10.5061/DRYAD.JS47K
Werner, Earl E.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Davis, Christopher, J.
Skelly, David K.
Yale University
Relyea, Rick A.
University of Pittsburgh
Benard, Michael F.
Case Western Reserve University
McCauley, Shannon J.
University of Toronto
Davis, Christopher J.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Data from: Cross-scale interactions and the distribution-abundance relationship
Dryad
dataset
2015
Western Chorus Frog
Bufo americanus
Notophthalmus viridescens
Rana clamitans
Four-toed Salamander
American Toad
Leopard Frog
amphibian
Pickerel Frog
Hyla versicolor
Hemidactylium scutatum
Blue-spotted Salamander
Pseudacris crucifer
Rana pipiens
Ambystoma laterale
Pseudacris triseriata
Cross-scale interactions
Rana palustris
Spring Peeper
wood frog
Rana sylvatica
metapopulation
Green Frog
Holocene
Rana catesbeiana
gray treefrog
2015-05-06T00:00:00Z
2015-05-06T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097387
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Positive interspecific relationships between local abundance and extent of
regional distribution are among the most ubiquitous patterns in ecology.
Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed, the mechanisms underlying
distribution-abundance (d-a) relationships remain poorly understood. We
examined the intra- and interspecific distribution-abundance relationships
for a metacommunity of 13 amphibian species sampled for 15 consecutive
years. Mean density of larvae in occupied ponds was positively related to
number of ponds occupied by species; employing the fraction of ponds
uniquely available to each species this same relationship sharply
decelerates. The latter relationship suggested that more abundant species
inhabited most available habitats annually, whereas rarer species were
dispersal limited. We inferred the mechanisms responsible for this pattern
based on the dynamics of one species, Pseudacris triseriata, which
transitioned between a rare, narrowly distributed species to a common,
widely distributed species and then back again. Both transitions were
presaged by marked changes in mean local densities driven by climatic
effects on habitat quality. We identified threshold densities separating
these population regime shifts that differed with landscape configuration.
Our data suggest that these transitions were caused by strong cross-scale
interactions between local resource/niche processes and larger scale
metapopulation processes. The patterns we observed have relevance for
understanding the mechanisms of interspecific d-a relationships and
critical thresholds associated with habitat fragmentation.
Amphibian abundance and occupancy dataThese data are the abundance and
occupancy patterns for amphibian species on the ES George Reserve
(Michigan, USA) over multiple
yearsWerner_etal_ESGR_PLOS_data_Files.xlsxAmphibian phylogenyThis is the
amphibian phylogeny used in the independent contrasts
analysis.ESGRAmphibianPhylogeny.nex
North America
Michigan
ES George Reserve