Dataset for case study in "Extending the causal inference toolkit for ecologists: A visualization method of indirect effects"

Extending the causal inference toolkit for ecologists: A visualization method of indirect effects Allen Bush-Beaupré1, Simon Coroller-Chouraki1, Marc Bélisle1,2 1Université de Sherbrooke, Département de biologie, Sherbrooke, Canada2Centre d’étude de la forêt (CÉF) Allen Bush-Beaupré: [e-mail] | ORCID: 0000-0001-6989-9278 Much ecological research focuses on how a given variable can affect another either directly or indirectly through the effect of one or more intervening variables in the context of causal inference and network analyses. Various methods to quantify the magnitude of these effects are available but are difficult to interpret in a meaningful way. We propose a method of visualizing indirect effects by means of plotting model predictions of an outcome in the presence of exposure and mediator variables. We demonstrate the method through simulations and apply them to a real-world example involving Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and their obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites, Protocalliphora spp. bird blowflies. The simple procedure using commonplace software should prove instrumental to visualize and interpret relationships among variables involved in ecological mechanisms and can be seamlessly integrated to analysts’ workflows. Check out Bush-Beaupré's website !! The dataset, list of variables and their definitions concerning the Case Study are now available below ! ↓面向生态学家的因果推断工具拓展：间接效应可视化方法 Allen Bush-Beaupré¹, Simon Coroller-Chouraki¹, Marc Bélisle¹,² 1 加拿大舍布鲁克大学，生物学系，舍布鲁克；2 森林研究中心（CÉF） Allen Bush-Beaupré：[e-mail] | 开放研究者与贡献者身份码（ORCID）：0000-0001-6989-9278 诸多生态学研究围绕因果推断与网络分析框架，聚焦某一变量如何通过一个或多个中介变量，对另一变量产生直接或间接影响。当前已有多种量化此类效应强度的方法，但难以实现具有实际学术意义的解读。本研究提出一种间接效应可视化方法：通过绘制暴露变量与中介变量存在时的结局模型预测值完成可视化。我们通过模拟实验验证了该方法的有效性，并将其应用于一个真实案例：树燕（Tachycineta bicolor）及其专性吸血外寄生昆虫——原丽蝇属（Protocalliphora spp.）鸟类寄生蝇。本方法依托通用软件即可实现，操作简便，可有效辅助研究者可视化并解读生态机制中各变量间的关联，且能无缝融入分析人员的工作流程。 欢迎访问Bush-Beaupré的个人网站！ 本案例研究相关的数据集、变量列表及其定义现已公布如下：↓