Readme file for data of the Manuscript: Sonnemann, Ilja*; Pfestorf, Hans*; Jeltsch, Florian; Wurst,
Susanne - Community- weighted mean plant traits predict small scale distribution of insect root
herbivore abundance, PLOS ONE, manuscript ID: PONE-D-15-15385R1, accepted on 07.10.2015
*both authors contributed equally to the publication
In case of questions contact: i.sonnemann@fu-berlin.de or hans.pfestorf@blockzone.de
Data files description (missing data in all files = NA):
AllHerbivoreData.txt - dataset which was used to calculate global Moran’s I and Mantel
correlograms for the whole herbivore community
Definitions of column headings:
EXPLO – Identity of the Biodiversity Exploratory (AEG = Schwäbsiche Alb, SEG =
Schorfheide, HEG=Hainich)
EP_ID – ID of Experimental Plot
code – identifier with EP_ID and sample number in transect
no.herb.ind – number of root herbivore individuals
ElateridaeData.txt - dataset which was used to calculate global Moran’s I and Mantel correlograms
for Elateridae only
Definitions of column headings:
EXPLO – Identity of the Biodiversity Exploratory (AEG = Schwäbsiche Alb, SEG =
Schorfheide, HEG=Hainich)
EP_ID – ID of Experimental Plot
code – identifier with EP_ID and sample number in transect
no.elateridae – number of herbivorous Elateridae individuals
VegRecordsATraits.txt – dataset including vegetation records with species IDs and plant traits used
for the calculation of Mantel correlograms for plant communities (based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity
Indeces) and plant traits (based on distance matrix between all traits); see also supplementary
material S1 in the publication
Definitions of column headings:
EXPLO – Identity of the Biodiversity Exploratory (A = Schwäbsiche Alb, S =
Schorfheide, H = Hainich)
EP_ID – ID of Experimental Plot
TRANS_NR – sample number in tansect
SPECIES_NR – species code from species list Germansl 1.2 in Turboveg for
Windows 2.105
COVER_PERC – estimated cover in %
SLA – specific leaf area [mm²/mg]
LDMC – leaf dry matter content [mg/g]
VH – vegetative plant height [m]
RH – reproductive plant height [m]
Vspread – vegetative spread [m]
root_density - %
root_density_ts – root density in topsoil (0- -0.2 m) - %
leaf_density – mg/mm³
leafCN – ratio
rootCN – ratio
COV_HERBS –estimate of total cover of herbaceous vegetation, %
COV_TOTAL – total cover including cryptogams (used to calculate bare soil), %
covSum – Sum of individual plant covers, %
GLMMdataAllHerbivores.txt – aggregated dataset (3 adjacent records each) to calculate GLMMs to
predict abundance of all root herbivores; dataset does not contain Eps where a significant global
Morans’I was detected; definitions for several column headings that refer to community weighted
mean traits are similar to VegRecordsATraits.txt
Definitions of column headings:
obs – unique identifier
sample – pooled sample number in transect (1-10)
EXPLO – Identity of the Biodiversity Exploratory (AEG = Schwäbsiche Alb, SEG =
Schorfheide, HEG=Hainich)
EP – ID of Experimental Plot
no.herb.ind – root herbivore abundance
logBareSoil – log 10 (bare soil [%] +1)
water.cont - water content in soil core, %
SR – species richness
Shannon – Shannon diversity Index
Eveness
LUI – Land Use Intensity Index
Nutzung – land use type (Weide = pasture, Wiese = meadow, Mähweide = mixed
land use)
GLMMdataElateridae.txt – aggregated dataset (3 adjacent records each) to calculate GLMMs to
predict abundance of hervbivorous Elateridae larve; dataset does not contain EPs where a significant
global Morans’I was detected; definitions of column headings are similar to
GLMMdataAllHerbivores.txt, with exception of no.elateridae = abundance of Elateridae