DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6m905qg41
title: Data from: Spatio-temporal dynamics in syntopy are driven by variability in rangeland conditions

description: Sympatry is the most common form of niche differentiation and can exist as
 broad sympatry (shared geographical region) or direct sympatry (i.e.,
 syntopy (shared resource patch)). Syntopy may be highly dynamic,
 particularly in environments that experience stochastic events that
 increase variability in abiotic conditions and vegetation. We examined how
 estimates of syntopy varied across space and time in a rangeland system
 within the Southern Great Plains, USA over a three-year period
 (2013-2015). We modeled annual estimates of syntopy between three
 functionally similar (ground-foraging Galliformes) species (northern
 bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), and
 lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Niche similarity
 representing increased syntopy was greatest during years with increased
 drought conditions (2013-2014). Niche differentiation was greatest in 2015
 in which rangelands experienced the greatest amount of precipitation.
 Syntopy estimates were driven by variability in vegetation cover
 estimates, representing changes in rangeland conditions related to abiotic
 conditions. Our results suggest that syntopy can be highly dynamic across
 space and time and can be driven by variability in abiotic conditions
 (i.e., precipitation). Furthermore, these results suggest that habitat is
 in a state of non-equilibrium. Finally, we highlight that climate refuges
 that promote demographic resiliency through intraspecific changes in
 resource use are fundamental drivers of spatio-temporal patterns in
 community dynamics, particularly across similar functional species.
description: # Spatio-temporal dynamics in syntopy are driven by variability in
 rangeland conditions Last updated: 01/18/2023. Prepared by: Evan P.
 Tanner, PhD [evan.tanner@tamuk.edu](mailto:evan.tanner@tamuk.edu)
 Associated file: LPC_RestrictedLocationData.zip: Restricted location data
 of the lesser prairie chicken that was used as occurrence data in Maxent
 modeling procedures for analyses. Original space-time occurrence data of
 the lesser prairie-chicken was rarefied by 50 km2 due to privacy
 restrictions associated with our GPS data on lesser prairie chickens. This
 is primarily due to this species being classified as an endangered species
 and to protect the privacy of participating landowners in our study. This
 rarefication resulted in a single location within our study extent (Beaver
 County, Oklahoma, USA) which was a data point obtained by the publicly
 accessible occurrence data platform formally known as BISON from the
 United States Geological Survey that has been integrated into
 [www.gbif.org](http://www.gbif.org). Datum is WGS84.
 NOBOLocationsByYear.zip: Northern bobwhite occurrence data by year during
 the temporal extent of our research. Datum is WGS84.
 SCQULocationsByYear.zip: Scaled quail occurrence data by year during the
 temporal extent of our research. Datum is WGS84.
 MaskedEnvironmentalLayers.zip: Zipped folder containing raster files
 (.tif) for all environmental layers originally used in our Maxent analyses
 for this research. All layers have been masked to the spatial extent of
 our research (Beaver County, Oklahoma, USA). Note that our spatially
 explicit CRP data have not been included due to privacy agreements with
 landowners and the Farm Service Agency. Datum is WGS84. Associated files
 are: ``` -2013maskc1: % functional cover of annual forb and grass in 2013.
 -2013maskc2: % functional cover of bare ground in 2013. -2013maskc3: %
 functional cover of litter in 2013. -2013maskc4: % functional cover of
 perennial forb and grass in 2013. -2013maskc5: % functional cover of shrub
 in 2013. -2013maskc6: % functional cover of tree in 2013. -2014maskc1: %
 functional cover of annual forb and grass in 2014. -2014maskc2: %
 functional cover of bare ground in 2014. -2014maskc3: % functional cover
 of litter in 2014. -2014maskc4: % functional cover of perennial forb and
 grass in 2014. -2014maskc5: % functional cover of shrub in 2014.
 -2014maskc6: % functional cover of tree in 2014. -2015maskc1: % functional
 cover of annual forb and grass in 2015. -2015maskc2: % functional cover of
 bare ground in 2015. -2015maskc3: % functional cover of litter in 2015.
 -2015maskc4: % functional cover of perennial forb and grass in 2015.
 -2015maskc5: % functional cover of shrub in 2015. -2015maskc6: %
 functional cover of tree in 2015. -anthro: distance to houses. -asp:
 Aspect. -dem: Digital elevation model. -powerlines: Distance to
 powerlines. -Roads: Distance to primary roads. -slp: Slope. -vertical:
 Distance to vertical anthropogenic features. -wells: Distance to oil/gas
 wells. ``` DroughtDataBeaverCounty.zip: Drought data by year and drought
 severity category within Beaver County, Oklahoma, USA as determined
 through the United States Drought Montitor
 ([https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/](https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/)).