DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tb2rbp0fq
title: Precipitation, tree biomass, and the diversity and functional composition of tropical rainforest cricket assemblages

description: This dataset comprises environmental, taxonomic, and trait data describing
 tropical rainforest cricket assemblages in north-eastern Australia. Data
 were collected from 38 20 x 20 m plots spanning a range of elevations,
 disturbance histories, and vine densities in the Wet Tropics bioregion.
 Environmental data include tree, liana, and rattan stem density and basal
 area, tree aboveground biomass, vine-to-tree ratio (VTR), coarse woody
 debris (CWD), litter depth, leaf area index (LAI), slope, mean annual
 precipitation (MAP), and plot coordinates. Trees and climbing plants ≥1 cm
 DBH were measured using standardised forest inventory protocols, with
 biomass estimated via pan-tropical allometric equations. Climatic
 variables were extracted from WorldClim v2.1 rasters. Cricket assemblage
 data include species-level abundances obtained from pitfall traps, along
 with categorical traits describing diet, mobility, behavior, and
 microhabitat use. Diversity metrics (Hill numbers q0, q1, q2) were
 calculated for each plot to standardise comparisons of richness and
 diversity. The dataset is structured in multiple tables, linking species
 abundances, trait matrices, and environmental measurements by plot. Data
 collection adhered to relevant permits and ethical standards for field
 sampling of invertebrates. 
description: # Precipitation, tree biomass, and the diversity and functional
 composition of tropical rainforest cricket assemblages Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.tb2rbp0fq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tb2rbp0fq) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Data were collected from 38
 tropical rainforest plots in the Wet Tropics, north-eastern Australia,
 spanning gradients of climate, elevation, disturbance, and vine density.
 Within each plot, all trees and climbing plants ≥1 cm DBH were measured to
 quantify basal area, stem density, and aboveground biomass. Environmental
 variables including litter depth, coarse woody debris, leaf area index,
 slope, and climate were recorded. Cricket assemblages were sampled using
 standardised pitfall traps, with individuals identified to species and
 associated with categorical traits. The dataset links environmental,
 species, and trait data to support analyses of diversity, community
 composition, and functional ecology. ### Files and variables #### File:
 Environmental_variables.xlsx **Description:** This file contains
 plot-level environmental measurements from tropical rainforest sites in
 the Wet Tropics, Australia. Each row represents one 20 m × 20 m plot, with
 variables describing vegetation composition, structural complexity, and
 abiotic and biotic conditions. ##### Variables: * **plot_num**: Assigned
 number for each plot. * **canopy**: either open or closed * **latitude**:
 Latitude (decimal degrees) of the plot center, recorded with a Garmin GPS
 64sx. * **longitude**: Longitude (decimal degrees) of the plot center,
 recorded with a Garmin GPS 64sx. * **tree_BA**: Total basal area (cm²) of
 all tree stems &gt;1 cm diameter at breast height (DBH, 1.3 m). *
 **liana_BA**: Total basal area (cm²) of all liana (vine) stems &gt;1 cm
 DBH. * **rattan_BA**: Total basal area (cm²) of all true woody vines
 (rattans) &gt;1 cm DBH. * **LTR_BA**: Liana-to-tree ratio, calculated as
 (liana_basal + rattan_basal) / tree_basal. * **tree_n**: Total count of
 tree stems &gt;1 cm DBH per plot. * **liana_n**: Total count of liana
 stems &gt;1 cm DBH per plot. * **rattan_n**: Total count of rattan stems
 &gt;1 cm DBH per plot. * **litter_depth**: Average leaf litter depth (cm),
 measured at four corners of each plot using a 30 cm ruler. *
 **elevation**: Elevation above sea level (m), measured with a Garmin GPS
 64sx. * **LAI_true_v6**: Average leaf area index (LAI), estimated from 13
 hemispherical canopy photographs taken ~1 m above ground in each plot. *
 **abs_slope**: Slope (degrees), measured using a clinometer. *
 **LTR_basal_category**: Categorical grouping of `LTR_basal` into low, mid,
 and high, based on natural breaks. * **rattan_stemdensity_category**:
 Categorical grouping of `rattan_stemdensity` into low, mid, and high,
 based on natural breaks. * **di_sum**: Total count of coarse woody debris
 (fallen logs and branches &gt;10 cm diameter) intersecting two
 perpendicular 20 m transects in each plot. * **bio_2022**: Above-ground
 biomass (AGB) of tree stems, calculated using a pan-tropical allometric
 equation. * **sitelevel**: elevation or lowland *
 **wc2.1_30s_bio_12**: Mean annual precipitation (MAP) was extracted from
 the WorldClim v2.1 dataset at 30 arc-second (~1 km²) resolution. *
 **wc2.1_30s_bio_1**: Mean annual temperature (MAT) was extracted from the
 WorldClim v2.1 dataset at 30 arc-second (~1 km²) resolution. #### File:
 Hill_numbers.xlsx **Description:** This file contains plot-level diversity
 metrics from tropical rainforest sites in the Wet Tropics, Australia. Each
 row represents one 20 m × 20 m plot, with variables describing hill
 diversity measures.  ##### Variables * **Method**: The diversity
 estimation method used. - **SC_q0**: Sample coverage–based estimate of
 species richness (Hill number q = 0), representing the number of species
 in the plot, standardised for sample completeness. - **SC_q1**: Sample
 coverage–based estimate of Shannon diversity (Hill number q = 1),
 representing the effective number of common species in the plot,
 standardised for sample completeness. - **SC_q2**: Sample coverage–based
 estimate of Simpson diversity (Hill number q = 2), representing the
 effective number of dominant species in the plot, standardised for sample
 completeness. - **qD_q0**: Rarefied/extrapolated Hill number q = 0
 (species richness) adjusted for minimum sample coverage across plots. -
 **qD_q1**: Rarefied/extrapolated Hill number q = 1 (Shannon diversity)
 adjusted for minimum sample coverage across plots. - **qD_q2**:
 Rarefied/extrapolated Hill number q = 2 (Simpson diversity) adjusted for
 minimum sample coverage across plots. - **qD.LCL_q0**: Lower 95%
 confidence limit for qD_q0. - **qD.LCL_q1**: Lower 95% confidence limit
 for qD_q1. - **qD.LCL_q2**: Lower 95% confidence limit for qD_q2. -
 **qD.UCL_q0**: Upper 95% confidence limit for qD_q0. - **qD.UCL_q1**:
 Upper 95% confidence limit for qD_q1. - **qD.UCL_q2**: Upper 95%
 confidence limit for qD_q2. #### File: Species_counts_raw.xlsx
 **Description:** This file contains raw abundance data for all cricket
 species sampled across tropical rainforest plots in the Wet Tropics,
 Australia. Each column represents a species (identified to the lowest
 possible taxonomic level), and each row represents a plot, with cell
 values indicating the number of individuals recorded per species per plot
 ##### Variables * **Columns**: Each column header corresponds to a cricket
 species name as identified in the lab. Names follow consistent spelling
 and, where possible, accepted taxonomic nomenclature. - **Rows**: Each row
 corresponds to a single plot (plot ID provided in the first column). -
 **Cell values**: Raw abundance counts (number of individuals of each
 species in that plot). ## Code/software All statistical analyses were done
 in R version 4.4.1 (R Core Team, 2024).