Metadata

Landscape diversity and local temperature, but not climate, affect arthropod predation among habitat types.

Fricke U, Steffan-Dewenter I, Zhang J, Tobisch C, Rojas-Botero S, Benjamin C S, Englmeier J,
Ganuza C, Haensel M, Riebl R, Uhler J, Uphus L, Ewald J, Kollmann J, Redlich S

Data type: processed experimental data

Arthropod predation rates were obtained in a multi-scale space-for-time approach in Bavaria, Germany. For establishing the study design, Bavaria was
divided into grid cells (~5.8 km x 5.8 km; following the terms 'quadrant','region' and 'grid cell' are used interchangebly). Five climate zones and 
three landscape zones were assigned to each grid cell. Grid cells of the 15 possible combinations were selected in four replicate (= 60 regions).
In each selected region, plots were established on open herbaceous vegetation adjacent to three dominant habitat types out of four possible (forest,
grassland, agriculture, urban).

Twenty artificial caterpillars made from green plasticine (diameter 3 mm; length 20 mm) were placed at ground level on every plot in May and were
collected after 2 days. Arthropod attack marks on caterpillars were assessed in the field, and the ones transported to the lab were double-checked.

Data were processed (arthropod attack marks on individual caterpillars -> arthropod predation rate per plot) and standardized to meet protocol
requirements (start of the experiment: 10.05 - 25.05.2019, exposure duration: 48 hours +/- 6 hours, max. 20% loss: > 15 caterpillars assessed per plot).
Data analysis is performed in the accompanying R-script based on this data set.

Columns

PlotID = Unique plot identifier
sum_arth = Number of caterpillars per plot with arthropod attack marks assessed in the field 
n_cat = Number of caterpillars per plot assessed in the field for attack marks (on all plots 20 caterpillars were placed initially)
arth_damage_perc = Percent of field-assessed caterpillars with arthropod attack marks (sum_arth/n_cat*100)
Quadrant = Identifier of the region, in which plots are embedded
climate_zone = Climate zone of the region/quadrant used to establish study design (1: < 7.5 °C,2-4: in 0.5 °C steps until 9 °C,5: > 9 °C; multi-annual mean temperature between 1981-2010)
landscape_zone = Landscape zone of the region/quadrant used to establish study design (nature, agriculture, urban)
Habitat = Adjacent habitat type (forest, grassland, agriculture, urban); plots were established on open herbaceous vegetation in the three dominant habitat types per region/quadrant
specnum = plant species richness on plots (assessed on an area of 10 m^2)
MAT = Multi-annual mean temperature [°C](1981-2010, derived from the DWD, Deutscher Wetter Dienst)
Exp.temp = Local mean temperature during 2-d caterpillar exposure [°C]; data from thermologgers established on plots
Exp.humi = Local mean relative humidity during 2-d caterpillar exposure [%]; data from thermologgers established on plots
Starting_date = Starting day of caterpillar exposure
Exposure_duration = Indication of caterpillar exposure in hours
arth_prop = arthropod predation rate (arth_damage_perc/100)
sum_arth_lab = see above, addition "_lab" refers to additional lab assessment (not all field assessed caterpillars were safely transported to the lab, therefore reduced number)
n_cat_lab = see above, addition "_lab" refers to additional lab assessment (not all field assessed caterpillars were safely transported to the lab, therefore reduced number)
arth_damage_perc_lab = see above, addition "_lab" refers to additional lab assessment (not all field assessed caterpillars were safely transported to the lab, therefore reduced number)
arth_prop_lab = see above, addition "_lab" refers to additional lab assessment (not all field assessed caterpillars were safely transported to the lab, therefore reduced number)