DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vq83bk456
title: Data from: Deadwood supports carnivores in leaf litter communities in a bark beetle-attacked deadwood simulation experiment

description: Deadwood can impact forest food webs through the creation of habitat and
 the provision of resources, but impacts may differ based on initial
 differences in wood characteristics and over time. Bark beetles like the
 southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman) attack and wound
 pine trees, inoculating them with Ophiostomataceae (Ascomycota; hereafter
 “blue stain fungi”). Blue stain fungi may increase termite presence in
 deadwood and in the surrounding leaf litter, potentially leading to
 increased abundances of leaf litter invertebrates over time. The effects
 of deadwood in general, and simulated bark beetle–generated deadwood
 (i.e., deadwood inoculated with blue stain fungi) or non–bark
 beetle–generated deadwood (i.e., deadwood inoculated with just H2O
 controls) were tested on leaf litter communities after one and seven years
 to measure both short– and long–term effects. The presence of deadwood led
 to distinct leaf litter communities compared to no wood across both
 collection years. However, there was no difference in community
 composition under logs between deadwood treatments. However, predatory
 beetles and non-ant Hymenoptera were indicators of bluestained wood. Taxa
 abundance differed by wood treatment, but richness and
 detritivore/predator ratio were greater under deadwood versus no deadwood,
 particularly after seven years. These results contribute to the mounting
 evidence that deadwood has important impacts on forest biodiversity and
 that long–term studies are necessary to fully understand deadwood impacts
 on forest ecosystems.
description: To examine impacts of deadwood presence, simulated bark
 beetle–generated deadwood (bluestained wood), and collection year on leaf
 litter invertebrate community structure, all leaf litter down to top soil
 was collected from 0.5 m x 0.5 m (0.25 m<sup>2</sup>) quadrats
 below one) uncaged bluestained logs (n=10; one per plot), two) uncaged
 control logs (n=10; one per plot), and three) equisized quadrats of leaf
 litter where no logs were present (n=10; one per plot) separated by ≥ 3 m
 from experimental logs on the same plot in October of years one (2015) and
 seven (2021) (Fig. 1). We randomly selected logs to sample leaf litter
 invertebrates from under each year, and quadrats sampled for litter
 invertebrates sampled where no logs were present were selected haphazardly
 to ensure random collection with no deadwood in quadrats and sufficient
 distance from existing experimental deadwood. Thus, in total as part of
 our study, leaf litter invertebrates were collected from under ten random
 (one per plot) uncaged bluestained logs, ten random uncaged water control
 logs (one per plot), and ten random plots without deadwood (n=30 total
 litter invertebrate samples; three per plot) in year one and again in year
 seven. Logs were removed during sampling as part of the larger experiment
 and were thus not repeatedly sampled across years. Before collection of
 leaf litter communities, litter depth was measured in each quadrat corner
 by inserting a thin metal flag through the leaf litter and measuring the
 distance from the top of the leaf litter to the top of the mineral soil.
 Then, all leaf litter in quadrats was collected down to the top of the
 mineral soil and placed in a hand sifter (1.5 cm x 1.5 cm mesh) to remove
 larger debris but retain leaf litter invertebrates.
