This dataset contains the carbon and nitrogen content of soil organic matter fractions collected along grassland-to-forest conversion chronosequences. Four chronosequences of grassland-to-forest conversion were used across Scotland, from Alyth to Craik. Soil samples were collected in summer 2018. Soil samples were collected using soil corers. In 2020, soil samples were fractionated in the laboratory, and the elemental composition of bulk soil and soil fraction samples was determined. The goal of the study was to determine...

This dataset includes values of 15 traits (total dry mass; root length to shoot length ratio; leaf mass fraction; root mass fraction; shoot mass fraction; leaf thickness; leaf force to punch; leaf area to shoot area ratio; leaf concentrations of N, P, K, Ca and Mg; leaf N: P concentration ratio; specific maximum root length) measured in February 2020 on 394 seedlings of 15 woody plant species growing in logged in the Ulu Segama Forest...

This dataset includes records of counts at four censuses between September 2019 and February 2021 of the number of seedlings of woody plants identified to species (or morphospecies) on a total of 207 plots located in either logged forest in the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve or unlogged forest in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Malaysia. These data were collected as part of NERC project “Seeing the fruit for the trees in Borneo: responding to an...

Nitrogen (N), acquired by roots and mycorrhizal fungi and supplied to plant foliage, is a growth-limiting nutrient at the subarctic treeline. Due to this limitation, interspecific competition and acquisition of N is an important control on plant community composition and distribution. The ability of trees and shrubs to access N shapes community dynamics at this ecotone undergoing species range shifts and changes in primary productivity driven by climate change. Using 15N soil labelling, we investigate...

The widespread evolution of tube-like anthers releasing pollen from apical pores is associated with buzz pollination, in which bees vibrate flowers to remove pollen. The mechanical connection among anthers in buzz-pollinated species varies from loosely held conformations, to anthers tightly held together with trichomes or bio-adhesives forming a functionally joined conical structure (anther cone). Joined anther cones in buzz-pollinated species have evolved independently across plant families and via different genetic mechanisms, yet their functional significance...

Many plant species have floral morphologies that restrict access to floral resources, such as pollen or nectar, and only a subset of floral visitors can perform the handling behaviours required to extract restricted resources. Due to the time and energy required to extract resources from morphologically complex flowers, these plant species potentially compete for pollinators with co-flowering plants that have more easily accessible resources. A widespread floral mechanism restricting access to pollen is the presence...

Knowledge about intraspecific and individual variation in bird migration behavior is important to predict spatiotemporal distribution, patterns of phenology, breeding success and interactions with the surrounding environment (e.g., human livelihoods). Such variation is key to adaptive, evolutionary responses, i.e., how individuals respond spatiotemporally to the environment to maximize fitness. In this study we used GPS location data from one to three full annual cycles from 76 Greylag geese Anser anser to test the hypothesis that...

1. Accelerometers in animal-attached tags have proven to be powerful tools in behavioural ecology, being used to determine behaviour and provide proxies for movement-based energy expenditure. Researchers are collecting and archiving data across systems, seasons and device types. However, in order to use data repositories to draw ecological inference, we need to establish the error introduced according to sensor type and position on the study animal and establish protocols for error assessment and minimization. 2....

Populations experiencing varying levels of ionising radiation provide an excellent opportunity to study the fundamental drivers of evolution. Radiation can cause mutations, and thus supply genetic variation; it can also selectively remove individuals that are unable to cope with the physiological stresses associated with radiation exposure, or non-selectively cull swathes of the population, reducing genetic variation. Since the nuclear power plant explosion in 1986, the Chernobyl area has experienced a spatially heterogeneous exposure to varying...

This dataset contains information about water quality based on faecal indicators at 15 lakes in the Greater Glasgow conurbation, Scotland. Lakes were sampled in winter (2016/17) and summer (2017) with faecal indicators being quantified at high spatial resolution (up to 60 points per lake depending on water body size) in sediment and water from each lake. Faecal indicators were quantified based on standard dilution, membrane filtration and incubation for water, and incubation in bacteria-specific broth,...