DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp28
title: Data for: Shifts in plant-invertebrate interactions between wild and ex-situ conservation populations of a critically endangered tree

description: Ex-situ conservation is an effective approach to prevent the extinction of
 endangered species. Biotic interactions (eg herbivory and pollination) are
 critical to ex-situ conservation success, including plant establishment,
 survival, and reproduction. However, shifts in biotic interactions between
 wild and ex-situ populations are still poorly understood.  We
 compared herbivory and pollination characteristics between the only wild
 population (WP) and three ex-situ populations (LP, local population,
 nearby WP; NP, north population, ca. 850 km; and SP, south population, ca.
 750 km) of a critically endangered tree species (Sinojackia huangmeiensis)
 to explore the latitudinal changes in plant-invertebrate
 interactions.  Larvae of the Limacodidae family were the dominant
 herbivores in WP, LP, and NP, while the only herbivore observed in SP was
 a snail. Compared to WP, the leaf herbivory rate was unchanged in LP but
 decreased in NP and SP. Leaf defense traits (total phenols, tannins, leaf
 thickness, and leaf dry matter content) increased or remained unchanged in
 the three ex-situ populations. A pollinator (Apis cerana) of S.
 huangmeiensis was present in the four populations. NP and SP lacked some
 pollinators that were found in both WP and LP, but they shared one
 pollinator that was not observed in WP and LP. The pollinator visiting
 frequency increased in SP, while it did not change significantly in LP and
 NP. Synthesis and applications: Our results suggested that both herbivory
 and pollination of S. huangmeiensis changed in ex-situ populations, with
 complete or partial changes in herbivores, leaf herbivory rate,
 pollinators, pollinator visiting frequency, and fruit set in the two
 distant ex-situ populations. This work provides a unique empirical study
 of shifts in both antagonistic and mutualistic biotic interactions between
 wild and ex-situ populations. We emphasized that it is essential to
 integrate herbivore and pollinator management in future ex-situ
 conservation of plant species.
description: # Data for: Shifts in plant-invertebrate interactions between wild and
 ex-situ conservation populations of a critically endangered tree
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp28](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp28) ## Description of the data and file structure The data in this file includes leaf herbivory rate, total phenols, tannins, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, pollinator visiting frequency, number of flowers per branch, fruit mass, number of fruits per branch, and fruit set. All these variables are observed or measured from one wild and three ex-situ conservation populations of an endangered tree species endemic to central China. There are four populations. WP: Wild population LP: Local ex-situ population NP: North ex-situ population SP: South ex-situ population The sample sizes of different variables of each population are varied. The sample size of leaf herbivory rate, total phenols, tannins, leaf thickness, and leaf dry matter content is 15. The sample size of pollinator visiting frequency is five. The sample size of the number of flowers per branch, fruit mass, number of fruits per branch, and fruit set is ten. Dimensions: 61 rows x 12 columns Missing data code (not available for variables with the sample size of five and ten): Blank cell For more details, see the Materials and Methods part of the article: Shifts in plant-invertebrate interactions between wild and ex-situ conservation populations of a critically endangered tree. ## Sharing/Access information NA ## Code/Software NA