Find research datasets worth reusing

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Carya ovata (shagbark hickory) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Carya ovata (shagbark hickory) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Fagus grandifolia (american beech) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Fagus grandifolia (american beech) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Fraxinus americana (white ash) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Fraxinus americana (white ash) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree or yellow-poplar) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree or yellow-poplar) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Magnolia acuminata (cucumbertree) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Magnolia acuminata (cucumbertree) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of plant relative frequency of Prunus serotina (black cherry) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains plant relative frequency of Prunus serotina (black cherry) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of plant relative frequency of Quercus rubra (northern red oak) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains plant relative frequency of Quercus rubra (northern red oak) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Fernow Experimental Forest site, station Compartment 8, subcompartment C, single tree selection harvest in mixed hardwood forest, study of relative frequency of Tilia americana (american basswood) in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Fernow Experimental Forest (FER) contains relative frequency of Tilia americana (american basswood) measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Consistent size-independent harvest selection on fish body shape in two recreationally exploited marine species

Harvesting wild animals may exert size-independent selection pressures on a range of morphological, life history, and behavioral traits. Most work so far has focused on selection pressures on life history traits and body size as morphological trait. We studied here how recreational fishing selects for morphological traits related to body shape, which may correlate with underlying swimming behavior. Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we found consistent recreational fishing-induced selection pressures on body shape in two recreationally exploited marine fish species. We show that individuals with larger-sized mouths and more streamlined and elongated bodies were more vulnerable to passively operated hook-and-line fishing independent of the individual's body size or condition. While the greater vulnerability of individuals with larger mouth gapes can be explained by the direct physical interaction with hooks, selection against streamlined and elongated individuals could either involve a specific foraging mode or relate to underlying elevated swimming behavior. Harvesting using passive gear is common around the globe, and thus, size-independent selection on body shape is expected to be widespread potentially leaving behind individuals with smaller oral gapes and more compact bodies. This might have repercussions for food webs by altering foraging and predation.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Can phenotypic rescue from harvest refuges buffer wild sheep from selective hunting?

Human harvests can unwittingly drive evolution on morphology and life history, and these selective effects may be detrimental to the management of natural resources. Although theory suggests that harvest refuges, as sources of unselected animals, could buffer the effects of human exploitation on wild populations, few studies have assessed their efficiency. We analyzed records from >7000 trophy bighorn rams (Ovis canadensis) harvested in Alberta, Canada, between 1974 and 2011 to investigate if the movement of rams from refuges toward harvested areas reduced the effects of selective harvesting on horn size through phenotypic rescue. Rams taken near refuges had horns on average about 3% longer than rams shot far from refuges and were slightly older, suggesting migration from refuges into hunted areas. Rams from areas adjacent to and far from harvest refuges, however, showed similar declines in horn length and increases in age at harvest over time, indicating a decreasing rate of horn growth. Our study suggests that the influx of rams from refuges is not sufficient to mitigate the selective effects of sheep trophy harvest. Instead, we suggest that selective hunting of highly mobile animals may affect the genetic structure of populations that spend part of the year inside protected areas.

opencc-zeroMay 2016View details →

Data from: Harvest-induced phenotypic selection in an island population of moose, Alces alces

Empirical evidence strongly indicates that human exploitation has frequently led to rapid evolutionary changes in wild populations, yet the mechanisms involved are often poorly understood. Here we applied a recently developed demographic framework for analysing selection to data from a 20-year study of a wild population of moose, Alces alces. In this population, a genetic pedigree has been established all the way back to founders. We demonstrate harvest-induced directional selection for delayed birth dates in males and reduced body mass as calf in females. During the study period, birth date was delayed by 0.81 days per year for both sexes, while no significant changes occurred in calf body mass. Quantitative genetic analyses indicated that both traits harboured significant additive genetic variance. These results show that selective harvesting can induce strong selection which oppose natural selection. This may cause evolution of less favourable phenotypes that become maladaptive once harvesting ceases.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Data from: Evolutionary impact of size-selective harvesting on shoaling behavior: Individual-level mechanisms and possible consequences for natural and fishing mortality

