Data and code for "Spatial clustering of termites but not fungi drive global wood decay patterns"

Organisms self-organize into spatial patterns that determines ecosystem functioning1,2, ranging from clustering with higher functions in neighboring patches to overdispersion with disjunct hotspots of functions. Termites and fungi are key decomposers of deadwood globally3,4and their activities are spatially self-organized5,6. However, it remains unknown how decomposers’ spatial self-organization influences wood decomposition and its sensitivity to climate and human footprint7–9. By reanalyzing a global dataset4, we show that increasing termite occupancy – driven by temperature and precipitation seasonality – cause clustered patterns of decomposition rates, while increasing fungal occupancy – driven by precipitation and temperature – cause overdispersed patterns. Although climate poses stronger effects on decomposers’ spatial occupancy, human footprint promotes overdispersed patterns of decomposition via decreasing termite occupancy. Notably, clustered patterns by termites increase ecosystem-level decomposition rates via improving the per capita effect of termite occupancy, with the relative contribution (R2 = 8~18%) comparable to termite occupancy (13~18%) and temperature (18~19%). Overdispersed patterns by fungi lower the efficiency of fungal wood decay at ecosystem-scale. Our study alerts that anthropogenic pressures decelerate wood decomposition via disrupting the self-organization of termites. Since precipitation seasonality amplifies as the Earth warms up10, wood decomposition will be driven by both the range expansion4and clustered activities of termites.