on days 2, 4, 6 and 8, while predator populations were counted on day 8. Aphid populations in treatments with no predator were also counted on day 0, and some treatments with Coccinella septempunctata were counted on day 1 and 3 as well. Initial predator populations were 10 Pardosa, 2 C. septempunctata, 20 O. majusculus, or 20 Bembidion. Where the treatment only contained one predator, these numbers were doubled (i.e. 4 C. septempunctata). 150 aphids were added to each mesocosm on day -2 (i.e. two days before predators were added). This was either 150 of one aphid species or 75 of each aphid species. body_masses_raw (44R x 5C): This data set contains body mass measurements for each species in our experiment. Some species were weighed multiple at a time because of their small size. The columns contain name of the species measured ("Species"), mass of the measured individual(s) in grams ("Mass (g)"), the number of individuals that were weighed together ("Number of individuals"), the per capita mass of those weighed in that group ("Per capita Mass (mg)"), and the average per capita mass for the species, in mg ("Avg species per capita mass (mg)"). aphid_hab_use_by_replicate ( 97R x 5C) and pred_hab_use_by_replicate (985R x 5C): This dataset contains the habitat use of each aphid and predator species. The cage was divided into four areas - walls (and roof), ground, barley, and beans and we recorded the number of individuals located in each area. If an individual moved during counting it was assigned half to each habitat it was in. Aphid habitat use was recorded on days 2 and 6 of the 8 day experiment, while predators were recorded every day (or multiple times a day for Coccinella septempunctata, because we had so few individuals.本数据集的采集旨在厘清栖息地利用与非营养级捕食者间相互作用对食物网动态的调控效应。我们构建了4类动态食物网模型，分别覆盖与不覆盖栖息地利用及非营养级捕食者间相互作用，并将模型与实验数据进行拟合优化。实验依托温室中型生态箱（mesocosm）开展，将0、1或2种捕食者与1或2种猎物进行全组合配置，共包含33种处理组合，每组设置6次生物学重复。 aphid_counts（1734行 × 6列）与pred_counts（180行 × 8列）： 蚜虫种群分别于实验第2、4、6、8天进行计数，捕食者种群仅在第8天完成计数。无捕食者的处理组中，蚜虫种群还会在第0天计数；部分包含七星瓢虫（Coccinella septempunctata）的处理组，额外在第1、3天补充计数。初始捕食者种群密度为：10只狼蛛属（Pardosa）个体、2只七星瓢虫、20只O. majusculus个体，或20只Bembidion个体。若处理组仅包含单一种类的捕食者，则上述初始种群数量翻倍（例如七星瓢虫的初始数量调整为4只）。实验第-2天（即投放捕食者的前两天），向每个中型生态箱接入150只蚜虫，接入方案可选择：仅接入1个蚜虫物种的150个个体，或接入2个蚜虫物种各75个个体。 body_masses_raw（44行 × 5列）： 本数据集包含本次实验中各物种种群的体重测量数据。由于部分物种个体体型极小，需将多个个体合并后称重。数据集列字段依次为：被测物种名称（"Species"）、被测个体总质量（单位：克，"Mass (g)"）、合并称重的个体数量（"Number of individuals"）、该组个体的单头平均体重（单位：毫克，"Per capita Mass (mg)"），以及该物种的整体平均单头体重（单位：毫克，"Avg species per capita mass (mg)"）。 aphid_hab_use_by_replicate（97行 × 5列）与pred_hab_use_by_replicate（985行 × 5列）： 本数据集包含各蚜虫与捕食者物种的栖息地利用数据。实验笼舍被划分为四个区域：壁面（含顶面）、地面、大麦植株区与豆类植株区，我们记录了各区域内的个体数量。若个体在计数过程中发生移动，则将其数量均分到其所停留的两个区域中。蚜虫栖息地利用数据分别于8天实验周期的第2、6天采集；捕食者的栖息地利用数据每日采集，针对七星瓢虫（Coccinella septempunctata），由于其个体数量极少，每日可进行多次采集。