Intensive and size-selective harvesting is an evolutionary driver of life-history as well as individual behavioral traits. Yet, whether and to what degree harvesting modifies the collective behavior of exploited species is largely unknown. We present a multi-generation harvest selection experiment with zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model species to understand the effects of size-selective harvesting on shoaling behavior. The experimental system is based on a large-harvested (typical of most wild capture fisheries targeting larger size classes) and small-harvested (typical of specialized fisheries and gape-limited predators targeting smaller size classes) selection lines. By combining high resolution tracking of fish behavior with computational agent-based modeling we show that shoal cohesion changed in the direction expected by a trade-off between individual vigilance and the use of social cues. In particular, we document a decrease of individual vigilance in the small-harvested line, which was linked to an increase in the attention to social cues, favoring more cohesive shoals. Opposing outcomes were found for the large-harvested line, which formed less cohesive shoals. Using the agent-based model we outline possible consequences of changes in shoaling behavior for both fishing and natural mortality. The changes in shoaling induced by large size-selective harvesting may decrease fishing mortality, but increase mortality by natural predators. Our work suggests an insofar overlooked evolutionary mechanism by which size-selective harvesting can affect fishing and natural mortality of exploited fish.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

Data and scripts from: Experimental evidence of size-selective harvest and environmental stochasticity effects on population demography, fluctuations, and nonlinearity

Theory and analyses of fisheries datasets indicate that harvesting can alter population structure and destabilize nonlinear processes, which increases population fluctuations. We conducted a factorial experiment on the population dynamics of Daphnia magna in relation to size-selective harvesting and stochasticity of food supply. Harvesting and stochasticity treatments both increased population fluctuations. Timeseries analysis indicated that fluctuations in control populations were nonlinear, and nonlinearity increased substantially in response to harvesting. Both harvesting and stochasticity induced population juvenescence, but harvesting did so via depletion of adults whereas stochasticity increased the abundance of juveniles. A fitted fisheries model indicated that harvesting shifted populations towards higher reproductive rates and larger-magnitude damped oscillations that amplify demographic noise. These findings provide experimental evidence that harvesting increases nonlinearity of population fluctuations and that both harvesting and stochasticity increase population variability and juvenescence.

opencc-zeroApr 2023View details →

Data from: Contrasting demographic responses to size-selective harvesting among neighboring wild fish populations

Sustainable harvesting of wild populations relies on evidence-based knowledge to predict harvesting outcomes for species and the ecosystems they inhabit. Although harvesting may elicit compensatory density-dependence, it is generally size-selective, which induces additional pressures that are challenging to forecast. Furthermore, responses to harvest may be population-specific and whether generalizable patterns exist remains unclear. Taking advantage of Parks Canada's mandate to remove introduced brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) to restore alpine lakes in Canadian parks, we experimentally applied standardized size-selective harvesting rates (the largest ~64% annually) for three consecutive summers in five populations with different initial size structures. Four unharvested populations were used as controls. At reduced densities, harvested and control populations exhibited similar density-dependent increases in specific growth, juvenile survival, and earlier maturation. However, size-selective harvesting simultaneously induced changes to size and age structure that contrasted among harvested populations. Average body length decreased in three of five harvested populations, whereas it tended to increase in control populations over the three years. We also detected contrasting, population-specific changes in body length variability and ultimately in length- and age-at-harvest in harvested populations but not controls. Overall, populations with smaller, more homogeneous body sizes, and living at high densities were most resilient to size-selective harvesting, exhibiting the smallest change in size-at-age. In contrast, large-bodied populations exhibited more substantial size-structure changes following selective harvesting: large-bodied populations experienced either stabilizing or disruptive pressures, when initial length variability was high or low, respectively. Synthesis and application: Our results show that within species, size-selective harvesting inherently leads to more risk and uncertainty when harvesting populations with larger and more varied body sizes than smaller-bodied populations with less range in body size. Our study supports prioritizing regulations that protect harvested populations with larger and more varied body sizes. Such a management strategy would reduce the likelihood of eliciting unpredictable or undesirable demographic changes to fish populations with these attributes.