Data from: What controls forest litter decomposition? A coordinated distributed teabag experiment across ten mountains

Litter decomposition in mountainous forest ecosystems is an essential
process that affects carbon and nutrient cycling. However, the
contribution of litter decomposition to terrestrial ecosystems is
difficult to estimate accurately because of the limited comparability of
different studies and limited data on local microclimatic and non-climatic
factors. Here, we designed a coordinated experiment within subtropical and
tropical forests across ten mountains to evaluate variation in litter
decomposition rates and stabilization. We tested whether elevations, soil
microclimate, soil physiochemistry, tree species diversity, and
microhabitat affect decomposition rates and stabilization by using the Tea
Bag Index as a standardized protocol. We found that the associations of
decomposition rates and stabilization with elevation and each
environmental factor varied between mountains. Elevation significantly
affected decomposition rates and stabilization in the western mountains,
where soil microclimate also played a dominant role due to relatively cold
environments. Across all mountains, decomposition rates decreased while
stabilization increased with increasing elevation. In terms of
microclimate, decomposition rates increased with increasing soil
temperature and temperature variation during the growing season, whereas
stabilization decreased with increasing soil temperature and moisture
variation. In terms of non-climatic factors, decomposition rates increased
with increasing tree species diversity, whereas stabilization decreased
with soil pH and slope. Our findings enhance the general understanding of
how different factors control forest litter decomposition, highlighting
the dominant role of soil microclimate in controlling carbon and nutrient
cycling in cold environments and high elevations.