DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cfxpnvxcs
title: Diversity, species coexistence, and functional composition patterns in subtropical Atlantic Forests invaded by non-native trees

description: Biological invasions are a major environmental challenge today.
 Interactions between invasive and native species can significantly shape
 community structures, influencing co-existence, diversity, and functional
 composition of species. The subtropical Atlantic forest in southern
 Brazil, a recognized biodiversity hotspot, provides a unique setting to
 study these interactions, given its vulnerability to alien tree
 invasions.  Our study sought to elucidate the impacts of such
 invasions on this fragile ecosystem by addressing key questions: 1) How
 are tree community diversity patterns affected by the abundance of
 invading alien tree species? 2) What are the patterns of coexistence
 between native and alien invasive trees? 3) Is the functional composition
 of the forests altered by the abundance of invasive trees? To address
 these questions, we compiled data on the abundance and functional traits
 of native and invasive trees. We determined the diversity patterns and
 functional composition of plots with different degrees of invasion. These
 data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal
 Component Analysis, and a coexistence index. In plots with a higher
 abundance of invasive trees, there was a significant decrease in the
 taxonomic and functional richness of native species. Furthermore, we
 observed that invasive alien trees coexisted with native species, and as
 the abundance of invasive trees increased, the native community weighted
 mean (CWM) of the leaf area and specific leaf area decreased. In
 conclusion, within the subtropical Atlantic forest areas of southern
 Brazil, our findings highlight that the abundance of invasive trees
 adversely affects the taxonomic and functional richness of native species.
 Furthermore, while invasive alien trees were found to coexist with native
 species, increased invasive abundance corresponded to a reduction in the
 leaf area and the specific leaf area of the native community.
description: # Diversity, species coexistence, and functional composition patterns in
 subtropical Atlantic Forests invaded by non-native trees # Summary This
 dataset compiles information on the abundance of tree species (diameter at
 breast height ≥ 5 cm) in subtropical forests in southern Brazil, including
 sampling of invasive alien trees. It also contains functional data on wood
 density (WD), leaf area (LA) and specific leaf area (SLA) of tree species
 collected from the UDESC Dendrology Laboratory Functional Database. The
 dataset is intended to facilitate the study of the distribution and
 functional traits of native and alien invasive species across different
 forest formations. ## Data Description and File Structure The dataset
 consists of three main files: ### `FAlarsenSA1.csv` Contains data on the
 abundance of tree species across different study plots. * **area**: The
 location where the study was conducted. * **P**: Identification of plots
 within each location. * **PC**: Continuous identification of plots across
 all locations. * **Exoticas**: Status of each plot regarding the presence
 (c) or absence (s) of invasive species. * **ESPECIES**: Botanical
 identification of each tree. * **fito**: Vegetation formation (fed:
 seasonal deciduous forests; fom: Araucaria forest; trans: transition
 between fed and fom). * **origem**: Origin of species, whether native
 (nativa) or alien (exotica). ### `FAlarsenSA2.txt` Provides functional
 information on wood density of tree species. * **Species**: Botanical
 identification of the tree. * **Latitude**: Latitude in decimal degrees. *
 **Longitude**: Longitude in decimal degrees. * **Municipality**: The
 municipality where the sample was collected. * **Altitude**: Altitude in
 meters above sea level. * **Sampling Date**: Date of collection in the
 format YYYY. * **Exposition**: Type of environment where the collection
 was made - natural environment. * **Plant Growth Form**: Tree. *
 **Circumference at breast height (1.30m)**: circunference at breast height
 in cm. * **Height**: Height in meters. * **Wood Density**: Wood density in
 g/cm³. * **Methods**: Collection method. ### `FAlarsenSA3.txt` Presents
 functional information on specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf area (LA) of
 tree species. * **Species**: Botanical identification of the tree. *
 **N**: Number of leaves used. * **Leaf area**: Leaf area in cm². * **Leaf
 dry-matter**: Leaf dry matter in g. * **Specific Leaf Area**: Specific
 leaf area in cm²/g. * **Methods**: Determination method used.vvvvv