Long-term monitoring of small mammals (abundance and distribution) in Doñana Natural Area 2011-2021

Dataset are structured following well-established data formats Darwing Core. Three files are provided. The first file (icts_small_mam_ev_20230515) contains the information of each event (eventID, event date, geographical coordinates, sample effort, etc…). The eventID code has been built with a abbrevation of the plot, subplot, trap (eventRemarks) and eventDate. The information of the treatments applied in the subplots is included in eventRermarks. The second file (Don_small_mam_occ_20230515) contains the information of the occurrences of individuals recorded in each trap, occurrence remarks, ear tag codes of individual captured and its taxonomic classification. The occurrenceID has built with the eventID code plus a number regarding the number of observations recorded for this event.; and the third file (Don_small_mam_mof_20230515) provide information of individual weight captured in the traps. The measurementID has built with the occurrenceID code plus a number regarding the number of measurements recorded for this occurrence.

All the data provided in the dataset by the authors are own data.

To record the abundance, density and distribution of small-mammals in Doñana Natural Area, a protocol of capture-mark and recapture monitoring of individuals is applied using Sherman’s live-traps (https://www.semice.org/es/el-proyecto/; Flowerdew et al. 2004, Torre el al., 2018). Seven localities of Doñana (MANECORRO, MATASGORDAS, MEDIANA, MORO, LORO AND SABINAR) of different mediterranean habitats (grassland, shrubland, pine forest, juniper woodlands and oak forest) have been sampled twice per year (between May-Dec) since 2011. Each locality has been divided in plots and subplots respectively: MANECORRO3 (A, B, C, D), MATASGORDAS3 (B, C, D), MATASGORDAS4 (A), MATASGORDAS5 (A), MEDIANA2 (B, C, D), MEDIANA3 (A, C, D), MORO1 (B, D), MORO2 (A, C), LORO1 (A, B, D), LORO2 (A, B, C), LORO4 (B, C, D), LORO6 (A, C, D), SABINAR1 (A), SABINAR2 (A) and SABINAR3 (A). In each subplot has been placed between 36 traps spaced 15 meters apart covering an area of 0.56 ha. The small mammals species captured have been: white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula, black rat Rattus rattus, garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus, algerian mouse Mus spretus and wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. Traps were installed during the morning and remained active for three consecutive nights. A daily check was made in the morning (a night check is unnecessary since Sherman traps include food, synthetic cotton inside and lined with film to withstand inclement weather). Once captured, individual was identified until species level and sexed when it was posible. Additionally, body mass of indviduals were taken using a pesola with 0.5 g accuracy. To control the recaptures individuals of R. rattus, A. sylvaticus, M. spretus, and E. quercinus were marked with a ear tag. On the other hand, individuals of E. quercinus also was marked with transponder. Individuals of C. russula were marked with hair cut or due to its high metabolism and risk of death was released without performing the procedures at moment. All animals were released in the same place of capture. The trapping method was consistent throughout the study period. The study is divided in two periods (2011-2016 and 2017-2021) with different sampling effort and different treatments applied in the study plots, since the study belong two different projects (ICTS-RBD 2011-2021, LIFE-ADAPTAMED 2017-2021). LORO1 and LORO2 was affected by a wildfire in June of 2017. The different treatments applied in the study area are the followings: 1.- Grazing exclusion using fences. 2.- Planting with protection of heap of branches. 3.- Planting without protection of heap of branches. 4.- Plant with and without protection of heap of branches. 5.- Cutting 60% of vegetation. 6.- Not treatment.

We acknowledge financial support from Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructures from the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry (ICTS-MICINN); the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development from the Regional Government of Andalusia (CAGPDES-JA) since 2011; the Doñana Biological Station from the Spanish National Research Council (EBD-CSIC) since all the study period (2011); the Ministry of Environmetal sustainability and blue economy from the Regional Goverment of Andalusia since 2017 with the LIFE-ADAPTAMED project,; Ministry of Science and Innovation (Recovery, Transformation and Resilence Plan); and the European Comision with the Long-term Ecosystem Research in Europe (eLTER) (a HORIZON funding coordination of the European funding programme for research and innovation) and NextGenerationEU funding.

1.icts-rbd_smallma_ev_20230515: institutionCode, institutionID, datasetName, eventID, year, month, day, eventDate, continent, country, stateProvince, county, locality, decimalLatitude, decimalLongitude, habitat, eventRemarks, sampleSizeValue, samplingSizeUnit, samplingEffort, samplingProtocol.-- 2. icts-rbd_smallma_occ_20230515: eventID, occurrenceID, occurrenceRemarks, basisOfRecord, individualCount, sex, lifeStage, kingdom, class, family, genus, specificEpithet, scientificName, scientificNameAuthorship, dynamicProperties, recordedBy.-- 3. icts-rbd_smallma_mof_20230515: occurrenceID, measurementID, measurementValue, measurementUnit, measurementType, measurementMethod.

Peer reviewed