Arthropod abundance across a fire severity gradient beneath potential cover objects throughout the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA 2023-2024.

Data containing field observations of potential Jemez Mountains salamander (JMS; Plethodon neomexicanus) cover objects and characteristics of underlying soils, concurrent with arthropod data collected from pitfall traps beneath selected cover objects in salamander historic habitat located in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico from 2023-2024. We sampled potential salamander prey items beneath potential cover objects and measured abiotic characteristics of likely importance to JMS and soil arthropods. Wildfires in Jemez Mountains salamander historic habitat can affect cover availability, alter soil abiotic factors, and influence prey base. We collected data on the effect of fire severity on salamander potential cover objects with an emphasis on Coleoptera (beetles), a main prey item, across a burn severity gradient. Furthermore, we investigated how cover object characteristics influence arthropod communities by deploying novel pitfall traps beneath potential cover objects. Pitfall traps deployed underneath selected cover objects were re-sampled biweekly across a fire severity gradient of unburned, low, and medium/high severity sites within historic JMS range, throughout two consecutive summer monsoon seasons, when salamanders are likely to be more active on the soil surface This data release includes arthropod data and cover object characteristics collected solely from 2023, including supplementary soil data that was collected in 2024. The data release includes 3 .csv files related to field observations: 1) Potential salamander cover object characteristics including type of cover, cover object size, embeddedness, decay class, canopy cover, soil moisture, soil C:N ratio (cover_object_data.csv), 2) Pitfall trap count data in which arthropods were identified to the coarsest taxonomic unit (varies by taxa; coarse_arthropod_data.csv), 3) Pitfall trap beetle count data identified to the lowest practical taxonomic unit (beetle_lptu_data.csv).