Meta-analysis reveals that vertebrates enhance plant litter decomposition at the global scale

The dataset consists of comprehensive information on litter mass loss, elemental recycling (specifically nitrogen and phosphorus release rates), and associated environmental factors. The data was collected using standardized methods and includes details such as study location coordinates, climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation), ecosystem types (terrestrial and aquatic), study subjects (species identity), litterbag specifics (exclusion method and mesh size), and litter tissue types (woody and non-woody). Missing climatic data were obtained from the WorldClim database. The dataset comprises 1568 sets of pairwise comparisons, with 1060 for plant decomposition, 360 for nitrogen release, and 148 for phosphorus release. This comprehensive dataset serves as a valuable resource for studying litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and the interplay between environmental factors and decomposition processes.