Data for: Shifts in plant-invertebrate interactions between wild and ex-situ conservation populations of a critically endangered tree
Data files
Mar 14, 2024 version files 30.18 KB
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Raw_dat-JAPPL-2023-01071-Wang_et_al._2024.xlsx
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README.md
Abstract
Ex-situ conservation is an effective approach to prevent the extinction of endangered species. Biotic interactions (eg herbivory and pollination) are critical to ex-situ conservation success, including plant establishment, survival, and reproduction. However, shifts in biotic interactions between wild and ex-situ populations are still poorly understood. We compared herbivory and pollination characteristics between the only wild population (WP) and three ex-situ populations (LP, local population, nearby WP; NP, north population, ca. 850 km; and SP, south population, ca. 750 km) of a critically endangered tree species (Sinojackia huangmeiensis) to explore the latitudinal changes in plant-invertebrate interactions. Larvae of the Limacodidae family were the dominant herbivores in WP, LP, and NP, while the only herbivore observed in SP was a snail. Compared to WP, the leaf herbivory rate was unchanged in LP but decreased in NP and SP. Leaf defense traits (total phenols, tannins, leaf thickness, and leaf dry matter content) increased or remained unchanged in the three ex-situ populations. A pollinator (Apis cerana) of S. huangmeiensis was present in the four populations. NP and SP lacked some pollinators that were found in both WP and LP, but they shared one pollinator that was not observed in WP and LP. The pollinator visiting frequency increased in SP, while it did not change significantly in LP and NP. Synthesis and applications: Our results suggested that both herbivory and pollination of S. huangmeiensis changed in ex-situ populations, with complete or partial changes in herbivores, leaf herbivory rate, pollinators, pollinator visiting frequency, and fruit set in the two distant ex-situ populations. This work provides a unique empirical study of shifts in both antagonistic and mutualistic biotic interactions between wild and ex-situ populations. We emphasized that it is essential to integrate herbivore and pollinator management in future ex-situ conservation of plant species.
README: Data for: Shifts in plant-invertebrate interactions between wild and ex-situ conservation populations of a critically endangered tree
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp28
Description of the data and file structure
The data in this file includes leaf herbivory rate, total phenols, tannins, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, pollinator visiting frequency, number of flowers per branch, fruit mass, number of fruits per branch, and fruit set.
All these variables are observed or measured from one wild and three ex-situ conservation populations of an endangered tree species endemic to central China.
There are four populations.
WP: Wild population
LP: Local ex-situ population
NP: North ex-situ population
SP: South ex-situ population
The sample sizes of different variables of each population are varied. The sample size of leaf herbivory rate, total phenols, tannins, leaf thickness, and leaf dry matter content is 15. The sample size of pollinator visiting frequency is five. The sample size of the number of flowers per branch, fruit mass, number of fruits per branch, and fruit set is ten.
Dimensions: 61 rows x 12 columns
Missing data code (not available for variables with the sample size of five and ten): Blank cell
For more details, see the Materials and Methods part of the article: Shifts in plant-invertebrate interactions between wild and ex-situ conservation populations of a critically endangered tree.
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