DOI: 10.5061/dryad.b0c6j7k
title: Data from: The effect of landscape structure on dispersal distances of the Eurasian red squirrel

description: Landscape structure can affect dispersal and gene flow in a species. In
 urban areas, buildings, roads and small habitat patches make the landscape
 highly fragmented and can inhibit movement and affect dispersal behavior.
 Similarly, in rural forested areas, large open areas, such as fields, may
 act as barriers to movement. We studied how landscape structure affects
 natal dispersal distances of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in
 an urban area and a rural area in Finland, by monitoring juvenile red
 squirrels with radio telemetry. We observed extremely long dispersal
 distances—up to 16 km—in the rural study area, but shorter distances—on
 average only half a kilometer—in the urban study area. The landscape
 structure affected the eventual dispersal paths; in the rural landscape,
 dispersers favored spruce dominated areas and avoided fields along their
 dispersal route, although they occasionally even crossed wide fields. In
 the urban landscape, squirrels preferred areas with deciduous or
 coniferous trees. The movement steps made by dispersers were longer in the
 more hostile landscape compared to forested areas. Despite these effects
 on movement path, the landscape structure only had a minor effect on
 straight-line dispersal distances moved from the natal nest. In other
 words, individuals moved longer distances and were likely to circumvent
 barriers in their path, but this did not affect how far they settled from
 their natal home. This result indicates that, although landscape structure
 has obvious effects on movement, it still may have only a small effect on
 other aspects of the population, for example, gene flow.
description: Habitat composition
 along dispersal route of juvenile squirrels for Turku
 areaData describes habitat
 composition along juvenile squirrel dispersal paths and random paths.
 Landscape composition is calculated from 25m buffer along routes and is
 presented as percentages of the whole area of the buffer. Column
 "class" specifies squirrel routes (1) and random routes
 (2).LandscapeAlongDispersalRouteAndRandomRouteTurku.xlsxHabitat composition along dispersal route of juvenile squirrels for Southern Ostrobothnia areaData describes habitat composition along juvenile squirrel dispersal paths and random paths. Landscape composition is calculated from 25m buffer along routes and is presented as percentages of the whole area of the buffer. Column "class" specifies squirrel routes (1) and random routes (2).LandscapeAlongDispersalRouteAndRandomRouteKauhava.xlsxStep lengths of juvenile squirrels in Turku areaData describes habitat composition along juvenile squirrel steps (landscape between two consecutive tracking observation). date_difference is the amount of days from previous location, describing the time taken for making the step. Landscape composition is calculated from 25m buffer along the steps and is presented as percentages of the whole area of the buffer.StepLengthsTurku.xlsxStep lengths of juvenile squirrels in Southern Ostrobothnia areaData describes habitat composition along juvenile squirrel steps (landscape between two consecutive tracking observation) compared to the step length. date_difference is the amount of days from previous location, describing the time taken for making the step. Landscape composition is calculated from 25m buffer along the steps and is presented as percentages of the whole area of the buffer.StepLengthsKauhava.xlsxDispersal distances of juvenile red squirrelData includes dispersal distances of juvenile red squirrels, in meters, from areas of Turku and Southern Ostrobothnia. It includes habitat composition along juvenile squirrel original dispersal routes and simplified dispersal routes (see Material and Methods for details). Landscape composition is calculated from 25m buffer along routes and is presented as percentages of the whole area of the buffer. study_area (1) for Turku, and (2) for Southern Ostrobothnia. sex (1) for male and (2) for female.DispersalDistancesBothAreas.xlsx