DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gqnk98sxs
title: Data from: Variation in biodiversity and abundance of functional groups of arthropods along a tropical elevational gradient in Puerto Rico

description: Elevational gradients represent platforms for exploring the effects of
 environmental variation on biodiversity. The environmental correlates of
 these spatial gradients are likely to be modified during the Anthropocene,
 as species respond to global change drivers including warming and
 increased frequency of extreme events. We quantified variation in the
 abundance of four functional groups of canopy arthropods (i.e., folivores,
 sap-suckers, detritivores, and predators), as well as in aspects of
 biodiversity on each of six host-plant species along two elevational
 transects in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico: a mixed forest
 transect, traversing tabonuco, palo colorado, and elfin forests, and a
 palm forest transect, comprising only patches dominated by sierra palm
 (Prestoea acuminata). We expected gradients in arthropod abundance and
 biodiversity to be host-tree specific, and for gradients on palm to differ
 between transects due to a combination of mechanisms associated with host
 selection, rescue effects, habitat structure, and source pool dynamics. In
 general, abundance and biodiversity declined with elevation. The ways in
 which abundance declined with increasing elevation were contingent on host
 tree identity and on arthropod functional group, whereas all aspects of
 biodiversity declined with elevation in consistent manners, regardless of
 host tree identity or transect. Similarly, turnover (beta components of
 biodiversity between sequential elevational strata) did not differ between
 transects. Decreases in productivity with increasing elevation may be
 responsible for gradients in abundance or biodiversity. However,
 host-specific and functional group-specific gradients suggest that
 elevational effects manifest differently depending on tree species
 identity and resource bases that are consumer-specific.
description: Arthropods were collected from understory trees in plots at 50 m
 intervals along two parallel transects from 300 m to 1000 m asl at the
 Luquillo Experimental Forest LTER site in Puerto Rico. One transect
 represented mixed forest plots; the other represented patches of sierra
 palm. An accessible branch was collected in a plastic bag from selected
 tree species in each plot. Arthropods were sorted and identified in the
 lab. Foliage was dried and weighed to control for variation in sample
 size. Leaf area missing in the foliage material was also
 measured.
description: # Data from: Variation in biodiversity and abundance of functional groups
 of arthropods along a tropical elevational gradient in Puerto Rico
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gqnk98sxs](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gqnk98sxs) ## Description of the data and file structure Arthropods were collected from canopy foliage of understory trees in plots spaced every 50 m along two parallel transects from 300 m to 1000 m elevation at the Luquillo Experimental Forest LTER Site in Puerto Rico. The description of column headers included in the data file Elev_gradient_for_dryad.csv is as follows: * Column A = sample date in YRMODA format - Column B = elevation in meters * Column C = treatment (transect): M = mixed forest, P = palm grove - Column D = tree species (MICO = Miconia prasina; PSYCH = Psychotria; PRES = Prestoea; CROT = Croton; CALSQU = Calycogonium squamulosum; MICSIN = Miconia sintenisii) * Column E = foliage weight (g). All arthropod counts are significantly related to foliage weight, which should be used as a covariate to account for this relationship. - Column F = leaf area missing (LAM) as %, a measure of herbivore effect on canopy surface area. The remaining columns are arthropod counts by taxon for each sample. * Functional group designations are C = chewing folivore, S = sap-sucker, D = detritivore, O = omnivore, M = miscellaneous us, and P = predator. C = CHR, GR1, GR2, LP1, LP4, MSC S = ALY, CC3, CC4, CC5, CX2, FLT, KIN, SIBV D = ANOB, BT1, CHI, COL, CRT, EUGLEN, EUPSIL, GALU, MORD, MYCT, OR1, OR2, PSO, SCRAP O = AT2 M = CURC2, CURC3 P = ANYPH, AR1, AR2, BRC, LEUCAGE, MIAG, PLT, SLT, THERID2, THM, TYDEID  G = GR1 = Gryllid, cricket, large, brown H = GR2 = Gryllid, cricket, *Cyrtoxipha gundlachi* J = CHR = Chrysolmelidae beetle K = LP1 = Lepidoptera 1, Arctiidae N = LP4 = adult Moths V = FLT = Flatid, planthopper Hemiptera, *Petrusa*            AB = CC3 = Scale insect, hemispherical (*Ceraplastes rubens*) AC = CC4 = Scale insect, flat, round, pyriform scale (*Protopulvinaria piriformis*) AE = CX2 = Cixiidae 2, planthopper, Hemiptera AF = BT1 = Blattid 1, cockroach *Cariblattoides guava, * AL = OR1 = Oribatid 1 mite, like *Camisia* AM = OR2 = Oribatid 2  mite, like *Opiella* AI = COL = Collembola AJ = PSO = Psocoptera AR = AT2 = Ant, yellow (*Wasmania*) AU = THM = Thomisid spider AV = AR2 = Spider, cream, long-legged (Pholcid, *Modisimus*) AW = SLT = Salticid spiders (Gr = *Lyssomanes portoricensis*) AX = AR1 = Spider 1 (yellow, Therid) BC = PLT = Platygasterid, parasitic wasp BG = BRC = Braconidae, parasitic wasp BL = CHI = Chironomidae, fungus gnat, fly BP = ALY = Aleyrodidae, whitefly, Hemiptera BQ = MSC = Mollusca, primarily Gaeotis BZ=CURC2 Curculionidae (short snout) beetle CA=CC5 mealybug, scale insect CC=SIBV *Sibovea*, leafhopper, Hemiptera CG=MYCT Mycetophilidae, midge fly CN=MORD (Mordellidae, beetle) CY=KIN Kinnaridae Hemiptera DA=CRT Ceratopogonidae midge DF=GALU Galumnid (pterymorph) mite DT=CURC3 miscellaneous curculionidae beetle DX=ANOB anobiidae beetle DY=EUGLEN euglenidae beetle ED=ANYPH anyphaenid spiders EI=TYDEID mite EP=MIAG *Miagramopes* (stick) spider FL=THERID2 (Green, *Theridion antillanum*) spider FV=LEUCAGE (spider, *Leucage*) FW=SCRAP (*Scraptia* sp.) beetle FX=EUPSIL (Eupsilobiidae) beetle ## Code/software Excel or QuattroPro ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * [https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lter-luq.96.2410869](https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lter-luq.96.2410869)