Root-associated and soil bacterial and fungal communities (metabarcoding), their functional genes (metagenomics), root-symbiont colonization, and tea bag decomposition under widespread tree species across a European latitudinal gradient

This is a large-scale field study dataset of 16S and ITS2 DNA meta-barcoding of soil and root-associated bacteria and fungi together with their functional genes (shotgun metagenomics) from the root-associated and soil microbiomes, and additionally tea bag decomposition and the root colonization rates (microscopy) by ectomycorrhizal, arbuscular mycorrhizal, and dark septate endophytic fungi on forest trees from 3 different broadleaf genera (Alnus, Betula, and Sorbus) from 18 forest sites across a European latitudinal gradient. The included environmental metadata contains information on measured soil properties, vegetation, geography, and climate. Individual tree samples per tree species per site were collected 10 m apart, and for metagenomic data these samples were pooled to tree species per site.