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156 results for “mesocosm”
Phylum level phytoplankton composition and FTIR spectra for body wash microplastics and plant-based scrub particles from a 7-day summer 2016 surface mesocosm experiment in Otsego Lake, NY, USA
We tested the effects of two types of microplastics, 50 µm polystyrene (PS) calibration beads and polylactic acid (PLA) plastic body wash scrub particles, and one type of plant-derived body wash scrub particle on a natural phytoplankton assemblage through a 7-day mesocosm incubation experiment in a temperate, mesotrophic lake (Otsego Lake, Otsego County, NY, USA) in summer 2016.
Cascading effects of insecticides and road salt on wetland communities, outdoor mesocosm experiment, New York, USA, 2015
Novel stressors introduced by human activities increasingly threaten freshwater ecosystems. The annual application of more than 2.3 billion kg of pesticide active ingredient and 22 billion kg of road salt has led to the contamination of temperate waterways. While pesticides and road salt are known to cause direct and indirect effects in aquatic communities, their possible interactive effects remain widely unknown. Using outdoor mesocosms, we created wetland communities consisting of zooplankton, phytoplankton, periphyton, and leopard frog (Rana pipiens) tadpoles. We evaluated the toxic effects of six broad- spectrum insecticides from three families (neonicotinoids: thiamethoxam, imidacloprid; organophosphates: chlorpyrifos, malathion; pyrethroids: cypermethrin, permethrin), as well as the potentially interactive effects of four of these insecticides with three concentrations of road salt (NaCl; 44, 160, 1600 Cl- mg/L). Organophosphate exposure decreased zooplankton abundance, elevated phytoplankton biomass, and reduced tadpole mass whereas exposure to neonicotinoids and pyrethroids decreased zooplankton abundance but had no significant effect on phytoplankton abundance or tadpole mass. While organophosphates decreased zooplankton abundance at all salt concentrations, effects on phytoplankton abundance and tadpole mass were dependent upon salt concentration. In contrast, while pyrethroids had no effects in the absence of salt, they decreased zooplankton and phytoplankton density under increased salt concentrations. Our results highlight the importance of multiple-stressor research under natural conditions. As human activities continue to imperil freshwater systems, it is vital to move beyond single-stressor experiments that exclude potentially interactive effects of chemical contaminants.
The Salinity and phosphorus mesocosm experiment in freshwater sawgrass wetlands: Determining the trajectory and capacity of freshwater wetland ecosystems to recover carbon losses from saltwater intrusion (FCE LTER), Florida, USA from 2015 to 2018
In experimental wetland mesocosms located at Florida Bay Interagency Science Center, Key Largo, Florida, researchers continuously added salinity (approximately 6.9 g salt d-1) and phosphorus ( approximately 0.5 mg P d-1) to Cladium jamaicense peat monoliths from February 2015 to February 2017 and quantified changes in carbon partitioning. Several studies, focusing on the functional roles of marsh, soil, periphyton and microbe in the sawgrass-peat ecosystem, summarized detailed methodology and results (Wilson et al. 2019; Servais et al. 2019; Mazzei et al. in press). Briefly, salinity was increased (~10 ppt) and phosphorus was added (0.45 mg P d-1) to simulate four treatment effects (n = 24 plots): i) freshwater and no-added phosphorus, ii) freshwater and added phosphorus, iii) saltwater and no-added phosphorus, and iv) saltwater and added phosphorus. Upon the termination of manipulation study (early February 2017), containers holding water and peat-sawgrass cores were drained, rinsed, and refilled with only freshwater without any added nutrient and salt. Then, we experimentally restored freshwater to previous treatment and control mesocosms from February 2017 to June 2018 to examine the capacity of wetland ecosystems to recover carbon losses from saltwater intrusion. Note that FCE1226_Water_quality.csv summarizes water quality during both the manipulation and restoration study; however, all other files in the Dataset Title section only summarize results from the restoration study. Detailed methodology is provided below.
