Peat characteristics, microbial PLFA, and fungal and actinobacterial sequences from Lakkasuo peatland drainage experiment, year 2004

We analysed the response of microbial communities, characterized by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), and fungal and actinobacterial communities, characterized by PCR-DGGE fingerprinting and direct sequencing, to changing hydrological conditions at three different sites in the boreal peatland complex Lakkasuo in southern Finland. Additionally, several peat characteristics were measured. The experimental design involved a short-term (3 years) and a long-term (43 years) water-level drawdown. The sites were, in their undrained state, a herb-rich sedge fen, a sedge fen, and a bog with hummock-lawn-hollow microtopography. Codes are explained in the Notes sheets of the Excel files. The contents of the csv files are identical to the corresponding Excel file data sheets.