Data for the article: Trophic positions of soil microarthropods in forests increase with elevation, but energy channels remain unchanged
Data files
Apr 19, 2023 version files 118.83 KB
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amino__acid_13C_consumer.csv
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bulk_SI_C_N.CSV
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README.txt
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rel_abundance_NLFA.csv
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TP_Glu_Phe.csv
Apr 24, 2023 version files 118.83 KB
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amino__acid_13C_consumer.csv
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bulk_SI_C_N.CSV
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README.txt
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rel_abundance_NLFA.csv
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TP_Glu_Phe.csv
Jan 08, 2024 version files 118.66 KB
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amino__acid_13C_consumer.csv
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bulk_SI_C_N.CSV
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README.md
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rel_abundance_NLFA.csv
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TP_Glu_Phe.csv
Abstract
Mountain forests are at risk as the consequences of climate change will likely lead to altered tree species boundaries. Characterizing food webs along elevation gradients in primary forests may help to predict the potential consequences of such changes, for example with regard to the decomposition of dead organic matter. Here, for the first time, we studied trophic variations in two species‐rich microarthropod taxa, Collembola and Oribatida, along an elevation gradient of primary forest at Changbai Mountain, China. Samples were taken at seven elevations of 150‐m elevational difference between 800 and 1700 m. At each elevation, Collembola and Oribatida were extracted from litter samples of eight subplots. We applied three state‐of‐the‐art methods to elucidate trophic positions and basal resource use at community level: Bulk stable isotope analysis of nitrogen (Δ15Nbulk) and carbon (Δ13Cbulk), compound‐specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA‐AA), and dietary routing of neutral lipid fatty acids (NLFAs). Trophic positions calculated using Δ15Nbulk and CSIA‐AA (TPCSIA) in both taxa increased similarly with elevation by about half and one third of a trophic position, respectively. Stable isotope mixing models and linear discriminant analysis bootstrapping using δ13C of essential amino acids indicated fungi as the most important resource at all elevations for both taxa. Also, proportions of marker NLFAs changed little across elevations in both taxa; overall high proportions of linoleic acid indicated high fungal contributions, but in Collembola the contribution of bacterial markers was generally higher than in Oribatida. Δ13Cbulk did not respond linearly to the elevation gradient; however, changes in elevation differed between Collembola and Oribatida. A strong linear relationship between δ15N of phenylalanine and δ15N of litter indicated litter as the basis of energy channels in both taxa. Overall, food web functioning likely changes with changing forest types along elevation gradients, with microarthropods switching from feeding closer to the base of the food web at lower elevations to feeding at higher trophic levels at higher elevations, potentially compromising their role in litter decomposition and nutrient cycling.
README: Data for the article: Trophic positions of soil microarthropods in forests increase with elevation, but energy channels remain unchanged
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.mkkwh714t
Dataset Contributors:
Creators: Johannes Lux, Zhijing Xie, Xin Sun, Donghui Wu, Melanie M. Pollierer, Stefan Scheu
Date of issue: 2023-04-18
Corresponding author:
Name: Johannes Lux
E-mail: johannesmichel.lux@uni-goettingen.de
Address: Untere Karspüle 2, Tierökologie, 37073 Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Funding:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC; No. 31861133006-42071059) and the German Science Foundation (DFG; SCHE/376/42-1) in the framework of the Sino-German agreement between the DFG and the NSFC.
Dataset Metadata:
Date of data collection: 09-2019
Sampling Location: The northern slope of Changbai Mountain (42°8’25.4004”N, 128°7’36.2352”E), Jilin Province, China
Labratory work was conducted in the J.-F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
For details of sample handling and measurement please see the respective publication.
