DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7f3kt77
title: Data from: Colonisation dynamics during range expansion is poorly predicted by dispersal in the core range

description: The potential ranges of many species are shifting due to changing
 ecological conditions. Where populations become patchy towards the range
 edge, the realised distribution emerges from colonisation-persistence
 dynamics. Therefore, a greater understanding of the drivers of these
 processes, and the spatial scales over which they operate, presents an
 opportunity to improve predictions of species range expansion under
 environmental change. Species reintroductions offer an ideal opportunity
 to investigate the drivers and spatial scale of colonisation dynamics at
 the range edge. To this effect, we performed and monitored experimental
 translocations of water voles to quantify how colonisation and local
 persistence were influenced by habitat quality and occupancy. We used a
 novel statistical method to simultaneously consider effects across a range
 of spatial scales. Densely occupied neighbourhoods were highly persistent
 and frequently colonised. Persistence was more likely in high quality
 habitat, whereas influence of habitat quality on colonisation was less
 clear. Colonisation of suitable habitat in distant, sparsely occupied
 areas was much less frequent than expected from the well documented high
 dispersal ability of the species. Persistence of these distant populations
 was also low, which we attribute to the absence of a rescue effect in
 sparsely populated neighbourhoods. Our results illustrate a mismatch
 between the spatial scales of colonisation dynamics in the core and edge
 of a species range, suggesting that recolonisation dynamics in established
 populations may be a poor predictor of colonisation dynamics at the range
 edge. Such a mismatch leads to predictions of long lags between the
 emergence and colonisation of new habitat, with detrimental consequences
 for a species realised distribution, conservation status and contribution
 to ecosystem function. Conservation translocations that also reinforce
 existing populations at the range edge might stimulate the rescue effect
 and mitigate lags in expansion.
description: Latrine counts in 200 m
 waterway sections at each survey occasionData collected in the
 field. x = x coordinate (eastings) of section, y = y coordinate
 (northings) of section, xy = combined x and y coordinate (unique section
 ID), Date = dd/mm/yyyy, Count = count of latrines (that denote current
 occupancy) in sectionMorgan_et_al_Data_Section_occupancy.csvHabitat quality scores of 200 m waterway sectionsHabitat quality score calculated from habitat variables collected in the field. x = x coordinate (eastings), y = y coordinate (northings), logitscore = habitat quality scoreMorgan_et_al_Data_Section_habitat_scores.csvHabitat variables for each 200 m waterway sectionData collected in the field. x = x coordinate (eastings), y = y coordinate (northings), width = waterway width (cm), ST_substra = stream bed substrate - 0 (silt, sand, gravel) or 1 (stones, boulders), pen1, pen2, pen3, pen4 = categorical variable for bank penetrability, tot_veg = percentage cover of vegetation, tree_cover = percentage cover by tree canopy, juncus = percentage cover by juncus sp., filip = percentage cover by Filipendual ulmariaMorgan_et_al_Cell_coordinates_and_habitat_variables.csvColonisation status of waterway sections assuming 10 day closure period for analysis in RProduced from raw data within R. occ.relax.F = colonisation status (1=colonised, 0=not colonised), ID.fac = waterway section ID, focal.x & focal.y = coordinates of section, logitscore = habitat quality score of focal section, disc.500 = mean habitat quality score of all sections within 500 m radius, disc.750 = mean habitat quality score of all sections within 750 m radius, yr.month = year-month combination, yr = year, month = month of year, Date.real.F = dd/mm/yyyy, meanmean.occ.N270 - meanmean.occ.N2500 = mean occupancy of all neighbouring sections within that distance band, hab.mean.N270 - hab.mean.N2500 = mean habitat quality score of all neighbouring sections within that distance band, conspec270to1000 = mean occupancy of all sections between 270 - 1000 m awayMorgan_et_al_Colonisation_Analysis_10_days_closure.csvColonisation status of waterway sections assuming 20 day closure period for analysis in RSame as "Colonisation status of waterway sections assuming 10 day closure period for analysis in R", but variables derived assuming closure over 20 daysMorgan_et_al_Colonisation_Analysis_20_days_closure.csvColonisation status of waterway sections assuming 30 day closure period for analysis in RSame as "Colonisation status of waterway sections assuming 10 day closure period for analysis in R", but variables derived assuming closure over 30 daysMorgan_et_al_Colonisation_Analysis_30_days_closure.csvPersistence status of waterway sections assuming 10 day closure period for analysis in RSame as colonisation analysis, except occ.relax.F = persistence status (1=remained occupied, 0=abandoned)Morgan_et_al_Persistence_Analysis_10_days_closure.csvPersistence status of waterway sections assuming 20 day closure period for analysis in RSame as colonisation analysis, except occ.relax.F = persistence status (1=remained occupied, 0=abandoned)Morgan_et_al_Persistence_Analysis_20_days_closure.csvPersistence status of waterway sections assuming 30 day closure period for analysis in RSame as colonisation analysis, except occ.relax.F = persistence status (1=remained occupied, 0=abandoned)Morgan_et_al_Persistence_Analysis_30_days_closure.csv