Thermophilisation drives multi-scale declines in carabid species richness in temperate forests over 25 years
Data files
May 15, 2026 version files 189.10 KB
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fourcast_species_matrix.txt
25.81 KB
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README.md
12.45 KB
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Total_table.txt
150.84 KB
Abstract
This dataset comprises long-term resurvey data on carabid beetle communities collected from 54 temperate forest plots in Belgium. The original sampling took place in 1997 using standardized pitfall trapping methods and was repeated in 2023 following the same protocol, enabling direct comparisons over a 25-year interval. Each plot was selected to represent relatively undisturbed forest conditions, spanning gradients in microclimate and landscape context. The dataset includes species-level abundance data, thermal affinity classifications, and site-level environmental metadata and a site-by-species matrix showing the number of individuals of each species found in each plot. It supports analyses of climate-driven thermophilisation, species turnover, and biodiversity change across spatial scales. This resource is especially valuable for understanding temporal shifts in community composition and trait-based responses to global change.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.m63xsj4fw
Description of the data and file structure
Files and variables
File: fourcast_species_matrix.txt
Description: a site-by-species matrix showing the number of individuals (N) of each species (column headers) found in each plot during sampling in 1997 and 2023.
Variables
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PlotY_ID: plot identifier consisting of a 4-character plot abbreviation followed by the sampling year (97 or 23).
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All other column headers are carabid species caught during both sampling years:
SOCODE: species code consisting of the first 4 letters of the genus name and the first 4 letters of the species name.
Scientific name: current scientific name following accepted taxonomy
SOCODE Scientific name Abax_ater Abax parallelepipedus Abax_oval Abax ovalis Abax_para Abax paralellus Acup_brun Acupalpus brunnipes Acup_cons Acupalpus consputus Acup_dubi Acupalpus dubius Acup_flav Acupalpus flavicollis Acup_meri Acupalpus meridianus Acup_parv Acupalpus parvulus Agon_albi Paranchus albipes Agon_assi Limodromus assimilis Agon_dors Anchomenus dorsalis Agon_fuli Agonum fuliginosum Agon_live Platynus livens Agon_marg Agonum marginatum Agon_mica Agonum micans Agon_moes Agonum emarginatum Agon_muel Agonum muelleri Agon_obsc Oxypselaphus obscurus Agon_vers Agonum versutum Agon_vidu Agonum viduum Amar_aene Amara aenea Amar_comm Amara communis Amar_cono Amara conoidea Amar_fame Amara famelica Amar_fami Amara familiaris Amar_luni Amara lunicollis Amar_ovat Amara ovata Amar_pleb Amara plebeja Amar_simi Amara similata Amar_spre Amara spreta Anis_bino Anisodactylus binotatus Asap_curt Asaphidion curtum Asap_flav Asaphidion flavipes Asap_stie Asaphidion stierlini Badi_bull Badister bullatus Badi_dila Badister dilatatus Badi_lace Badister lacertosus Badi_soda Badister sodalis Badi_unip Badister unipustulatus Bemb_arti Bembidion articulatum Bemb_bigu Bembidion biguttatum Bemb_dele Bembidion deletum Bemb_dent Bembidion dentellum Bemb_dori Bembidion doris Bemb_harp Bembidion harpaloides Bemb_lamp Bembidion lampros Bemb_lunu Bembidion lunulatum Bemb_mann Bembidion mannerheimii Bemb_obtu Bembidion obtusum Bemb_prop Bembidion properans Bemb_tetr Bembidion tetracolum Brad_harp Bradycellus harpalinus Brad_shar Bradycellus sharpi Cala_cinc Calatus cinctus Cala_erra Calathus erratus Cala_fusc Calathus fuscipes Cala_mela Calathus melanocephalus Cala_micr Calathus micropterus Cala_rotu Calathus rotundicollis Calo_inqu Calosoma inquisitor Cara_auro Carabus auronitens Cara_cori Carabus coriaceus Cara_gran Carabus granulatus Cara_nemo Carabus nemoralis Cara_prob Carabus problematicus Cara_viol Carabus violaceus Chla_nigr Chlaenius nigricornis Cliv_foss Clivina fossor Cych_atte Cychrus attenuatus Cych_cara Cychrus caraboides Deme_atri Demetrias atricapillus Diac_germ Diachromus germanus Drom_line Paradromius linearis Drom_sigm Philorhizus sigma Dysc_aene Dyschirius aeneus Dysc_glob Dyschirius globosus Dysc_inte Dyschirius intermedius Elap_cupr Elaphrus cupreus Harp_affi Harpalus affinis Harp_dist Harpalus distinguendus Harp_latu Harpalus latus Harp_rufe Harpalus rufipes Harp_tard Harpalus tardus Leis_ferr Leistus ferrugineus Leis_fulv Leistus fulvibarbis Leis_pice Leistus piceus Leis_rufo Leistus rufomarginatus Leis_spin Leistus spinibarbis Leis_term Leistus terminatus Lori_pili Loricera pilicornis Meta_fove Syntomus foveatus Micr_minu Microlestes minutulus Molo_pice Molops piceus Nebr_brev Nebria brevicollis Nebr_sali Nebria salina Noti_bigu Notiophilus biguttatus Noti_germ Notiophilus germinyi Noti_palu Notiophilus palustris Noti_quad Notiophilus quadripunctatus Noti_rufi Notiophilus rufipes Noti_subs Notiophilus substriatus Oode_helo Oodes helopioides Pana_crux