 Leaf litter, debris, and invertebrates that passed through mesh
 (siftate) were then placed in muslin bags and transported to the
 laboratory for invertebrate extraction using Berlese funnels with a 40 W
 halogen light bulb for 24 hours. Due to logistical time constraints, in
 year seven collections, total volume of the siftate from each quadrat was
 measured, but a random 250ml subsample of each quadrat’s siftate was used
 in Berlese funnels, which ran for 24 hours. Invertebrates were collected
 and preserved in a container with 70% ethanol until identification. To
 estimate the total number of invertebrates collected in year seven to
 compare with year one, the abundance of each focal taxon group
 was calculated using A𝑇 = 𝑇𝑆𝑉 ∗ (𝐴𝑀/250 𝑚𝑙). Here, AT is the estimated
 total abundance, and AM is the measured taxon abundance from the 250 mL
 subsample, and TSV is the total siftate volume (mL) collected from the
 field. Logs were destructively sampled each year as part of the larger
 experiment; consequently, leaf litter invertebrate communities were
 sampled from under different logs in year one than year seven (e.g.,
 samples are not repeated measures). Abundances of Acari and Collembola
 were estimated, because they numbered in the hundreds to thousands in
 these samples. Specifically, we extracted invertebrate samples from
 Berlese funnels and placed them placed in 148.2 mm diameter gridded (2 cm
 x 2 cm grid squares) Petri dishes in 70% ethanol. First, all non–Acari and
 Collembola were removed from the Petri dish and identified, then, the
 remaining taxa across the Petri dish area were homogenized by gently
 swirling the dish and using forceps to evenly spread taxa. After which,
 the number of non–predatory mites, predatory mites, and Collembola in each
 of the ten randomly chosen grid squares were counted. Abundance of each
 taxon was estimated by calculating the average of each taxon among the ten
 squares and multiplying the average by the total area of the Petri dish
 (151.9 cm<sup>2</sup>).
description: # Deadwood supports carnivores in leaf litter communities in a bark
 beetle-attacked deadwood simulation experiment Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.vq83bk456](10.5061/dryad.vq83bk456) ## Description of the
 data and file structure ### Files and variables #### File:
 BS\_DECOMP\_DRYAD\_5-7-25.xlsx **Description:** Excel file that has a
 'Meta Data' sheet describing the variables, a
 'Inverts' sheet with the invertebrate associated data, and a
 'Detritus' sheet with data associated with the leaf litter
 measurements during invertebrate collection. ##### Variables * | Sheet |
 Column | Column Description | | :------- | :--------------------- |
 :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Inverts | Plot | The plot number where leaf litter and soil samples were taken   | | Inverts | Bolt | The log unique identification number used in each treatment  | | Inverts | Collection Year | The year soil and leaf litter under wood was collected | | Inverts | Wood Treatment  | The treatment applied to each plot; see Treatment Codes on Meta Data Sheet for more information | | Inverts | Order  | The highest level of taxonomic identification  | | Inverts | Family  | Family level taxonomic identification where applicable  | | Inverts | Genus  | Genus level taxonimic idenfication where applicable  | | Inverts | Species  | The lowest level of taxonomic identification where applicable  | | Inverts | Number  | The abunance of each taxon extracted from leaf litter and soil under wood; Acari and Collembola abundances were estimated  | | Detritus | Plot  | The plot number where leaf litter and soil samples were taken   | | Detritus | Bolt | The log unique identification number used in each treatment  | | Detritus | Collection Year | The year soil and leaf litter under wood was collected | | Detritus | Wood Treatment  | The treatment applied to each plot; see Treatment Codes on Meta Data Sheet for more information | | Detritus | Corner 1 | Litter depth (cm) to top of soil, measured from one of four corners of quadrat (0.5 m x 0.5 m) where leaf litter invertebrates were sampled | | Detritus | Corner 2  | Litter depth (cm) to top of soil, measured from one of four corners of quadrat (0.5 m x 0.5 m) where leaf litter invertebrates were sampled | | Detritus | Corner 3  | Litter depth (cm) to top of soil, measured from one of four corners of quadrat (0.5 m x 0.5 m) where leaf litter invertebrates were sampled | | Detritus | Corner 4  | Litter depth (cm) to top of soil, measured from one of four corners of quadrat (0.5 m x 0.5 m) where leaf litter invertebrates were sampled | | Detritus | Average Litter Depth  | Average of the four measured litter depths  | | Detritus | Litter Siftate Volume  | The volume (ml) of siftate invertebrates were extracted from after sifting leaflitter from 0.5m x0.5m quadrats  |