Data from: Non-consumptive predator effects modify crayfish induced bioturbation as mediated by limb loss: field and mesocosm experiments
1. We addressed the implications of limb loss and regeneration for multi-species interactions and their impacts on ecosystem engineering in freshwater stream environments. 2. We included regenerative and non-regenerative crayfish as well as fish predators in a 2x2 factorial design to assess the effects on water turbidity of interactions between crayfish ecosystem engineers differing in regenerative status and their fish predators. 3. We demonstrated that crayfish limb loss and predation risks lead to more turbidity in field and mesocosm conditions. Moreover, ongoing regeneration of crayfish increased turbidity, while fish presence seemed to hinder crayfish turbidity-inducing behaviors (such as tail-flipping and burrowing) in the mesocosm experiment. 4. We confirmed that greater numbers of crayfish produce a greater amount of turbidity in-situ in streams. 5. Although mechanical burrowing crayfish capacities may depend on crayfish burrowing classification (primary, secondary, or tertiary), our work emphasizes the implication for turbidity levels of crayfish autotomy in freshwater streams.
Data from: Interactions between seed-dispersing ant species affect plant community composition in field mesocosms
<p>1. In generalized mutualisms, species vary in the quality of services they provide to their partners directly via traits that affect partner fitness and indirectly via traits that influence interactions with mutualist species that play similar functional roles. Myrmecochory, or seed dispersal by ants, is a generalized mutualism with ant species varying in the quality of dispersal services they provide to their plant partners. Variation in ant species identity can directly impact seed dispersal patterns and plant community composition; however, we know less about how interactions among seed-dispersing ant species indirectly influence plant partners.</p> <p>2. The invasive ant, <i>Myrmica rubra,</i> is a high-quality seed-disperser in its native range and interacts with myrmecochores (ant-dispersed plants) and the high-quality seed disperser <i>Aphaenogaster </i>sp. in its invaded range. We use this system to examine how interactions between two functionally similar mutualist ant species influence the recruitment and community composition of ant-dispersed plants.</p> <p>3. We performed a field mesocosm experiment and a lab behavioral experiment to compare discovery and dominance behaviors between ant species, and seed dispersal and seedling recruitment of four myrmecochore species among intraspecific interaction treatments of each ant species and an interspecific interaction treatment.</p> <p>4. We found that <i>M. rubra</i> was better at discovering and dispersing seeds, but that <i>Aphaenogaster</i> sp. was dominantly aggressive over <i>M. rubra</i>. Interspecific interactions dampened seed dispersal relative to dispersal by the better disperser. Despite this dampening, we found no effect of interspecific interaction on seedling recruitment. However, community composition of seedlings in the interspecific interaction treatment was more similar to composition in the aggressively dominant ant (<i>Aphaenogaster </i>sp.) treatment than in the better discoverer ant (<i>M. rubra</i>) treatment.</p> <p>5. We show that interspecific interaction between mutualist species in the same functional guild affects the outcome of mutualistic interactions with partner species. Despite the native ant dispersing fewer seeds, its dominance over the subordinate (invasive) ant has the potential to allow for some level of biotic resistance against the effects of M. rubra on plant communities when these species co-exist.</p>
The effects of resource subsidy duration in a detritus-based stream ecosystem: a mesocosm experiment
<p>1. Most resource subsidies are temporally variable, dynamically affecting the consumer populations, community structures, and ecosystem functions of recipient ecosystems. Temporally variable resource subsidies are characterized by the duration, magnitude, timing, and frequency of resource subsidy inputs. These different characteristics may have different mechanisms by which to affect recipient ecosystems.</p> <p>2. Few studies have examined the duration of resource subsidy inputs on recipient ecosystems, although there exist previous studies focusing on magnitude, timing, and frequency.</p> <p>3. We provide the first experimental test of the effects of subsidy duration on a stream ecosystem by using an outdoor mesocosm experiment, in which we directly manipulated the subsidy duration (pulsed vs. prolonged) of terrestrial invertebrate input into the mesocosm.</p> <p>4. Given the same overall amount of terrestrial invertebrate subsidy were added, a prolonged subsidy allowed large-stage fish to effectively monopolize the subsidy over small-stage fish, which led small-stage fish to maintain their predation pressure on in-situ prey, i.e., benthic invertebrates. On the other hand, a pulsed subsidy allowed small-stage fish to increase their feeding rate of the subsidy and to become away from foraging in-situ prey. Consequently, weaker indirect positive effects on in-situ benthic prey and leaf breakdown rate were found with the prolonged versus pulsed subsidy. However, these indirect effects varied by the dominant benthic prey species, which differed in edibility for fish. Such predator-specific vulnerability of benthic prey can be important in mediating trophic cascades in detritus-based stream food webs.</p> <p>5. Phenological events that generate temporal subsidies (e.g., salmon spawning run and arthropod emergence) can be synchronized (pulsed) or desynchronized (prolonged) within and among species, depending on the degree of spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity. The effects of subsidy duration would thus be important to better understand ecological processes in spatially and temporally coupled ecosystems.</p>
