Tree diversity effects on litter decomposition are mediated by litterfall and microbial processes

Forest ecosystems are critical for their carbon sequestration potential. Increasing tree diversity was shown to enhance both forest productivity and litter decomposition. Litter diversity increases litter decomposability by increasing the diversity of substrates offered to decomposers. However, the relative importance of litter decomposability and decomposer community in mediating tree diversity effects on decomposition remains unknown. Moreover, tree diversity modulation of litterfall spatial distribution, consequently, litter decomposition has rarely been tested. We studied tree diversity effects on leaf litter decomposition and its mediation by the amount of litterfall, litter species richness and decomposability, and soil microorganisms in a large-scale tree diversity experiment in subtropical China. Furthermore, we examined how litter functional identity and diversity affect leaf litter decomposability. Finally, we tested how leaf functional traits, tree biomass, and forest spatial..., Cf. Joined paper
Study site
The study site is located in south-east China near the town of Xingangshan (Jiangxi province, 29.08-29.11° N, 117.90-117.93° E). Our experimental site is part of the BEF-China experiment (Site A, Bruelheide et al., 2014), which was planted in 2009 after a clear-cut of the previous commercial plantations. The region is characterized by a subtropical climate with warm, rainy summers and cool, dry winters with a mean annual temperature of 16.7 °C and a mean annual rainfall of 1.8 mm (Yang et al., 2013). Soils in the region are Cambisols and Cambisol derivatives, with Regosol on ridges and crests (Geißler et al., 2012; Scholten et al., 2017). The natural vegetation consists of species-rich broad-leaved forests dominated by Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Castanopsis eyrei, Daphniphyllum oldhamii, and Lithocarpus glaber (Bruelheide et al., 2011, 2014).
Study design
To identify the effect of tree spatial organization on litterfall distribution and decomposition, we measure..., , # Tree diversity effects on litter decomposition are mediated by litterfall and microbial processes - DATA

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Three main dataset used for the analyses in the article \"Tree diversity effects on litter decomposition are mediated by litterfall and microbial processes\" published in Oikos

Related article DOI: 10.1111/oik.09751
Analyses scripts release: 10.5281/zenodo.8039140

## Description of the data and file structure

Three datasets are present in this release related to the three main analyses of the manuscript. The columns description can be found in the analyses scripts. In short:

* df.csv: experimental data measured to test the effect of tree species richness on litter production and decomposition

$ TSP : (chr) Sampling point ID
$ C.loss_Mi1 : (num) Carbon total decomposition (% of Closs) measured at the sampling point
$ C.loss_Ma1 : (num) Nitrogen total decomposition (% of Nloss) measured at the sampling point
$ N.loss_Mi1 : (num) Carbon microb...