Data and code from: Twenty-nine years of monitoring data illustrate variable aquatic insect populations correlated with predators and hydrologic variation in the Everglades
Data files
Jun 24, 2026 version files 4.38 MB
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EVER-LT-insects_community-code.R
47.72 KB
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Ever-LT-insects_figures-code.R
271.65 KB
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EVER-LT-insects_full-code.R
146.97 KB
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Everglades-insect-community-data.csv
1.98 MB
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Everglades-insects-dataset.csv
1.88 MB
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Everglades-LT-insects_GAM-coefs.csv
37.36 KB
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README.md
13.21 KB
Abstract
This dataset accompanies the manuscript titled "Twenty-nine years of monitoring data illustrate variable aquatic insect populations correlated with predators and hydrologic variation in the Everglades" in the journal Ecological Entomology. It includes data and code to generate figures and conduct analyses presented in the paper. Data were collected as part of two long-term biological monitoring programs in the Florida Everglades: the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Project (MWD) and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Monitoring and Assessment Project (CERP). These monitoring programs were established to track the populations of fishes and invertebrates important to larger predators (wading birds and alligators) iconic to the freshwater Everglades at a time when (mid-1990s to 2000s) efforts towards ecosystem restoration began. Abundance data on aquatic animals (fishes, insects) were collected using 1-m2 throw traps. Here, our goals were to assess overall trends and drivers of insect densities while examining how conclusions drawn from the datasets depend on spatial and temporal scope of the data analyzed. Data collection was funded and permitted by the National Park Service, with additional funding from the National Science Foundation and permitting by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Consvation Commission and Florida International University's IACUC committee.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wstqjq32d
Description of the data and file structure
Data were collected using 1-square meter throw traps as part of two long-term biological monitoring programs in the Everglades, the Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project (MWD; 1996–2025) and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Monitoring and Assessment project (CERP; 2005–2024). Details on the methods of these projects are provided in the text of the paper.
Files and variables
File: Everglades-insects-dataset.csv
Description:
Variables
- PROJECT: project the data was collected for
- MWD: Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project
- CERP: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Monitoring and Assessment project
- REGION: Abbreviation of region of the Everglades from which the data were collected. Primary regions here include:
- PHD: C-111 Panhandle
- SRS: Shark River Slough
- TSL: Taylor Slough
- WCA: Water Conservation Area 3
- YEAR: calendar year during which the sample was collected
- PERIOD: Original number assigned to the sampling period during which data were collected from the MWD project. This is not applicable (NA) for CERP data (only collected once per year). Periods approximately correspond to the following months:
- 1: February
- 2: April
- 3: June
- 4: October
- 5: December
- SITE: name or number assigned to identify each site within each region for each project.
- PLOT: Letter assigned to identify each plot in the MWD project and PSU number assigned for each sample from the CERP project.
- MONTH: Calendar month (numerical) during which each sample was collected.
- DAY: Day of the month (numerical) during which each sample was collected
- THROW: Number of throw trap samples collected from each PLOT on the sample date.
- MONALB.PA: Whether or not (Yes/No) Monopterus spp. (Asian swamp eels) had yet been detected at each MWD site (estimated for most CERP sites).
- Latitude: coordinate latitude in decimal degrees of the sample location
- Longitude: coordinate longitude in decimal degrees of the sample location
- Day.of.WY: Numerical day of the water year with 1 = 1 June
- DEPTH_AVE_180DAY: average water depth (cm) over the previous 180 days at each sampling site
- DSLDD: Number of days since each site was last dry (water depth < 5 cm)
- LASTDAYDRY: Number of days over which each site was dry during the last period the depth was < 5 cm.
- FishRich: Number of small fish species caught in throw traps at each plot during the sampling event. NA indicates samples with missing fish data.
- TOTFISH: Total abundance of small fish species caught in throw traps at each plot during the sampling event. NA indicates samples with missing fish data.
- Latitude2: abbreviated coordinate latitude (to 1 decimal degree) used to obtain air temperature
- Longitude2: abbreviated coordinate longitude (to 1 decimal degree) used to obtain air temperature
- Temp180DayAv: Average air temperature (degrees Celsius) over the previous 180 days at each site (within 0.1 decimal degrees of each location)
- WY2: water year during which each sample was collected (named based on the calendar year in which the water year ends; June to May).
