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Metadata for 'Data from: Landscape-scale drivers of insect pest regulation in sugar beet'
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Creator: 		Fabian A. Boetzl, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (ORCID: 0000-0001-5121-3370)
Date of creation:	25.09.2025
Dataset DOI: 		https://doi.org/10.5878/r2ak-sf73 


DESCRIPTION:
 
We studied the effects of different landscape parameters at three spatial scales on the densities of and damage caused by five major insect pests of sugar beet in 134 sugar beet fields monitored across five years in Denmark and Sweden. 
The landscape parameters investigated include the cover of cropland as measure of landscape simplification, the absolute inter-annual change in host crop cover (sugar beet), the landscape-level crop diversity in the previous year and the edge-density in the surrounding landscapes. The pests were monitored in a standardised monitoring scheme with one observation plot in each field and the respective values represent the maximum observed densities or damage at economically relevant development stages (see detailed description below). Pest densities and damage were recorded in five clusters of five plants selected at random within the observation plot avoiding plot edges and tractor tracks. Landscape parameters were extracted from the official land-use maps provided by the Danish Agricultural Agency (Landbrugsstyrelsen, 2024. Internet Markkort (IMK). Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri, København; avialable under: https://miljoegis.mim.dk/spatialmap?profile=jordbrugsanalyse) and the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket, 2024. Kartor och Geografiska informationssystem - Årslager skiftesdata. Jordbruksverket; available under: https://jordbruksverket.se/e-tjanster-databaser-och-appar/e-tjanster-och-databaser-stod/kartor-och-gis) at three buffer radii (500 m, 1000 m and 2000 m) around the centre of the observation plots. For further information, see methods in the publication Boetzl et al. (2026) Landscape-scale drivers of insect pest regulation in sugar beet. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.

The data in the 'sugarbeet_pests_data.csv' file have information on the prevalence and damage caused by five major sugar beet pests (black bean aphid, pygmy mangold beetle, flea beetles, beet leafminers and thrips) at the respective economically relevant sugar beet growth stages recorded in 134 fields ('ID') in Denmark and Sweden as well as landscape parameters in the landscapes surrounding these fields at three spatial scales (500 m, 1000 m and 2000 m). 135 rows. 'NA' indicates missing values. 



ID: 						ID of the sampled field, combination of 'country', 'year' and a consecutive number within the given year

country: 					country of the respective field (2 levels; 'Denmark' & 'Sweden')

year:						year the sampling was conducted (5 levels: '2019', '2020', '2021', '2022', '2023')

field_size_ha:					area of the monitored field [ha]

cropland_study_500_prop:			cropland cover in the respective year in a buffer radius of 500 m around the monitoring plot [proportion]

cropland_study_1000_prop:			cropland cover in the respective year in a buffer radius of 1000 m around the monitoring plot [proportion]

cropland_study_2000_prop:			cropland cover in the respective year in a buffer radius of 2000 m around the monitoring plot [proportion]

beet_change_500_percentage_points:		inter-annual change of sugar beet cover (proportion study year - proportion previous year) in a buffer radius of 500 m around the monitoring plot

beet_change_1000_percentage_points:		inter-annual change of sugar beet cover (proportion study year - proportion previous year) in a buffer radius of 1000 m around the monitoring plot

beet_change_2000_percentage_points:		inter-annual change of sugar beet cover (proportion study year - proportion previous year) in a buffer radius of 2000 m around the monitoring plot

crop_diversity_previous_500_shannon:		Shannon crop diversity in a buffer radius of 500 m around the monitoring plot in the preceding year [unitless]

crop_diversity_previous_1000_shannon:		Shannon crop diversity in a buffer radius of 1000 m around the monitoring plot in the preceding year [unitless]

crop_diversity_previous_2000_shannon:		Shannon crop diversity in a buffer radius of 2000 m around the monitoring plot in the preceding year [unitless]

edge_length_study_500_m:			total edge length in a buffer radius of 500 m around the monitoring plot in the study year [m]

edge_length_study_1000_m:			total edge length in a buffer radius of 1000 m around the monitoring plot in the study year [m]

edge_length_study_2000_m:			total edge length in a buffer radius of 2000 m around the monitoring plot in the study year [m]

bean_aphid_plants_with_colonies:		plants with colonies of the black bean aphid out of 25 plants monitored; maximum value after week 22 [percent]

week_of_max_bean_aphid_plants_with_colonies: 	week of maximum value of plants with black bean aphid colonies

BBCH_of_max_bean_aphid_plants_with_colonies:	crop growth stage at maximum value of plants with black bean aphid colonies; for an explanation and illustration of crop growth stages see Enz, M., and C. Dachler. 1997. Compendium of 						Growth Stage Identification Keys for Mono- and Dicotyledonous Plants. Extended BBCH scale. 2nd Edition. Pages 1-131. BBA, BSA, IGZ, IVA, AgrEvo, BASF, Bayer & Novartis. 

pygmy_mangold_beetle_damage:			plants with pygmy mangold beetle damage; maximum value before crop stage 15 [percent]

week_of_max_pygmy_mangold_beetle_damage:	week of maximum value of plants with pygmy mangold beetle damage

BBCH_of_max_pygmy_mangold_beetle_damage:	crop growth stage at maximum value of plants with pygmy mangold beetle damage; for an explanation and illustration of crop growth stages see Enz, M., and C. Dachler. 1997. Compendium of 						Growth Stage Identification Keys for Mono- and Dicotyledonous Plants. Extended BBCH scale. 2nd Edition. Pages 1-131. BBA, BSA, IGZ, IVA, AgrEvo, BASF, Bayer & Novartis.

flea_beetle_damage:				plants with flea beetle damage; maximum value before crop stage 15 [percent]

week_of_max_flea_beetle_damage:			week of maximum value of plants with flea beetle damage

BBCH_of_max_flea_beetle_damage:			crop growth stage at maximum value of plants with flea beetle damage; for an explanation and illustration of crop growth stages see Enz, M., and C. Dachler. 1997. Compendium of 							Growth Stage Identification Keys for Mono- and Dicotyledonous Plants. Extended BBCH scale. 2nd Edition. Pages 1-131. BBA, BSA, IGZ, IVA, AgrEvo, BASF, Bayer & Novartis.

beet_minerfly_damage:				plants with eggs of beet leafminers; maximum value before crop stage 19 [percent]

week_of_max_beet_minerfly_damage:		week of maximum value of plants with eggs of beet leafminers

BBCH_of_max_beet_minerfly_damage:		crop growth stage at maximum value of plants with eggs of beet leafminers; for an explanation and illustration of crop growth stages see Enz, M., and C. Dachler. 1997. Compendium of 							Growth Stage Identification Keys for Mono- and Dicotyledonous Plants. Extended BBCH scale. 2nd Edition. Pages 1-131. BBA, BSA, IGZ, IVA, AgrEvo, BASF, Bayer & Novartis.

thrips_damage:					plants with thrips damage; maximum value before crop stage 15 [percent]

week_of_max_thrips_damage:			week of maximum value of plants with thrips damage

BBCH_of_max_thrips_damage:			crop growth stage at maximum value of plants with thrips damage; for an explanation and illustration of crop growth stages see Enz, M., and C. Dachler. 1997. Compendium of 								Growth Stage Identification Keys for Mono- and Dicotyledonous Plants. Extended BBCH scale. 2nd Edition. Pages 1-131. BBA, BSA, IGZ, IVA, AgrEvo, BASF, Bayer & Novartis.








