Dataset for the paper "Litter carbon release and sink show contrasting trends to water availability across Chinese forests"

This dataset contains five folders supporting the analysis of litter carbon dynamics across Chinese forest ecosystems, as detailed in the main manuscript. The contents are organized as follows: (1) Modeled Decomposition Rates (RF Estimations), spatial predictions of litter carbon decomposition rates using a Random Forest (RF) model trained on field observations and environmental predictors; (2) Coefficient of Variation (CV) of Decomposition Rates, pixel-level coefficient of variation (CV) derived from the 100 RF model iterations, indicating the uncertainty in annual decomposition rate predictions; (3) Litter Carbon Productivity, data derived from Zhao et al. (2022, Science of the Total Environment, 821:153402), who estimated litterfall and forest carbon turnover using a data-driven approach. Based on the same dataset, predictor variables, and model parameters provided in their study, we conducted 100 independent iterations to generate robust estimates of litter carbon productivity. (4)Litter Carbon Release, annual carbon release from decomposing litter, calculated by combining modeled decomposition rates with litter carbon productivity. See Section 2.5 in the main text for details; (5) Net Litter Carbon Sink, net litter carbon sink estimates, calculated as the difference between litter carbon productivity and carbon release. See Section 2.5 in the main text for methodological details.