Local sub-population dynamics of a Central European Grey Partridge meta-population support a large-scale conservation approach to halt its ongoing decline
Data files
Sep 11, 2024 version files 225.80 KB
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data_gridcells.csv
6.66 KB
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data_natborders.csv
7.25 KB
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data_transects.csv
173.56 KB
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grid_centroids.csv
242 B
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growth_gridcells_wide.csv
1.62 KB
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growth_natborders_wide.csv
1.52 KB
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natborders_centroids.csv
294 B
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Nper100ha_gridcells_wide.csv
1.88 KB
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Nper100ha_natborders_wide.csv
1.71 KB
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README.md
5.63 KB
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Rscript_Laux_Gottschalk_2024_WildlifeBiology.R
25.45 KB
Abstract
Many farmland birds such as the Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) are experiencing sharp declines across Europe, which can lead to fragmentation and increasing isolation of local populations. Understanding the population dynamics of these local populations is becoming increasingly important for effective conservation efforts. In this study, we used data from Grey Partridge transect counts with call play-back from 2006 to 2023 to investigate the population dynamics of a Grey Partridge population in central Germany. We employed Generalized Linear Mixed Models to model the long-term meta-population trend and assessed synchrony between local sub-populations by calculating the cross-correlation and the Loreau & de Mazancourt community-wide synchrony. Additionally, we assessed stability by comparing the extent of yearly fluctuations between sub-populations and the regional meta-population by analysing variances. Our analysis revealed that the studied meta-population remained stable over the course of the study period, despite ongoing declines observed in other regions of Germany. Furthermore, we found that the population dynamics of the sub-populations were largely asynchronous, and the extent of variance in the sub-populations was significantly greater than in the meta-population. The low synchrony between sub-populations indicates a prevalence of local factors affecting population dynamics, but further research is needed to identify these factors. Our results suggest that asynchrony between sub-populations may play a role in stabilizing meta-populations at the landscape level. Based on our results, we argue that large-scale conservation projects that are able to encompass these population dynamics may help ensure the long-term persistence of the Grey Partridge.
README: Local sub-population dynamics of a Central European Grey Partridge meta-population support a large-scale conservation approach to halt its ongoing decline
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m0cfxppbk
Description of the data and file structure
Grey Partridge counts (males) with call playback along transects
Date of data collection:
2006/02 - 2023/03
Geographic location of data collection: District of Göttingen, Germany
Files and variables
File: Rscript_Laux_Gottschalk_2024_WildlifeBiology.R
Description: R-script containing the code used for the analysis in the second revision of the manuscript 'Population dynamics of a Central European Grey Partridge population support large-scale conservation approach'.
File: data_transects.csv
Description: Contains data for all transects used in the analysis: number of calling males, year, area, round, transect, transect length, buffer area, observer, coordinates of the centroid, and distance-weighted auto-covariate.
Variables
- countID - a unique ID for each count of one transect
- transect - numerical transect ID
- site - a subsection of the study area used to organise counts
year - year of data sampling
round - sampling occasion in the respective year
N_males - number of calling Grey Partridge males counted along the transect
length - length of the transect in [m]
buf_area_clean - area of the 250m buffer around the transects in [ha], settlements, forests, and standing water bodies have been removed
anon_obs - anonymized observer code
population - sub-population by natural borders that the transect belongs to
Xcoor - X-coordinate of the centroid of each transect
Ycoor - Y-coordinate of the centroid of each transect
ac - distance-weighted auto-covariate for each transect, see methods section for more details
File: data_gridcells.csv
Description: Contains data for the eight gird cells used in the analysis: number of calling males, calling males per 100 ha, buffer area, and growth rate in percent.
Variables
cell- unique numerical ID for each grid cell
year - year of the count
N_males - number of calling Grey Partridge males counted in each grid cell
N_per_100ha - number of calling Grey Partridge males per 100 ha buffer area in each grid cell
buf_area_clean - area of the 250m buffer around the transects in [ha], settlements, forests, and standing water bodies have been removed
growth_rate_perc - growth rate in percent for each grid cell and year
File: growth_gridcells_wide.csv
Description: Contains growth rates per grid cell and year in a wide format.
Variables
year - year for which the growth rates are given
cell10 until cell29 - growth rates in percent for each grid cell
File: Nper100ha_gridcells_wide.csv
Description: Contains the number of calling males per 100 ha (density) per grid cell and year in a wide format.
Variables
- year - year of data sampling
- cell10 until cell29 - number of calling males per 100 ha in each grid cell
File: data_natborders.csv
Description: Contains data for the seven sub-populations delineated by natural borders: number of calling males, calling males per 100 ha, buffer area, and growth rate in percent.
Variables
- population - unique name of each sub-population
- year - year of the count
- N_males - number of calling Grey Partridge males counted in each sub-population
- N_per_100ha - number of calling Grey Partridge males per 100 ha buffer area in each sub-population
- buf_area_clean - area of the 250m buffer around the transects in [ha], settlements, forests, and standing water bodies have been removed
- growth_rate_perc - growth rate in percent for each sub-population and year
File: growth_natborders_wide.csv
Description: Contains growth rates per sub-population (by natural borders) and year in a wide format.
Variables
- year - year for which the growth rates are given
- Diemarden until SeulingenWest - growth rates in percent for each sub-population
File: Nper100ha_natborders_wide.csv
Description: Contains the number of calling males per 100 ha (density) per sub-population (by natural borders) and year in a wide format.
Variables
- year - year of data sampling
- Diemarden until SeulingenWest - number of calling males per 100 ha in each sub-population
File: grid_centroids.csv
Description: Contains the coordinates for the centroids of each of the eight grid cells.
Variables
- cell - unique numerical ID for each grid cell
- Xcoor - X-coordinate of the centroid of each grid cell
- Ycoor - Y-coordinate of the centroid of each grid cell
File: natborders_centroids.csv
Description: Contains the coordinates for the centroids of each of the seven subpopulations.
Variables
- population - unique name of each sub-population
- Xcoor - X-coordinate of the centroid of each sub-population
- Ycoor - Y-coordinate of the centroid of each sub-population
Missing data codes:
Missing data is shown as NA.
Code/software
The R-script contains the code used for the analysis in 'Population dynamics of a Central European Grey Partridge population support large-scale conservation approach'.
The data files are necessary to run the R code. The R-script was developed using version R 4.4.1 and uses the following packages:
- glmmTMB 1.1.9
- DHARMa 0.4.6
- performance 0.11.0
- MuMIn 1.47.5
- Hmisc 5.1-2
- boot 1.3-30
- coxed 0.3.3
- codyn 2.0.5
- data.table 1.15.4
- ape 5.8
Methods
Detailed information on data sampling and processing can be found in the corresponding article: Laux, A., Gottschalk, E. Local sub-population dynamics of a Central European Grey Partridge meta-population support large-scale conservation approach to halt its ongoing decline. Wildlife Biology. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01316