Data from: Does topography matter in the canopy? Spatial variation of ant communities across vertical and horizontal gradients
Data files
Sep 10, 2026 version files 16.18 KB
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Amami_ant_data.csv
12.96 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
This dataset contains ant occurrence records collected during a biodiversity survey on Amami Oshima Island, southwestern Japan, in 2024. The objective of this dataset is to document the island's ant fauna across different topographies. Sampling was conducted at 26 distinct sites, covering both ridges and valleys, utilizing bait traps. The dataset is structured as a matrix where rows represent sampling sites/topographies and columns represent ant species. Data values are formatted as binary presence/absence data, where '1' indicates presence and '0' indicates absence of a species. This dataset has high potential for reuse in macroecological studies, meta-analyses of island biogeography, and research on how topographical factors (ridges vs. valleys) influence invertebrate community composition. All field sampling was conducted in strict compliance with local regulations, and necessary research permits for Amami Oshima Island were obtained.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h9w0vt4zf
Description of the data and file structure
This data was collected as part of a field survey to investigate the biodiversity and community structure of ants on Amami Oshima Island. The primary objective was to clarify how ant species distribution and presence/absence patterns differ between major topographies, specifically ridges and valleys. The efforts aimed to provide baseline ecological data to support invertebrate conservation and biodiversity management in this region.
Files and variables
File: Amami_ant_data.csv
Description: This file contains the primary dataset of the ant survey conducted on Amami Oshima Island in 2024. It is structured as a site-by-species matrix showing the presence or absence of each ant species across 26 sampling sites.
Variables
- research plot: Unique identifier for each of the 26 sampling locations
- topography: topographical classification of the sampling site.
- trap position: The vertical strata where the bait traps were deployed.
- forest_age: The stand age of the forest at the sampling site (years).
- ant sp_number: Total number of ant species captured in the trap at that specific site (Species richness)
[Species Name](e.g., Pheidole_fervida, Lasius_niger, etc.): Each subsequent column represents a specific ant species identified during the survey.- Values: Binary indicators of occurrence.
1: Presence (the species was captured at the site).0: Absence (the species was not captured at the site).
- Units: Not applicable (dimensionless binary data).
- Values: Binary indicators of occurrence.
Code/software
Required Software
- Spreadsheet Software / Text Editors: The dataset is provided in a standard structured text format (
.csv), which can be viewed and opened using any free or open-source spreadsheet software such as LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, or standard text editors (e.g., Notepad, VS Code). It is also fully compatible with Microsoft Excel. - R Statistical Software: To read and analyze the matrix data programmatically, R (version 4.0.0 or later) is recommended.
Packages and Workflow No specialized or proprietary software packages are strictly required to view the raw dataset. However, for ecological community analysis (such as analyzing species richness or microtopographic effects), the following open-source R packages are highly recommended for users reuses this data:
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- Alternative repositories: Not applicable. This dataset is uniquely hosted and made publicly available for the first time via this Dryad repository.
Data was derived from the following sources:
- Source data: Not applicable. This dataset consists entirely of original primary field data collected directly by the authors during the 2024 ant survey on Amami Oshima Island. It was not derived from any pre-existing or external datasets, and therefore holds no pre-existing licensing constraints.
- Study Site: Amami Oshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (conducted in 2024).
- Sampling Design: A total of 26 sampling sites were established, stratified by microtopographical features: ridges and valleys.
- Data Collection: Ant communities were sampled using bait traps at each site. Captured specimens were identified to the species level.
- Data Processing: The captured data were converted into a binary presence (1) / absence (0) matrix for each species per site to ensure standardized analysis.