Data from: Extinction debt of species and interactions in a fragmented landscape
Data files
Aug 20, 2025 version files 26.99 KB
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Area_connectivity_relationships_analyses.r
3.59 KB
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data_frag_rich.csv
1.06 KB
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extinction_debt_analysis.r
5.27 KB
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model_results_ext_debt.csv
4.62 KB
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plots_area_con_relationships.r
3.02 KB
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plots_ext.debt.r
6.26 KB
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README.md
3.17 KB
Abstract
Addressing the worldwide biodiversity crisis in fragmented landscapes requires considering both immediate and delayed extinctions—the extinction debt. Assuming a paid debt in long-fragmented habitats, we examined the potentially unpaid debt in recently fragmented habitats as the difference between the current richness of species and interactions and their richness expected from area and connectivity for long-fragmented habitats.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhmzb
Description of the data and file structure
We selected 14 remnant habitat fragments of Monte dryland in an agricultural region of central-western Argentina. We defined long-fragmented habitats as fragments that experienced significant changes before 2003, and recently fragmented habitats, after 2003. We measured current areas and connectivities using the 2015 map, while for past areas and connectivities we used the 2003 map. To estimate fragment connectivity, we calculated the sum of the shortest geographical distances between neighboring fragments. To estimate current richness of plants, herbivorous insects, parasitoids, and their trophic interactions in the habitat fragments, we sampled at the centroid of each fragment in the austral spring and summer between 2015 and 2017. We measured plant-herbivore interaction richness as the number of individual interactions of plant-gall, plant-mine, plant-aphid colony, and plant-scale insect observed in the field. Then, we measured the richness of herbivore-parasitoid interactions as the number of individual interactions of gall-parasitoid, mine-parasitoid, aphid colony-parasitoid, and scale insect-parasitoid observed in the laboratory.
Files and variables
File: Area_connectivity_relationships_analyses.r
Description: Statistical analysis of area and connectivity relationships in fragmented habitats.
File: data_frag_rich.csv
Description: It contains habitat fragment variables and richness of species and interactions.
Variables
- fragment: ID habitat fragment
- area(ha)_2015: Current area fragment (ha)
- area(ha)_2003: Past area fragment (ha)
- connectivity_2015: Current connectivity fragment
- connetivity_2003 : Past connectivity fragment
- frag_time_cat: Recently or long-fragmented habitat
- plant_r: Plant richness
- herbivore_r: Herbivore richness
- parasitoid_r: Parasitoid richness
- int_plant_herb_r: Plant-herbivore interaction richness
- int_herb_paras_r: Herbivore-parasitoid interaction richness
- fragmentation_time: Fragmentation year detection
File: extinction_debt_analysis.r
Description: Statistical analysis of extinction debt in recently fragmented habitats (estimation and relation to habitat variables).
File: model_results_ext_debt.csv
Description: It contains the statistical results from the generalized linear models assessing extinction debt related to habitat variables. This dataset are required to plotting.
Variables
- Species/Interactions: trophic levels and interaction types
- Parameter: model parameter
- Estimate: model estimate
- Std. Error: model standard error
- t value: model t value
- Pr(>|t|): model p-value
File: plots_ext.debt.r
Description: Code to plot figures.
File: plots_area_con_relationships.r
Description: Code to plot figures.
Code/software
We carried out all statistical analysis and figures with R software. Required packages to run codes are indicated in the code itself.
We selected 14 remnant habitat fragments of Monte dryland in an agricultural region of central-western Argentina. To distinguish between recently and long-fragmented habitats, we defined long-fragmented habitats as fragments that experienced significant changes before 2003, and recently fragmented habitats, after 2003. We measured current areas and connectivities using the 2015 map, while for past areas and connectivities we used the 2003 map. To estimate fragment connectivity, we calculated the sum of the shortest geographical distances between neighboring fragments. To estimate current richness of plants, herbivorous insects, parasitoids, and their trophic interactions in the habitat fragments, we sampled at the centroid of each fragment in the austral spring and summer between 2015 and 2017. We measured plant-herbivore interaction richness as the number of individual interactions of plant-gall, plant-mine, plant-aphid colony, and plant-scale insect observed in the field. Then, we measured the richness of herbivore-parasitoid interactions as the number of individual interactions of gall-parasitoid, mine-parasitoid, aphid colony-parasitoid, and scale insect-parasitoid observed in the laboratory.