- COLEOPTERA: total abundance of beetles (adults + larvae) at each PLOT
- DIPTERA: total abundance of flies (larvae) at each PLOT
- BELOSTOMATINAE: total abundance of Belostomatinae water bugs (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- GERRIDAE: total abundance of Gerridae water striders (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- PELOCORIS: total abundance of Pelocoris spp. (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- HETEROPTERA: total abundance of all Heteroptera spp. (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- LEPIDOPTERA: total abundance of Lepidoptera (larvae) at each PLOT
- AESHNIDAE: total abundance of Aeshnidae spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- CORDULIIDAE: total abundance of Corduliidae spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- GOMPHIDAE: total abundance of Gomphidae spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- BRACHYMESIA: total abundance of Brachymesia spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- CELITHEMIS: total abundance of Celithemis spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- ERYTHEMIS: total abundance of Erythemis spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- LIBELLULA: total abundance of Libellula spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- PANTALA: total abundance of Pantala spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- TRAMEA: total abundance of Tramea spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- LIBELLULIDAE: total abundance of all Libellulidae spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- ANISOPTERA: total abundance of all Anisoptera spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- ODONATA: total abundance of all Odonata spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- INSECTS: total abundance of all insects at each PLOT
- EPHEME: total abundance of Ephemeroptera spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- COENAG: total abundance of Zygoptera spp. (nymphs; predominantly Coenagrionidae) at each PLOT
- CORING: total abundance of Coryphaeschna ingens (nymphs) at each PLOT
- PACLON: total abundance of Pachydiplax longipennis (nymphs) at each PLOT
- CORIXI: total abundance of Corixidae spp. (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
File: Everglades-insect-community-data.csv
Description:
Variables
- PROJECT: project the data was collected for
- MWD: Modified Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park project
- CERP: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Monitoring and Assessment project
- REGION: Abbreviation of region of the Everglades from which the data were collected. Primary regions here include:
- PHD: C-111 Panhandle
- SRS: Shark River Slough
- TSL: Taylor Slough
- WCA: Water Conservation Area 3
- YEAR: calendar year during which the sample was collected
- PERIOD: Original number assigned to the sampling period during which data were collected from the MWD project. This is not applicable (NA) for CERP data (only collected once per year). Periods approximately correspond to the following months:
- 1: February
- 2: April
- 3: June
- 4: October
- 5: December
- SITE: name or number assigned to identify each site within each region for each project.
- PLOT: Letter assigned to identify each plot in the MWD project and PSU number assigned for each sample from the CERP project.
- MONTH: Calendar month (numerical) during which each sample was collected.
- DAY: Day of the month (numerical) during which each sample was collected
- THROW: Number of throw trap samples collected from each PLOT on the sample date.
- MONALB.PA: Whether or not (Yes/No) Monopterus spp. (Asian swamp eels) had yet been detected at each MWD site (estimated for most CERP sites).
- Richness: Total taxonomic richness of the insect taxonomic groups presented here
- COLEOPTERA: total abundance of beetles (adults + larvae) at each PLOT
- DIPTERA: total abundance of flies (larvae) at each PLOT
- BELOSTOMATINAE: total abundance of Belostomatinae water bugs (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- GERRIDAE: total abundance of Gerridae water striders (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- PELOCORIS: total abundance of Pelocoris spp. (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- CORIXI: total abundance of Corixidae spp. (adults + nymphs) at each PLOT
- Other.Heteroptera: total abundance of all other Heteroptera taxa (excluding BELOSTOMATINAE, GERRIDAE, PELOCORIS, and CORIXI) at each PLOT
- LEPIDOPTERA: total abundance of Lepidoptera (larvae) at each PLOT
- BRACHYMESIA: total abundance of Brachymesia spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- CELITHEMIS: total abundance of Celithemis spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- ERYTHEMIS: total abundance of Erythemis spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- LIBELLULA: total abundance of Libellula spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- PANTALA: total abundance of Pantala spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- TRAMEA: total abundance of Tramea spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- ANAJUN: total abundance of Anax junius (nymphs) at each PLOT
- COENAG: total abundance of Zygoptera spp. (nymphs; predominantly Coenagrionidae) at each PLOT
- CORING: total abundance of Coryphaeschna ingens (nymphs) at each PLOT
- APHWIL: total abundance of Aphylla williamsoni (nymphs) at each PLOT
- ARIPAL: total abundance of Arigomphus pallidus (nymphs) at each PLOT
- NASPEN: total abundance of Nasiaeschna pentacantha (nymphs) at each PLOT
- IDICUB: total abundance of Idiataphe cubensis (nymphs) at each PLOT
- MACBAL: total abundance of Macrodiplax balteata (nymphs) at each PLOT
- PERTEN: total abundance of Perithemis tenera seminole (nymphs) at each PLOT
- TRICHO: total abundance of Trichoptera spp. (larvae) at each PLOT
- PACLON: total abundance of Pachydiplax longipennis (nymphs) at each PLOT
- EPITHECA: total abundance of Epitheca spp. (nymphs) at each PLOT
- Abund: Total abundance of all insect taxa presented here at each PLOT
- Latitude: coordinate latitude in decimal degrees of the sample location
- Longitude: coordinate longitude in decimal degrees of the sample location
- Day.of.WY: Numerical day of the water year with 1 = 1 June
- DEPTH_AVE_180DAY: average water depth (cm) over the previous 180 days at each sampling site
- DSLDD: Number of days since each site was last dry (water depth < 5 cm)
- LASTDAYDRY: Number of days over which each site was dry during the last period the depth was < 5 cm.
