DOI: 10.5061/dryad.v6wwpzh56
title: Data from: Evidence of spatial synchrony in the spread of an invasive forest pest

description: Because population growth is a key component of range expansion, spatial
 synchrony in population growth along a species’ range edge may lead to
 spatial synchrony in range expansion. However, demographic stochasticity
 in low-density range-edge populations and stochastic long-distance
 dispersal may disrupt the synchronization of range expansion. Here, we
 investigate whether rates of spread by an invasive species, the spongy
 moth, exhibit spatial synchrony. We also evaluate if climatic oscillations
 at multi-annual timescales arising from teleconnections synchronize spread
 at similar timescales. We applied extensions of wavelet analysis to
 spatiotemporal data on climate variables and range-edge abundances during
 1990-2020. Synchrony in spread occurred throughout the entire study area,
 and in the northernmost and southernmost ecoregions, synchrony in spread
 was explained by multi-annual climate oscillations linked to
 teleconnection patterns. We demonstrate spatial synchrony in invasive
 spread and find an opportunity to predict the timing of pulses of invasive
 spread at regional scales.
description: # Data from: Evidence of spatial synchrony in the spread of an invasive
 forest pest
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v6wwpzh56](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v6wwpzh56) ## Description of the data and file structure Description of files for "Evidence of spatial synchrony in the spread of an invasive forest pest": There are 8 data files in this dataset: * five files, one per ecoregion, each containing spread rate and climate variable data (e.g., af_spread_climate.csv) * three files are manipulated climate index data (teleconnection) (e.g., clim.indices.sup.spring.csv) ### Files and variables #### Files: sup\_spread\_climate.csv; af\_spread\_climate.csv; cup\_spread\_climate.csv; mwp\_spread\_climate.csv; mws\_spread\_climate.csv **Description**: These documents are the spread rates and associated climate variables for the five ecoregions studied in the associated manuscript. The years of data vary by ecoregion. Southeastern USA Plains (SUP) (1990-2020); Appalachian Forest (AF) (1990-2020); Central USA Plains (1996-2020); Mixed Wood Plains (MWP) (1997-2020); Mixed Wood Shield (1998-2020) ##### Variables: * bearing2: transect number, used as a unique identifier * year_t: year * spread_rate: rate of spongy moth spread (km/year) * snow_depth: wintertime snow depth (mm) * tmin: wintertime minimum temperature (deg C) * tmean: larval period (springtime) mean temperature (deg C) * ppt: precipitation (mm) #### File: clim.indices.mws.winter.csv **Description**: Wintertime (December-February) averaged climate index values for 2000-2020. ##### Variables: * year: year of the averaged index value * nao.winter.mean: Average North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) value for December-February across 20 years (2000-2020). Data from [https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao.shtml](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao.shtml) * pdo.winter.mean: Average Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO ) value for December-February across 20 years (2000-2020). Data from [https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/node/6696](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/node/6696) * enso.winter.mean: Average Multivariate El Niño/Southern Oscillation Index (MEI) value for December-February across 20 years (2000-2020). Data from [https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei](https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei) #### File: clim.indices.sup.spring.csv **Description**: Springtime (i.e., larval period) averaged climate index values for 1993-2020. ##### Variables: * year: year of the averaged index value * nao.spring.mean: Average North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) value for March-June across 27 years (1993-2020). Data from [https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao.shtml](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao.shtml) * pdo.spring.mean: Average Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO ) value for March-June across 27 years (1993-2020). Data from [https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/node/6696](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/node/6696) * enso.spring.mean: Average Multivariate El Niño/Southern Oscillation Index (MEI) value for March-June across 27 years (1993-2020). Data from [https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei](https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei) #### File: clim.indices.mwp.spring.csv **Description**: Springtime (i.e., larval period) averaged climate index values for 1999-2020. ##### Variables: * year: year of the averaged index value * nao.spring.mean: Average North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) value for April-July across 21 years (1999-2020). Data from [https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao.shtml](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/pna/nao.shtml) * pdo.spring.mean: Average Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO ) value for April-July across 21 years (1999-2020). Data from [https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/node/6696](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/node/6696) * enso.spring.mean: Average Multivariate El Niño/Southern Oscillation Index (MEI) value for April-July across 21 years (1999-2020). Data from [https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei](https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei)