--- BACKGROUND --- This README file was generated on 2025-01-08 and is associated with the following entry in the Swedish National Data Service’s (SND) online resources (https://snd.se; SND-ID: 2024-610), hereafter referred to as the ‘online resource’: - Bårdsen, B.-J., Tømmervik, H., Næss, M. W., & Bjerke, J. W. (2025). Data and R-scripts for: “Misreading or living in denial? Reindeer Overstocking and long-term effects on vegetation – an experimental approach” (Version 1) [Data set]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5878/tkv6-jp59. If you choose to use the uploaded data, we would appreciate the following: 1) We strongly encourage users to review the documentation before using this dataset. We view familiarising yourself with the study design, data collection methods, potential limitations, and context as essential to using this data. 2) Please acknowledge the persons who contributed to the data collection: Hans Tømmervik (who also designed and initiated the study), Jarle Werner Bjerke, Bernt Johansen, Corine Davids, Eldar Gaare, Askild Solberg, Gøsta Hansson, Stein-Rune Karlsen and Máaret J. Haetta. 3) Please cite us as described in the ‘Recommended Citation’ below. --- GENERAL INFORMATION --- --> Time of data collection <-- 1998, 2005, 2010, 2013, and 2018. --> Geographic location of data collection <-- The range for the bounding box for the convex hull for the positions with an added buffer of 10 km: 68.650-69.906 (Latitude); 22.389-25.504 (Longitude). The study area is in Finnmark (County), Northern Norway. --> Information about funding sources that supported the data collection <-- Details are provided under “Funding Information” in the online resource (and in the published article). --- SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION --- --> Licenses/restrictions placed on the data <-- Details are provided under “License” in the online resource. --> Links to publications that cite or use the data <-- Details are provided under “Publications and Relations” in the online resource. --> Recommended citation for this dataset <-- The online resource: - Bårdsen, B.-J., Tømmervik, H., Næss, M. W., & Bjerke, J. W. (2025). Data and R-scripts for: “Misreading or living in denial? Reindeer Overstocking and long-term effects on vegetation – an experimental approach” (Version 1) [Data set]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5878/tkv6-jp59. The scientific publication: - Bårdsen, B.-J., Tømmervik, H., Næss, M. W., & Bjerke, J. W. (2025). Misreading or living in denial? Reindeer overstocking and long-term effects on vegetation – an experimental approach”. Ecosphere. --- DATA & FILE OVERVIEW --- --> File List <-- All files are included in one compressed file (‘ToBePublished.zip’): - ‘dataManip_DensAverage5yr’, which is a directory containing ‘data.Manip.xlsx’ and ‘data.Manip.RDATA’ (i.e., the data used as input in the analyses). - ‘AnalysesExperiment.R’, the R-script for running the analyses. - ‘AnalysesExperiment_DensAverage5yr’, which contains the output from the script (see ‘AnalysesExperiment.R’ and below for details). - ‘AreaBuffer.GeoJSON’, a spatial polygon defining our study area. - ‘HelperFunctions.R’, R-script with functions used in ‘AnalysesExperiment.R’ (e.g., to plot the results from the Principal Component Analysis). --> Relationship between files, if important <-- The R-script for the analyses depends on the ‘data.Manip.RDATA’ file in The ‘dataManip_DensAverage5yr’ directory and ‘HelperFunctions.R’ (see script file for details). --> Additional related data collected that was not included in the current data package <-- The data on reindeer numbers and area sizes are dependent on official statistics published by the Norwegian Agriculture Agency's Reindeer Division. These data form the basis for calculating our study's reindeer densities (district-level; details provided in the published article). --- METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION --- --> Description of methods used for collection/generation of data <-- Further details are provided in “Data Collection” in the online resource and in Bårdsen et al. (2025; see above for bibliographic information). --> Methods for processing the data <-- Details are provided in Bårdsen et