Table S2. Coding and sources for biological traits of each taxonomic group
Carabids
Body size
Activity length
Data
Continuous
Ordinal, 3
Activity period
Ordinal, 3
Spring breeding
Nominal, 2
Carnivorous
Herbivorous
Omnivores
Brachypterous
Wing-dimorphic
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Macropterous
Nominal, 2
Spiders
Body size
Activity length
Data
Continuous
Ordinal, 3
Aridity score
Continuous
Shade score
Continuous
Ballooning
Nominal, 2
Active hunter
Running hunter
Ambush hunter
Stallking hunter
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Plants
Height
Primary life form
Data
Continuous
Ordinal, 5
Life history
Woodiness
Light score
Ordinal, 3
Nominal, 2
Ordinal, 6
Attribute
Average body size in mm (Luff 2007)
1=short (1-3 months); 2=medium (4 months);
3=long (>5 months). Taken from Luff (2007)
Main period when species is active, either foraging
or breeding. 1=spring (early); 2=summer (mid);
3=autumn (late). Taken from Luff (2007)
Either spring breeding or autumn breeding. Taken
from Desender et al. (2010) and Ribera et al. (2001)
1=carnivore (Harvey et al. 2008; Ribera et al. 2001)
1=herbivore (Harvey et al. 2008; Ribera et al. 2001)
1=omnivore (Harvey et al. 2008; Ribera et al. 2001)
1=brachypterous species (Luff 2007, Lin et al. 2007)
1=wing dimorphic speices (Luff 2007, Lin et al.
2007)
1=macropterous species (Luff 2007, Lin et al. 2007)
Attribute
Female body size in mm (Roberts 1996)
Number of months adult females active 1=short (35 months); 2=medium (6-7 months); 3=long (>7
months). Taken from Harvey et al. (2002)
Standardised niche parameters between 0 and 1.
Niche position is 0 for the species which prefer the
moistest habitats and 1 for the species which
prefer the driest habitats (Entling et al. 2007)
Standardised niche parameters between 0 and 1.
Niche position is 0 for the species which prefer the
most open habitats and 1 for the species which
prefer the most shaded habitats (Entling et al.
2007)
1=exact species is listed as ballooning in Bell et al.
(2005)
1=active hunting strategy (Uetz et al. 1999)
1=running hunters (Uetz et al. 1999)
1=ambush hunters (Uetz et al. 1999)
1=stalking hunters (Uetz et al. 1999)
Attribute
Maximum plant height in cm (Hill et al. 2004)
1=Mega/meso/microphanerophyte;
2=Chamaephyte; 3=Hemicryptophyte; 4=Nonbulbous geophyte; 5=Therophyte. (Hill et al. 2004)
1=perennial; 2=biennial; 3=annual (Hill et al. 2004)
1=woody species (Hill et al. 2004)
Ellenberg indicator (1-9). 1=most shade, 9=most
open (Hill et al. 2004)
Moisture score
Ordinal, 7
Animal dispersed
Wind dispersed
Dispersule weight
Nominal, 2
Nominal, 2
Ordinal, 7
Lateral spread
Ordinal, 4
Seed bank
Ordinal, 4
Ellenberg indicator (1-9). 1=most dry, 9= most wet.
(Hill et al. 2004)
1=seeds dispersed by animals (Grime et al. 2007)
1=seeds dispersed by wind (Grime et al. 2007)
1=too small to be measured easily; 2=≤ 0.20 mg;
3=0.21-0.50 mg; 4=0.51-1.00 mg; 5=1.01-2.00 mg;
6=2.01-10.00 mg; 7=≥ 10 mg. (Grime et al. 2007)
1=little or no vegetative spread; 2=Tussock-forming
graminoid, may slowly spread; 3=Rhizome shortly
creeping; 4=Rhizome far-creeping. (Hill et al. 2004)
1=transient seed banks present during the summer
and germinated synchronously in autumn;
2=transient seed banks present during winter and
germinated synchronously in late winter or spring;
3=a small amount of seed persists in the soil, often
for >5 years but concentrations of seed in the soil
are only high after seed has just been shed;
4=there is a large bank of long persistent seeds in
the soil throughout the year. (Grime et al. 2007)
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