16S sequences from mesocosms experiment testing the effect of Siganus rivulatus on marine microorganisms
<p>Nutrient cycling is a key biogeochemical process underlying the functioning of marine ecosystems. Yet, the contribution of fishes is still poorly understood. This is problematic considering the current modifications of fish assemblages experienced in certain regions such as the Mediterranean Sea, and their potential consequences in terms of ecosystem functioning. In this study, we used a mesocosm experiment to test the effect of nutrient recycling by an invasive marine herbivorous fish (<em>Siganus rivulatus</em>) on planktonic and benthic microbial communities. The response of these communities was assessed using a variety of analytical approaches such as measures of nutrient concentration, flow cytometry, and metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene. Our results show that several microbial compartments of marine ecosystems respond to the nutrients released by fish through excretion and egestion. The nutrients contained in the macroalgae consumed by <em>S. rivulatus</em> were excreted in large amounts as dissolved nutrients, which resulted in higher concentrations of N-based nutrients in the water (NH<sub>4</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>/NO<sub>3</sub>). This excess of N in the system was associated with higher abundances of planktonic microbes (phyto- and bacterioplankton), modifications of the structure of planktonic bacterial communities, and the tissue composition of the remaining macroalgae. Non-assimilated nutrients were released in the form of feces under the shelters where the fish spent most of their time and defecated during the night, leading to local increases in diversity and significant shifts in the structure of sediment bacterial communities. Overall, our results suggest that the impact of <em>S. rivulatus</em> on planktonic microbes was related to the indirect bottom-up effect induced by excreted nutrients while its effect on benthic microbes was due to a direct release of microbes from its gut microbiome. This study represents one of the first assessment of the effect of nutrient recycling by fishes on the microbial communities from several compartments of marine ecosystems and one of the first evidence of the invisible effect of invasive species on the microbial components of marine ecosystems.</p>
Data from: Combining mesocosms with models to unravel the effects of global warming and ocean acidification on a temperate marine ecosystem
<p><span>Ocean warming and species exploitation have already caused large-scale reorganization of biological communities across the world. Accurate projections of future biodiversity change require a comprehensive understanding of how entire communities respond to global change. We combined a time-dynamic integrated food web modelling approach (Ecosim) with previous data from community-level mesocosm experiments to determine the independent and combined effects of ocean warming and acidification, and fisheries exploitation, on a well-managed temperate coastal ecosystem. The mesocosm parameters enabled important physiological and behavioural responses to climate stressors to be projected for trophic levels ranging from primary producers to top predators, including sharks. Through model simulations, we show that under sustainable rates of exploitation, near-future warming or ocean acidification in isolation could benefit species biomass at higher trophic levels (e.g., mammals, birds, and demersal finfish) in their current climate ranges, with the exception of small pelagic fish. However, under warming and acidification combined biomass-increases at higher trophic levels will be lower or absent, whilst in the longer term reduced productivity of prey species is unlikely to support the increased biomass at the top of the food web. We also show that increases in exploitation will suppress any positive effects of human-driven climate change, causing individual species biomass to decrease at higher trophic levels. Nevertheless, total future potential biomass of some fisheries species in temperate areas might remain high, particularly under acidification, because unharvested opportunistic species will likely benefit from decreased competition and show an increase in biomass. Ecological indicators of species composition such as the Shannon diversity index declined under all climate change scenarios, suggesting a trade-off between biomass gain and functional diversity. By coupling parameters from multi-level mesocosm food web experiments with dynamic food web models, we were able to simulate the generative mechanisms that drive complex responses of temperate marine ecosystems to global change. This approach, which blends theory with experimental data, provides new prospects for forecasting climate-driven biodiversity change and its effects on ecosystem processes.</span></p>
Improving estimations of life history parameters of small animals in mesocosm experiments: A case study on mosquitoes