Data overview
Filelist:
"amino_acid_13C_consumer.CSV"
"bulk_SI_C_N.CSV"
"rel_abundance_NLFA.CSV"
"TP_Glu_Phe.CSV"
Filename: "amino_acid_13C_consumer.CSV"
Variables: elevation: sampled elevation
subplot: replicate (per elevation)
taxon: measured Taxon (C = Collembola, O = Oribatida)
Amino Acid: names of measured amino acids
d13C [‰]: delta 13C values of the respective measurement
Details:
Contains the final delta 13C values of Amino Acids:
Alanine, Asparagine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Nor-Leucine (internal standard), Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine and Tyrosine.
delta 13C was calculated as (13C/12C of the sample - 13C/12C of of standard)/(13C/12C of standard).
"Vienna Pee Dee belemnite" was used as standard.
Unit is ‰. NA indicates that delta 13C of the respective amino acid could not be measured because the amino acid was absent in the sample. For details of measurement please see the respective publication.
Description of the Data and file structure:
This dataset represent the backbone of fingerprinting approaches in the respective publication.
This dataset is of interest for following up studies at Changbai Mountain China.
Especially, if interested in the elevational gradient. Data is given per elevation, subplot and taxon (Collembola and Oribatida).
Filename: "bulk_SI_C_N.CSV"
Variables: elevation: sampled elevation
subplot: replicate (per elevation)
taxon: measured Taxon (C = Collembola, O = Oribatida)
d15N_consumer: delta 15N measurements of Collembola and Oribatida
d13C_consumer: delta 13C measurements of Collembola and Oribatida
d15N_litter: delta 15N measurements of litter material
d13C_litter: delta 13C measurements of litter material
D15N_baselined: litter calibrated delta 15N of consumer
D13C_baselined: litter calibrated delta 13C of consumer
Details:
Contains delta 13C and delta 15N values of Collembola and Oribatida bulk measurements, delta 13C and delta 15N measurements of intact litter material
as well as the normalised values expressed as capital Delta 13C and Delta 15N.
delta values were calculated as (R sample - R standard)/(R standard). With R being the 15N/14N or 13C/12C ratio in the sample and standard.
"Vienna Pee Dee belemnite" was used as standard for 13C and atmospheric Nitrogen for 15N measurements.
The calculated delta values were calibrated using the delta values of litter from the respective elevation and subplot as baseline and are expressed as capital Delta.
Unit is ‰. For details of measurement please see the respective publication.
Description of the Data and file structure:
This dataset represent the backbone of trophic analyses based on bulk stable isotopes in the respective publication.
This dataset is of interest for following up studies at Changbai Mountain China.
Especially, if interested in the elevational gradient. Data is given per elevation, subplot and taxon (Collembola and Oribatida).
Filename: "rel_abundance_NLFA.CSV"
Variables: elevation: sampled elevation
subplot: replicate (per elevation)
taxon: measured Taxon (C = Collembola, O = Oribatida)
NLFA: name of the measured neutral lipid fatty acid
rel_abundance: relative abundances of NLFA within sample
Details:
Contains relative abundances of NLFA with relative abundances >1% in at least one of the measurements for Collembola.
For further details of measurement please see the respective publication.
Description of the Data and file structure
This dataset represent the backbone of trophic analyses based on neutal lipid fatty acids in the respective publication.
This dataset is of interest for following up studies at Changbai Mountain China.
Especially, if interested in the elevational gradient. Data is given per elevation, subplot and taxon (Collembola and Oribatida).
Filename: "TP_Glu_Phe.CSV"
Variables: elevation: sampled elevation
subplot: replicate (per elevation)
taxon: measured Taxon (C = Collembola, O = Oribatida)
TP: Trophic position of consumer
Details:
Contains trophic positions of Collembola and Oribatida calculated from delta 15N values of glutamic acid and phenylalanine.
For details of calculation please see the respective publication.
Description of the Data and file structure:
This dataset represents the Trophic position calculated from amino acids given in the respective publication.
This dataset is of interest for following up studies at Changbai Mountain China.
Especially, if interested in the elevational gradient. Data is given per elevation, subplot and taxon (Collembola and Oribatida).