al. (2025). --> Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data <-- The file ‘SessionInfo.txt’ in the output directory provides details regarding the software used and the required packages (versions, platforms, operating systems, etc.) used in our analyses. --> Environmental/experimental conditions <-- Fencing (manipulation), otherwise natural conditions: details provided in Bårdsen et al. 2025 (bibliographic information provided above). --> Describe any quality-assurance procedures performed on the data <-- Peer-review of the scientific article linked to the data. --> People involved with sample collection, processing, analysis and/or submission <-- Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen*, Hans Tømmervik*, Marius Warg Næss**, & Jarle Werner Bjerke*. *Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway. **Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), High North Department, Fram Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway. --- DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: ‘dataManip_DensAverage5yr’ (‘dataManip.xlsx’ and ‘dataManip.RDATA’) --- --> Number of variables <-- Referring to either a sheet in the file ‘dataManip.xlsx’ or an object in the file ‘dataManip.RDATA’: - 19 in ‘dataManip’ (used in the primary analyses). - 15 in ‘data.init’ (used in the analyses of initial conditions). - three in ‘data.ReinDens’ (used in the analyses of temporal variability of reindeer density). - two in ‘Metadata’. --> Number of cases/rows <-- Referring to either a sheet in the file ‘dataManip.xlsx’ or an object in the file ‘dataManip.RDATA’ (excluding header rows): - 488 in ‘dataManip’ (used in the primary analyses). - 122 in ‘data.init’ (used in the analyses of initial conditions). - 26 in ‘data.ReinDens’ (used in the analyses of temporal variability of reindeer density). - 16 in ‘Metadata’. --> Metadata (Variable List) <-- Provided as ‘Metadata’ either as a separate sheet in ‘dataManip.xlsx’ or as an object in ‘dataManip.RDATA’. This consists of a table where each variable is described. These data are thus available in two formats – one accessible to view (in Excel or other spreadsheet software) and one easy to import in the software R for further analyses and plotting. --> Missing data codes <-- ‘NA’ (‘dataManip.RDATA’) or ‘empty cells’ (‘dataManip.xlsx’). --> Specialized formats or other abbreviations used <-- Not relevant. --- DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: ‘AnalysesExperiment.R’ (including the files in the ‘AnalysesExperiment_DensAverage5yr’ directory) --- --> Number of variables <-- Not relevant as this is an R-script file. --> Number of cases/rows <-- Not relevant. --> Metadata (Variable List) <-- This script requires the data in the directory ‘dataManip_DensAverage5yr’ (‘dataManip.RDATA’). The output from this script is stored in the ‘AnalysesExperiment_DensAverage5yr’ directory. Details regarding the files in this directory are explained at the beginning of the script (under the heading “NOTES ON THE USE OF THE SCRIPT”. If our use of Norwegian characters causes issues, please try to run 'Sys.setlocale(category="LC_ALL", locale= "Norwegian_Norway.1252")' (tested on Windows), 'Sys.setlocale(category = "LC_CTYPE", locale = "nb_NO.UTF-8")' (tested on Windows but should work on Mac and Linux), or 'Sys.setlocale("LC_CTYPE", "C")' (tested on Windows) before running the script. --> Missing data codes <-- Not relevant. --> Specialized formats or other abbreviations used <-- Not relevant. --- DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: ‘AreaBuffer.GeoJSON’ --- --> Number of variables <-- Not relevant as this is a spatial polygon (one name: ‘AreaBuffer’). --> Number of cases/rows <-- Not relevant. --> Metadata (Variable List) <-- This is the polygon shown on the map in the online resource (“Geometries”). The polygon represents the convex hull for the positions of our field sites with an added buffer of 10 km. This file is only meant to place the study area objectively on a map and contains no positions for the plots used in the study. --> Missing data codes <-- Not relevant. --> Specialized formats or other abbreviations used <-- This file uses the EPSG:4326 projection, is in GeoJSON format, and contains a 'FeatureCollection' data type.