Presence and absence of butterflies in the Shoshone Mountains and Toiyabe and Toquima ranges, Nevada: 3rd edition

These data document observed presence of butterflies in canyons throughout three mountain ranges in the central Great Basin (Lander and Nye counties, Nevada): the Shoshone Mountains, Toiyabe Range, and Toquima Range. Data were collected from 1995 through 2005, inclusive, and in 2013 and 2014. Records for each year reflect multiple visits (generally 5 or 6) at about 10-14 day intervals from late May or early June through late August or early September. Data include species detected, date, location, abundance, and whether the species is a nonresident, resident, or montane resident.
Data were collected to examine relationships between occurrence or occupancy of butterflies and topography and between occurrence of butterflies and birds. Data also were collected to investigate baseline variation in occurrence of butterflies in space and time. Knowledge of baseline variation informs assessment of possible effects of environmental change, whether natural or anthropogenic.
The first edition of these data was made available on 01/27/2011 (Fleishman [2011]) and the second edition was made available on 11/14/2013 (Fleishman [2013]). The third edition of the data adds 2 more years of data, instances in which a given location was sampled multiple times on a given day (to obtain a detection history), and data on relative abundance of mud puddles and plants that might serve as sources of nectar. Additionally, the metadata were improved. Minor metadata updates on 12/05/2016.