<p>We used an experimental setup with 48 aquatic mesocosms, each with twenty first instar mosquito (<em>Culex pipiens</em>) larvae and under one of twelve treatments with varying temperatures and nutrient concentrations. We took daily subsamples of the aquatic life stages as well as counting the emerging adults. We developed a method to estimate the survival and development probabilities at each life stage, based on optimising a matrix population model. We used two different approaches, one calculating the difference between predictions and observations based on a normal distribution, and the other using a combination of a normal and a multinomial distribution. For each approach, the resulting optimisation problem had around 100 parameters, making conventional gradient descent ineffective with our limited number of data points. We solved this by computing the formal derivatives of our matrix model.</p>
Biovolumes data of the phytoplankton communities in mesocosm experiments
<p>To test the short-term response of the phytoplankton community of an African lake, Lagoon Aghien (Ivory Coast), to the addition of nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen, alone or in combination) and Nile tilapia, we implemented an <em>in situ</em> mesocosm experiment in two stations of this lagoon. The composition of the phytoplankton communities in these mesocosms was estimated at Day 0, Day 3 and Day 7 and the biovolume values of each genus were reported in the table.</p>
Data from: Snail communities increase submerged macrophyte growth by grazing epiphytic algae and phytoplankton in a mesocosm experiment
<p><span>The relationships between producers (e.g., macrophytes, phytoplankton and epiphytic algae) and snails play an important role in maintaining the function and stability of shallow ecosystems. Complex relationships exist among macrophytes, epiphytic algae, phytoplankton and snails. We studied the effects of snail communities (consisting of <em>Radix swinhoei</em>, <em>Hippeutis cantori</em>, <em>Bellamya aeruginosa</em> and <em>Parafossarulus striatulus</em>) on the biomass of phytoplankton and epiphytic algae as well as on the growth of three species of submerged macrophytes (<em>Hydrilla verticillata</em>, <em>Vallisneria natans</em> and one exotic submerged plant, <em>Elodea nuttallii</em>) in a 90-day outdoor mesocosm experiment conducted on the shore of subtropical Lake Liangzihu, China.</span></p> <p><span>This dataset including morphological data of three group organisms: freshwater snails, macrophytes and epiphytic algae. In addition, the environmental parameters were included. </span><span>Morphological data of snails is including biomass (g) and number (ind.). Morphological data of macrophytes is including biomass (g). Epiphytic algae data is including abundance (<em>N</em>, cells). Phytoplankton data is including biomass (Chl-a, μg/L).</span></p>
Mesocosm experiments reveal the loss of migratory tendencies in a recently isolated population of three-spined sticklebacks
<p>In the 1970s, water management in the Netherlands resulted in numerous isolated populations of three-spined sticklebacks, which can no longer migrate from freshwater to the sea. We tested whether ~50 years of isolation resulted in reduced migratory tendencies in these resident sticklebacks. Lab-based individual testing showed behavioural divergence between residents and migrants, but also produced counter-intuitive results, especially with regards to movement tendencies. To detect differences in migration tendencies, we set up a semi-natural mesocosm, consisting of connected ponds, where movements of numerous individuals could continually be tracked at larger spatial scales. We found that wild-caught residents and migrants exhibited no differences in movement tendencies within ponds, but residents moved significantly less between ponds than migrants. Between-pond movements were consistent and the observed differences were robust across contexts (changes in water flow and group size). Our study reveals that larger-scale movement tendencies can diverge over short time scales in response to human-induced isolation, and highlights the importance of observing behaviour in ecologically relevant setups that bridge the gap between lab and field studies.</p>
Microarthropoda abundance and background data for the mesocosm experiment
<p><span>Soil microarthropods have a pivotal role in soil nitrogen</span> <span>cycling in that they affect microbial decomposers.</span><span> A high</span><span> abundance of microarthropods may increase </span><span>the </span><span>mobility of inorganic nitrogen ions in the soil, mainly in nitrogen-limited habitats. However, it is difficult to study</span><span> ecological processes with </span><span>small-sized, soil-dwelling arthropods</span><span>.</span> <span>The effects </span><span>of soil microarthropods on nitrogen</span> <span>cycling have mainly been studied in laboratory microcosm experiments. Therefore, we face many practical issues in investigating these effects under field conditions that remain to be resolved.</span></p> <p><span>We developed an open-field mesocosm setup with growing plants. In a two-part experiment, spring wheat and grass species were </span><span>grown</span><span> in chernozem and sandy soils. Leached ammonium and nitrate ions were measured with percolation lysimeters. Half of the mesocosms included natural</span><span> assemblages, and</span><span> the other half included less abundant Acari and Collembola assemblages. </span><span>The application</span><span> of nitrogen fertilisation assured </span><span>differences</span><span> in nitrogen sources.</span></p> <p><span>We found a large difference in ammonium and nitrate leaching between the two soil types. In chernozem soil, the leached ion concentrations were higher in mesocosms with more abundant mite and springtail assemblages. The expected patterns were less pronounced in sandy soil. </span><span>Adding</span><span> nitrogen-fertiliser did not modify the effects of soil microarthropods.</span></p> <p><span>Open-field mesocosms are promising </span><span>for studying</span><span> the role of soil-dwelling mesofauna in ecological processes. We solved the problem </span><span>of keeping</span><span> mesofauna abundance lower in treated plots than that in control plots. Plants successfully grew in our </span><span>semi-closed</span><span> systems with functioning percolation lysimeters. The use of the equipment in the experiments in this study helped reveal that the role of soil-dwelling microarthropods in nitrogen</span> <span>cycling depends on </span><span>the </span><span>soil type and not on the application of nitrogen fertiliser.</span></p>
