Complete Data and Analysis for: Constraining invader dominance: Effects of repeated herbicidal management and environmental factors on curlyleaf pondweed dynamics in 50 Minnesota lakes

Abstract

Curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) is one of the most widespread and widely managed aquatic invasive plants in North America. Despite decades of management, the efficacy of long-term management strategies and the effects of environmental drivers on curlyleaf pondweed populations remain uncertain. To evaluate the effects of management and environmental factors on within-lake distribution and local density of curlyleaf pondweed, we collated monitoring data from aquatic plant point-intercept surveys collected by a variety of lake managers across Minnesota, USA. The goal of the study was to examine the influence of herbicide treatment, water clarity, snow depth, and ice cover duration on curlyleaf pondweed distribution and density between 2006 and 2015. The data included in this repository includes the complete dataset as a comma-separated-value file and all Program R code necessary to replicate the data processing, analysis, and visualizations used in the study.