DOI: 10.5061/dryad.xpnvx0knf
title: Data to: Lying deadwood retention affects microhabitat use of martens (Martes spp.) in European mountain forests

description: Biodiversity loss due to intensive timber production is a ubiquitous
 conservation issue across temperate and boreal forest ecosystems.
 Retention forestry, the retention of deadwood and old-growth features
 within production forest, is one management strategy that has been
 implemented in various countries around the world to conserve a wide range
 of taxa within managed forests. The success and ecological implications of
 retention forestry are currently subject to intensive investigation and
 while some taxa like birds and insects have already been studied
 frequently, larger mammals have obtained less attention. Pine martens are
 one of the few larger mammals in central Europe preferring older forest
 and potentially profiting directly from deadwood retention as a
 consequence of implemented retention forestry. The goal of our study was
 to assess the response of European marten species to deadwood retention in
 montane mixed forests. Using marten detection rates from camera traps on
 135 research plots we assessed the response of martens to deadwood on
 three different spatial scales using generalized linear mixed models. We
 found no effect of lying deadwood on marten detections on the plot scale
 (one-hectare) or in a ten-meter radius around the camera traps. However,
 we found a significant increase in marten detections if logs (&gt;10
 cm) were directly in front and in view of the camera trap. Our results
 show that deadwood retention as a measure of retention forestry does
 affect microhabitat use of martens, but not stand selection during the
 growing season. Logs directly in view of the camera trap increase marten
 detection rates as martens choose to move and forage along fallen trees
 when they are available. When using camera trapping to collect data on
 martens, trap positioning in front of logs can heavily bias trapping
 results when unaccounted for.
description: We set up camera traps on 135
 predetermined 1-ha research plots. We used camera traps
 (<em>Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Aggressor Low Glow</em>) over five
 sampling rounds in spring (April-early July) and autumn (late
 August-November) from 2019 to 2021. The exact positions of the camera
 traps in the first sampling round were assigned randomly to one of three
 fixed points within the plot. Afterwards, cameras were shifted
 systematically among those positions. We aggregated marten detections in events, which
 included a sequence of detection of the same species with less than five
 minutes between pictures. The sum of marten events is used as an index of
 relative abundance. Additionally, we assessed the presence/volume of
 deadwood at three different scales (view of the camera, 10 m radius of the
 camera, 1-ha plot). 
description: # Data to: “Lying deadwood retention affects microhabitat use of martens
 (Martes spp.) in European mountain forests” ## Description of the data and
 file structure This dataset is used to assess the impact of lying deadwood
 on marten detection at three different spatial scales. It contains counts
 of marten events derived from camera trapping. Camera traps were set up in
 spring and autumn between spring 2019 and spring 2021 on 135 research
 plots. Deadwood presence and vegetation were assessed post-hoc from camera
 trap pictures, number of logs around camera traps were counted upon set-up
 and the volume of lying deadwood was estimated during an inventory 2018
 (see Storch et al. 2020). Variable: * PlotID: Name of the research plot *
 Position: Camera trap positioning on the research plot: C = center, IN=
 Northwest corner, IS = Southeast corner. * Season: Trapping seasons:
 Spring or Autumn * DateSet, TimeSet, DateRet, TimeRet: Date and Time of
 camera trap set-up and retrieval respectively. * Trapnights: Number of
 nights camera traps were set, value for trapping effort. * Marten: Number
 of marten events detected. * Year: Year * Vegetation: Presence or absence
 of potentially obstructing vegetation in front of the camera trap (High=
 Yes, Low = No). * Vlogs: Logs&gt; 10 cm diameter in view of the camera
 trap: yes/no. * RNlogs: Number of logs &gt; 10 cm in diameter in a 10
 m radius around the camera trap. * DWVol: Lying deadwood volume on the
 1-ha research plot m³/ha.