Data from: Taxon-specific hydrogen isotope signals in cultures and mesocosms facilitate ecosystem and hydroclimate reconstruction
<p>Phytoplankton play a key role in biogeochemical cycles, impacting atmospheric and aquatic chemistry, food webs, and water quality. However, it remains challenging to reconstruct changes in algal community composition throughout the geologic past, as existing proxies are suitable only for a subset of taxa and/or influenced by degradation. Here, we investigate if compound-specific hydrogen isotope ratios (δ<sup>2</sup>H values) of common algal lipids can serve as (paleo)ecological indicators. First, we grew 20 species of algae – representing cyanobacteria, diatoms, dinoflagellates, green algae, and cryptomonads – in batch cultures under identical conditions and measured δ<sup>2</sup>H values of their lipids. Despite identical source water δ<sup>2</sup>H values, lipid δ<sup>2</sup>H values ranged from -455 ‰ to -52 ‰, and clustered according to taxonomic groups and chemical compound classes. In particular, green algae synthesized fatty acids with higher δ<sup>2</sup>H values than other taxa, cyanobacteria synthesized phytol with relatively low δ<sup>2</sup>H values, and diatoms synthesized sterols with higher δ<sup>2</sup>H values than other eukaryotes. Second, we assessed how changes in algal community composition can affect net δ<sup>2</sup>H values of common algal lipids in 20 experimental outdoor ponds, which were manipulated via nutrient loading, and the addition of macrophytes and mussels. High algal biomass in the ponds, which was mainly caused by cyanobacterial and green algal blooms, was associated with higher δ<sup>2</sup>H values for generic fatty acids, relatively stable δ<sup>2</sup>H values for phytol and the dinoflagellate biomarker dinostanol, and lower δ<sup>2</sup>H values for the more cosmopolitan sterol stigmasterol. These results are consistent with expectations from our culture-based analyses, suggesting that measuring δ<sup>2</sup>H values of multiple lipids from sediment and calculating <sup>2</sup>H-offsets between them can resolve changes in algal community composition from changes in source water isotopes. With an appropriate availability of sedimentary lipids, this approach could permit the reconstruction of both taxonomic variability and hydroclimate from diverse sedimentary systems.</p>
Achieving bio-protection in New Zealand ecosystems mesocosm fungal pathogen OTU table
<p>We established 80 experimental ecosystems (mesocosms), manipulated interactions between plants and soil biota in a fully factorial design. Each mesocosm was grown in a 125 L pot (575 mm diameter), and comprised one of 20 unique, eight-species plant communities varying orthogonally in the proportion of exotic and woody shrub/tree species (0-100% and 0-63%, respectively). These plants were taken from a pool of 20 exotic and 19 native/endemic New Zealand plant species. Soil biota were manipulated using a modified plant-soil feedback approach, where each plant species was grown in monoculture in 10 L pots containing field-collected soil for 9-10 months, allowing the conditioning of typical associated soil biota for each of the plant species. We created 'home' soils by taking the conditioned soil from each of the eight representative species in a mesocosm and mixing it together to create a single inoculum. Each 'home' soil mixture was also used as an 'away soil' in a different mesocosm that did not contain any of the representative plants in that inoculum. These soils were intended to increase the relative biomass in inocula of specialized and preferred interaction partners of the resident (or non-resident) plant species. After approximately one year of growth, we harvested all plants from each mesocosm, took root samples from each individual plant (n=491), extracted DNA and sequenced the fungi in the roots. Fungal sequences were paired and clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at 97% similarity. We assigned functional attributes to fungal OTUs using the FUNGUILD database and retained only the taxa assigned as "probable" or "highly probable" plant pathogens.</p>
Dataset to the article: Effects of toxicgenic cyanobacteria and elodea on physiological biomarkers in the amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus and bivalve Unio pictorum (mesocosm study)
<p>Table of source data to the manuscript titled “Effects of toxicgenic cyanobacteria and elodea on physiological biomarkers in the amphipod <em>Gmelinoides fasciatus</em> and bivalve <em>Unio pictorum</em> (mesocosm study)”.</p>
Figure S1 in Development of experimental mesocosms for cicada nymphs Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata: methodology and research recommendations
Figure S1. Mean daily soil temperature during the mesocosm experiment (16 April to 6 July 2021).
