This LANG_2022_README.txt was generated on 2022-06-03 by John Markham GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Dataset: Data and statistical code from: RED FOXES ENHANCE LONG-TERM TREE GROWTH NEAR THE ARCTIC TREELINE 2. Author Information Corresponding Investigator Name: Dr John Markham Institution: Biological Sciences Department, University of Manitoba Email: John.markham@umanitoba.ca Co-investigator 1 Name: Jessica Lang Institution: Biological Sciences Department, University of Manitoba Co-investigator 2 Name: Dr Jim Roth Institution: Biological Sciences Department, University of Manitoba Co-investigator 3 Name: Dr. Jacques Tardif Institution: University of Winnipeg 3. Date of data collection: 2018 4. Geographic location of data collection: Churchill, Manitoba, Canada 5. Funding sources that supported the collection of the data: NSERC, University of Manitoba, The Wildlife Society, Canadian Botanical Association, Churchill Northern Studies Center 6. Recommended citation for this dataset: Lang, J., J. D. Roth, J. C. Tardif and J.H. Markham. 2022. RED FOXES ENHANCE LONG-TERM TREE GROWTH NEAR THE ARCTIC TREELINE DATA & FILE OVERVIEW 1. Description of dataset The data set contains tree ring growth for Picea glauca tree growing on and off red fox dens near the treeline at the northern limit of the boreal forest. The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that fox dens are nutrient rich sites that increase tree growth. We selected all the fox dens in our study region where there is little evidence of human disturbance and paired the dens with control sites 50 m away at the same elevation and slope as the fox den. Two cores were extracted from the base of the tree. The data are the average of the two cores. 2. File List: File 1 Name: Rftreefinal_info2021.csv File 1 Description: Tree size and age data File 2 Name: meang2_2021.csv File 2 Description: Mean tree ring width by year for trees on dens and control sites File 3 Name: Rftreefinal_Standdensity2021.csv File 3 Description: Stand density and stem cross sectional area for den and control sites File 4 Name: Rftreefinal_climate2021.csv File 4 Description: tree ring growth and climate data File 9 Name: Rftreefinal_full2021.csv File 9 Description: Tree ring growth data for all rings on all cores File 10 Name: Langetal2022_Ecosphere.R File 10 Description: R code for data analysis and figures METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION See Lang, et. 2022. RED FOXES ENHANCE LONG-TERM TREE GROWTH NEAR THE ARCTIC TREELINE. Published in Ecosphere. Briefly, tree cores were collected from the base of trees, on red fox dens, and on control sites 50 m away. All sites were upland habitat where red fox dens are found. Two cores each were taken from 5 trees on each fox den and control site. The two cores were taken from opposite sides of the trees. Tree ring width was measured for each core. For data analysis, the average width for each year between the two cores from each tree was used. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Rftreefinal_info2021.csv 1. Number of variables: 5 2. Number of cases/rows: 80 3. Variable List: DenID: alphanumeric identifier for a fox den TreeID: alphanumeric identifier for a tree Site: Den or Control site DFC: Distance (m) to the site center Circumference: tree circumference measured from the point at which the tree core was taken (ca. 30 cm from the ground Age: Tree age Area(mm): tree cross sectional area. Area(mm)/Age: Used to calculate mean annual increments 4. Missing data codes: null DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: meang2_2021.csv 1. Number of variables: 4 2. Number of cases/rows: 351 3. Variable List: Year: Site: Den or control site Mean: Tree ring width of all cores on all den or control sites SE: standard error of the means of tree ring width Sample: sample size of the the number of cores DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Rftreefinal_Standdensity2021.csv 1. Number of variables: 5 2. Number of cases/rows: 14 3. Variable List: Den ID: Identifier for the den Site: Den or control site stem: number of trees >10 in diameter at breast height within 15 m of the den center area: stem cross sectional area of the stems density: number of stems per hectare Site_inv_cohort_ID: Site investigation cohort patient ID number Tumour_ID: Tumour ID number for patients with synchronous tumours (n = 5); 1/2 Site: Area of tissue targeted; Normal (proximal), Normal (distal), Normal (adjacent), Tum DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Rftreefinal_climate2021.csv 1. Number of variables: 14 2. Number of cases/rows: 5193 3. Variable List: Year: Calendar year CoreID: tree identifier DenID: den identifier Site: Den or control Growth: mean tree ring growth in µm Growth: mean tree ring growth in mm manage: minimum age of tree I.e., oldest ring in the core cambial: age of a tree ring from the time of the first ring start: year of the first ring on a core corestart: year of first measured ring coreend: last year of growth JuneT: Mean daily temperature in June JulyT: Mean daily temperature in July JulyP: total precipitation in July DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Rftreefinal_full2021.csv 1. Number of variables: 12 2. Number of cases/rows: 7132 3. Variable List: Year: Calendar year CoreID: tree identifier DenID: den identifier Site: Den or control Growth: mean tree ring growth in µm Growth: mean tree ring growth in mm manage: minimum age of tree I.e., oldest ring in the core cambial: age of a tree ring from the time of the first ring start: year of the first ring on a core corestart: year of first measured ring coreend: last year of growth ageless: young, medium or old age class. Used to examine the effect of denning on trees of different ages