- FishRich: Number of small fish species caught in throw traps at each plot during the sampling event. NA indicates samples with missing fish data.
- TOTFISH: Total abundance of small fish species caught in throw traps at each plot during the sampling event. NA indicates samples with missing fish data.
- PERIOD4: ordinal period during which MWD samples were collected rearranged so that 1 = June and 5 = April; Not applicable (NA) for CERP data.
- REGSITE: combination of REGION and SITE
- SITEPLOT: combination of REGSITE and PLOT
- LASTDRYSEASON: number of days the water depth was <5 cm at each plot during the previous dry season
- WY2: water year during which each sample was collected (named based on the calendar year in which the water year ends; June to May).
- Temp180DayAv: Average air temperature (degrees Celsius) over the previous 180 days at each site (within 0.1 decimal degrees of each location)
File: Everglades-LT-insects_GAM-coefs.csv
Description: This is a csv file that is a reduced version of Appendix B. It includes coefficients of linear predictor variables used to generate figures of coefficients.
Variables
- Model: Subset of the dataset that for which the model was run.
- Full: full dataset (all MWD (M) and CERP (C) data)
- PHD: Panhandle (MWD)
- SRS: Shark River Slough (MWD or CERP)
- TSL: Taylor Slough (MWD)
- WCA: Water Conservation Area 3 (MWD or CERP)
- Taxon: Taxon on which the analysis was run.
- Covariate: name of the covariate for which the results are presented
- DSD: Days since dry
- Depth: average water depth over prior 180 days
- Temp: average air temperature over prior 180 days
- TOTFISH: total density of all small fishes caught in throw traps
- MONALB: presence/absence of Monopterus spp. (Asian swamp eels)
For the following fields NA represents information excluded from figures. All values with P > 0.10 were converted to NA here for exclusion from figures (full information is available in Appendix B). Taxa with abundances below the analysis threshold are also presented as NA for exclusion from figures.
- Estimate: coefficient estimate for the covariate
- SE: standard error of the coefficient estimate
- P: P value for the covariate in each model
- Sig: Whether the covariate was statistically significant (Yes: P < 0.05; Marg: 0.05 < P < 0.10; No; P > 0.10).
File: EVER-LT-insects_full-code.R
Description: This is an R code file of all primary analyses presented in the paper. This file generates sub-datasets by region and project, sets the covariate variables used, and runs the generalized additive models for each taxon and region to (1) determine overall linear trends and (2) effects of biological and hydrologic covariates.
File: EVER-LT-insects_community-code.R
Description: This is an R code file to conduct analyses and generate figures of community metrics presented in the paper. This file generates community sub-datasets by region and project, sets the covariate variables used, and runs the generalized additive models for each metric to (1) determine overall linear trends and (2) effects of biological and hydrologic covariates.
File: Ever-LT-insects_figures-code.R
Description: This is an R code file to generate most of the figures presented in the paper. This file uses the data from the EVER-LT-insects_full-code.R file to generate all individual figure panels, with the exception of the community figures (created in the EVER-LT-insects_community-code.R file), map (data available via the EVERSpatDat package in R), and temperature panels (site level temperature data included in datasets, but figure panels were generated separately using all temperature data).
Access information
N/A