Long term lake mesocosm warming experiment: dataset of nitrous oxide concentrations, emissions and ancillary variables
<p>Dataset of nitrous oxide concentrations, emissions and ancillary variables collected at theLong term lake mesocosm warming experiment in Lemming, Denmark. </p>
Win some, lose some: mesocosm communities maintain community productivity despite lower phosphorus availability because of increased species diversity
<p><u>Aims</u><br> The restoration of degraded ecosystems typically focuses on establishing assemblages of target species, but successful recovery should also be evaluated by the ecosystem's functioning to guarantee long-term persistence. We investigated how the processes underlying community assembly (i.e. species loss, species gain and changes in abundance of resident species) influenced ecosystem functioning in experimental grassland communities in different restoration states.</p> <p><u>Location </u><br> A greenhouse experiment in Northern Flanders, Belgium.</p> <p><u>Methods</u><br> We set up a mesocosm experiment with communities of nineteen planted species, ranging from slow-growing species from poorly productive <i>Nardus</i> grasslands to fast-growing species from highly productive <i>Lolium perenne</i> grasslands. We categorized the mesocosms into different grassland restoration states based on known abiotic and biotic restoration barriers for semi-natural grassland restoration: soil phosphorus levels and soil biota communities. After two growing seasons, we used the CAFE approach, an ecological application of the Price equation, to partition the effects of plant community assembly on ecosystem functioning (here community productivity) for the different restoration states.</p> <p><u>Results</u><br> Adding soil biota communities sampled from reference <i>Nardus</i> grasslands versus more intensively managed grasslands did not have a significant effect on either plant species richness or biomass productivity. Lower soil phosphorus concentrations (i.e. abiotic restoration) resulted in a higher plant species richness. However, the net effect on productivity was close to zero. The increase in productivity caused by species gains was compensated through decreases in productivity caused by species loss and by decreases in the abundance or functioning of species that are present in both abiotically degraded and abiotically restored states.</p> <p><u>Conclusions</u><br> Not only species richness but also species identity resulted in changes in ecosystem functioning (i.e. productivity), even though the net functional effects were close to zero. More specifically, we found that species richness-driven increases in productivity were counterbalanced by resource-driven and species identity-driven reductions in productivity.</p>
Delta-15N values for leaf and soil samples from a mesocosm experiment looking at dung beetle presence and the movement of dung-derived nitrogen (DDN)
<b>Description: </b><p>We deployed 18 mesocosms into each of the ecosystem types (logged forest and oil palm) in mid-May 2016, to give the soil one month to recover from the disturbance. We constructed mesocosms from black plastic containers, 40 cm diameter and 25 cm high after removing the base. We dug mesocosms 20 cm into the ground leaving 5cm above the surface. We arranged them in a 6 x 3 grid with a minimum of 3 m between each mesocosm to minimise interaction between the soil nutrient cycling in each mesocosm. As proximity of the seedlings to mature trees may increase competition for nitrogen and other nutrients we recorded the distance of each mesocosm to the nearest mature tree (any species with diameter at breast height > 30 cm) for inclusion in our analyses. <br>We randomly selected 12 of the mesocosms, to receive 15N-labelled dung patties weighing 300 ± SD 2.27 g in logged forest and 410 ± SD 2.04 g in oil palm. We populated six randomly selected mesocoms from within those 12 treated with dung with a standardised dung beetle communities (Fig. 1, Table S2). The remaining six mesocosms were left as soil only controls. We covered each mesocosm with a fine nylon mesh secured with a rubber belt to prevent beetles leaving or colonising the mesocosms, and to standardise any microclimatic effects between treatments. However, after 48 hours we opened the dung beetle treatments for a 24 hours period to allow the beetles to emigrate rather than forcing them to artificially stay in the same pat (cf. Roslin 2000; Slade et al. 2017), and then re-covered the mesocosms with netting.