DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rxwdbrvdb
title: Multitrophic metacommunity dataset, with metapopulation level butterfly data, in addition to predation pressure and floral abundance

description: This dataset includes metapopulation level butterfly data within a
 butterfly metacommunity sampled across 15 sites at Burnt Lands Provincial
 Park in Ontario, Canada, during the summer of 2019. It includes floral
 abundance at each site for each sampling round. It also includes
 information on the number of predator attacks on experimental clay
 butterfly models at each site. It contains data on site size and
 connectivity for the 15 sites, as well as the length of butterfly survey
 transects sampled in each site.
description: # Multitrophic metacommunity dataset, with metapopulation level butterfly
 data, in addition to predation pressure and floral abundance. **Site:**
 indicates the number given to each of the 15 sites, from 1 to 15.
 **Round:** indicates the sampling round, i.e. the number of times each
 site has been surveyed, from 1-5. **Sampling Day:** the day number on
 which the butterfly and flowering plant data was collected. The first day
 of sampling is day 1, and other day numbers indicate the number of days
 that have passed since day 1. Some larger sites (site 7 and 15)
 occasionally had to be sampled over more than one day. In this case, the
 first of these sampling days was used for the day number. **Common Name:**
 the common name of the observed butterfly. **Scientific Name:** the
 scientific name of the observed butterfly. **Butterfly Abundance:** the
 number of butterflies of a species observed at a site in a given sampling
 round. Most butterfly species do not have flight seasons throughout the
 entire summer, having one or more short generations during the season when
 they can be deemed ‘active’. Based on the data we collected, we determined
 whether each species was active during each of the five rounds of transect
 surveys. If at least one individual of a species was identified during a
 round, the species was determined to be active, and any negative
 observations were assigned a value of 0. If no individuals of a species
 were observed during a round, that species was deemed to be inactive
 during that period of time, and was assigned a value of NA for all sites.
 **Transect Length:** the length of transect in metres that was sampled at
 each site following the Pollard Walk method. **Mobility Score:** the
 mobility score of the butterfly species, sourced from Burke, R., J.
 Fitzsimmons, and J. T. Kerr. 2011. A mobility index for Canadian butterfly
 species based on experts' knowledge. Biodiversity &
 Conservation 20: 2273-2295. **Predator Attack Rate:** the number of clay
 butterfly models that were attacked at each site, divided by the total
 number of models placed at that site. **Floral Density:** the number of
 open flowers per site per sampling round, divided by the transect length
 at that site. **Site Area:** the area of each site, measured in hectares.
 **Site Isolation:** the isolation of each site within the network of
 sites. This was calulculated as the least cost path from each site to all
 other sites, and measured in units of movement costs.