Panagaeus cruxmajor Patr_atro Patrobus atrorufus Pter_anth Pterostichus anthracinus Pter_cris Pterostichus cristatus Pter_cupr Poecilus cupreus Pter_dili Pterostichus diligens Pter_lepi Poecilus lepidus Pter_madi Pterostichus madidus Pter_mela Pterostichus melanarius Pter_mino Pterostichus minor Pter_nige Pterostichus niger Pter_nigr Pterostichus nigrita Pter_oblo Pterostichus oblongopunctatus Pter_quad Pterostichus quadrifoveolatus Pter_rhae Pterostichus rhaeticus Pter_stre Pterostichus strenuus Pter_vern Pterostichus vernalis Pter_vers Poecilus versicolor Sten_mixt Stenolophus mixtus Sten_teut Stenolophus teutonus Stom_pumi Stomis pumicatus Synu_niva Synuchus vivalis Tach_quad Elaphropus quadrisignatus Trec_obtu Trechus obtusus Trec_quad Trechus quadristriatus Trec_seca Epaphius secalis Tric_cogn Trichotichnus cognatus Tric_laev Trichotichnus laevicollis Tric_plac Trichocellus placidus
File: Total_table.txt
Description:
Variables
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SOCODE: Species code consisting of the first 4 letters of the genus name and the first 4 letters of the species name.
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PlotY_ID: plot identifier consisting of a 4-character plot abbreviation followed by the sampling year (97 or 23).
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SumOfN: Total number of individuals (N) caught for the corresponding species, plot and sampling year
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Plot_ID: plot identifier consisting of a 4-character plot abbreviation
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disp: dispersal class of the species: (1) short-winged (brachypterous) or wingless (apterous), (2) dimorphic species, with both long- and short-winged individuals and (3) long-winged (macropterous)
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ECODISTR: ecodistrict:
Abbreviation Dutch ecodistrict name English translation kempencentCentraal Kempisch district Central Campine district kempennoordNoord-Kempisch district Northern Campine district kempenboomBoomse Kempen Boom Campine region kempenplatKempisch plateau Campine Plateau kempenbochBocholtse Kempen Bocholt Campine region kempenzoZuid-Kempisch district Southern Campine district leemnhagNoord-Hagelandse leemstreek Northern Hageland loam region leemzhagZuid-Hagelandse leemstreek Southern Hageland loam region leembrabheuvBrabants heuveldistrict Brabant hill district leempajotPajottenland Pajottenland leemoudenOudenaardse leemstreek Oudenaarde loam region leemvlardenVlaamse Ardennen Flemish Ardennes leemdhaspDroog Haspengouw Dry Hesbaye region zandleemrupelZandleemstreek van de Rupel Rupel sandy loam region zandleemdenderZandleemstreek van de Dender Dender sandy loam region zandleemhoutHoutland zandleemstreek Houtland sandy loam region zandleemwestWestelijke zandleemstreek Western sandy loam region zandleemvlvaZandleemstreek Vlaamse Vallei Flemish Valley sandy loam region zandleemoedelemOedelemse zandleemstreek Oedelem sandy loam region -
BOSOPP: surface area of the forest in m²
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AFSTBOSRAND: distance of the plot from the forest edge in m
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BOF: Forest area proportion within a circle with a radius of 840 m (r = 840 m, largest forest area in Flanders = 100%)
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BODTEX: texture classes as determined by soil texture analysis (weighted mean of the upper 120 cm).
Code Dutch English ZZand Sand SLemig zand Loamy sand PLicht zandleem Sandy loam LZandleem Sandy silt loam / Sandy loam* ALeem Loam / Silt loam* EKlei Clay UZware klei Heavy clay -
T_mean: Species' mean temperature of their distribution area in Europe
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T_median: Species' median temperature of their distribution area in Europe
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T_stdev: Standard deviation of species' mean temperature of their distribution area in Europe
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T_min: Species' minimum temperature of their distribution area in Europe
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T_max: Species' maximum temperature of their distribution area in Europe
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Year: 1997 of 2023
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T_class: Temperature class: (1) cold-affiliated species (OTP < 8.0 °C; n = 48), (2) intermediate (8.0 °C < OTP < 9.0 °C; n = 47), and (3) warm-affiliated species (OTP > 9.0 °C; n = 37). Temperature classes were determined by first arranging species in ascending order according to their OTP, after which they were divided into three approximately equally-sized groups to ensure comparable statistical power across groups.
Code/software
R and RStudio were used to perform all statistical analyses and to plot the original figures. Inkscape was used to combine and clean up some figures.
Packages used: devtools, mobr, vegan, dplyr, ggplot2, lme4, lmerTest, tibble
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- NA
Data was derived from the following sources:
- NA