<br>We sampled soil seven times from logged forest over the course of the experiment. Any remaining surface dung was removed prior to soil sampling, and replaced thereafter, in order to reduce the possibility of contamination. If a soil core was unsuccessful (most likely due to beetle channels) a second core was taken directly beside. On each sample day, a core of 10cm depth was taken and split into vertical horizons 0- 2cm, 2-5 cm and 5-10cm. <br>We sampled leaves eight times over the eight-month duration of the experiment, with high frequency during the first month, aimed to capture the initial assimilation of DDN into the plants. We collected one leaf from the Dipterocarpaceae or palm seedlings for each sample event. For dipterocarp seedlings we alternated collection of the terminal leaf from top and bottom (leaving the topmost, newest leaf) between consecutive sample days, and for palm seedlings we sampled the two penultimate leaflets from alternating sides of the mid-stem, from the youngest fully formed frond. As assimilated 15N did not plateau in logged forest during the 8-month timeframe of the experiment, we took a sample after 21 months in order to determine whether all DDN had been turned over in the plant biomass after this time.<br>The leaf and soil samples were dried at 60°C for a minimum of 48 hours. We then ground samples to a fine powder using a ball mill (Retsch UK Ltd., Hope, UK). We weighed ground samples into 6 x 4 mm ultraclean tin capsules (Elemental Microanalysis Ltd., Okehampton, UK) using an ultra-microbalance with readability 1 μg (Mettler-Toledo, Greifensee, Switzerland) to provide sufficient elemental carbon and nitrogen for analysis by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (SERCON, Crewe, UK). <br>Isotope ratios are expressed in per mil (‰) relative to international reference standards (Rstandard), which are Atmospheric Nitrogen and Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) for nitrogen and carbon, respectively. The delta value describes the isotopic composition of each sample, which signifies a measurement of difference relative to laboratory standards. The calculation of δ values is given by: <br>δHX = [(RSAMPLE /RSTANDARD −1)]*1000</p><p><b>Project: </b>This dataset was collected as part of the following SAFE research project: <a href="https://www.safeproject.net/projects/project_view/11"><b>Using stable isotopes to link biogeochemical processes to biodiversity of conservation concern</b></a></p><p><b>Funding: </b>These data were collected as part of research funded by: </p><ul><li>NERC (Research grant, NE/K016148/1)</li></ul><p>This dataset is released under the CC-BY 4.0 licence, requiring that you cite the dataset in any outputs, but has the additional condition that you acknowledge the contribution of these funders in any outputs.</p><p></p><p><b>Permits: </b>These data were collected under permit from the following authorities:</p><ul><li>Sabah Biodiversity Centre (SABC) (Research licence JKM/MBS.1000-2/2 (374) )</li><li>Sabah Biodiversity Centre (SABC) (Research licence JKM/MBS.1000-2/2 JLD.4 (41))</li><li>Sabah Biodiversity Centre (SABC) (Research licence JKM.1000-2/2 JLD.5 (153))</li></ul><p></p><p><b>XML metadata: </b>GEMINI compliant metadata for this dataset is available <a href="https://www.safeproject.net/datasets/xml_metadata?id=5113431">here</a></p><p><b>Files: </b>This consists of 1 file: 3_Kemp_15N_mesocosms_data.xlsx</p><p><b>3_Kemp_15N_mesocosms_data.xlsx</b></p><p>This file contains dataset metadata and 3 data tables:</p><ol><li><p><b>OP leaf</b> (described in worksheet OP_leaf)</p><p>Description: Details the δ15N of leaves sampled in oil palm from palm seedlings across eight sample days up to day 233. </p><p>Number of fields: 13</p><p>Number of data rows: 144</p><p>Fields: </p><ul><li><b>Name</b>: Code for date (ddmm), mesocosms ID and depth (00 = surface; 02 = 2 cm belowground; 05 = 5 cm belowground, and 10 = 10 cm belowground) (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Day</b>: Experimental day as the number of days since day zero (defined by the planting of the seedlings, either dipterocarps or palms) (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Day2</b>: Experimental day as a factor (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Mesocosm</b>: Unique identifier for each of the 18 mesocosms (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Treatment</b>: Treatment assignment (Field type: categorical)</li><li><b>DistMature</b>: Distance from the nearest mature tree (any species with diameter at breast height > 30 cm). (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Weight</b>: Sample weight (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Beam.Area.N</b>: Measure of the nitrogen peak i.e. calculated as the area under the nitrogen curve by Calisto software. This value is directly related to N_weight. (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>ugN</b>: Measure of the elemental nitrogen content of the sample (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>d15N</b>: the delta value of the sample, which describes the ration of 15N: 14N isotopes (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Beam.Area.C</b>: Measure of the carbon peak i.e. calculated as the area under the carbon curve by Calisto software. This value is directly related to C_weight (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>ugC</b>: Measure of the elemental carbon content of the sample (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>d13C</b>: the delta value of the sample, which describes the ration of 13C: 12C isotopes (Field type: numeric)</li></ul></li><li><p><b>LFE leaf</b> (described in worksheet LFE_leaf)</p><p>Description: Details the δ15N of leaves sampled in logged forest, taken from dipterocarp seedlings across nine sample days, up to day 625.</p><p>Number of fields: 13</p><p>Number of data rows: 147</p><p>Fields: </p><ul><li><b>Name</b>: Code for date (ddmm), mesocosms ID and depth (00 = surface; 02 = 2 cm belowground; 05 = 5 cm belowground, and 10 = 10 cm belowground) (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Day</b>: Experimental day as the number of days since day zero (defined by the planting of the seedlings, either dipterocarps or palms) (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Day2</b>: Experimental day as a factor (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Mesocosm</b>: Unique identifier for each of the 18 mesocosms (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Treatment</b>: Treatment assignment (Field type: categorical)</li><li><b>DistMature</b>: Distance from the nearest mature tree (any species with diameter at breast height > 30 cm). (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Weight</b>: Sample weight (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Beam.Area.N</b>: Measure of the nitrogen peak i.e. calculated as the area under the nitrogen curve by Calisto software. This value is directly related to N_weight. (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>ugN</b>: Measure of the elemental nitrogen content of the sample (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>d15N</b>: the delta value of the sample, which describes the ration of 15N: 14N isotopes (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Beam.Area.C</b>: Measure of the carbon peak i.e. calculated as the area under the carbon curve by Calisto software. This value is directly related to C_weight (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>ugC</b>: Measure of the elemental carbon content of the sample (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>d13C</b>: the delta value of the sample, which describes the ration of 13C: 12C isotopes (Field type: numeric)</li></ul></li><li><p><b>LFE soil</b> (described in worksheet LFE_soil)</p><p>Description: Details the δ15N of soil sampled in logged forest across seven sample days up to day 64</p><p>Number of fields: 14</p><p>Number of data rows: 375</p><p>Fields: </p><ul><li><b>Name</b>: Code for date (ddmm), mesocosms ID and depth (00 = surface; 02 = 2 cm belowground; 05 = 5 cm belowground, and 10 = 10 cm belowground) (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Day</b>: Experimental day as the number of days since day zero (defined by the planting of the seedlings, either dipterocarps or palms) (Field type: id)</li><li><b>day2</b>: Experimental day as a factor (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Mesocosm</b>: Unique identifier for each of the 18 mesocosms (Field type: id)</li><li><b>Treatment</b>: Treatment assignment (Field type: categorical)</li><li><b>DistMature</b>: Distance from the nearest mature tree (any species with diameter at breast height > 30 cm). (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Depth</b>: The depth which the soil sample was taken from, i.e. 0002 is the horizon between the ground surface and 2 cm belowground (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Weight</b>: Sample weight (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Beam.Area.N</b>: Measure of the nitrogen peak i.e. calculated as the area under the nitrogen curve by Calisto software. This value is directly related to N_weight. (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>ugN</b>: Measure of the elemental nitrogen content of the sample (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>d15N</b>: the delta value of the sample, which describes the ration of 15N: 14N isotopes (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>Beam.Area.C</b>: Measure of the carbon peak i.e. calculated as the area under the carbon curve by Calisto software. This value is directly related to C_weight (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>ugC</b>: Measure of the elemental carbon content of the sample (Field type: numeric)</li><li><b>d13C</b>: the delta value of the sample, which describes the ration of 13C: 12C isotopes (Field type: numeric)</li></ul></li></ol><p><b>Date range: </b>2016-05-01 to 2017-02-01</p><p><b>Latitudinal extent: </b>4.5000 to 5.0700</p><p><b>Longitudinal extent: </b>116.7500 to 117.8200</p>
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