Bryophytes enhance nitrogen content in decaying wood via biological interactions

An increase in the nitrogen (N) content in coarse woody debris (CWD) facilitates its decomposition, affecting the cycling of N and other nutrients in forest ecosystems. Bryophytes may increase the N content by transferring the N in bryophyte tissues to the underlying CWD. This study examined whether and how bryophytes increase N content in the underlying CWD using N-stable isotope ratios (δ15N) as tracers for N sources. The N content and δ15N values in CWD with bryophytes were significantly higher than those in CWD without bryophytes. However, the δ15N values in CWD with bryophytes differed significantly from those in bryophytes on CWD, demonstrating that the N in bryophytes did not cause the increase in N content in CWD. The analyses using δ15N further indicated that the high N content in CWD with bryophytes may be attributed to increased N supply from wood-decomposing fungi and N-fixing bacteria. This increase in N content may result from the enhanced moisture content in CWD beneath b..., The data include three tables: Location and environments of the study plots (Dataset 1), Characteristics of coarse woody debris (CWD) samples and dominant bryophytes on them (Dataset 2), Nitrogen (N) content and stable N isotope ratios of CWD samples and bryophytes (Dataset 3). These data were used in an article titled “Bryophytes enhance nitrogen content in decaying wood via biological interactions,” published in Ecosphere. See the full article for complete methodological details., , Data for the article
“Bryophytes enhance nitrogen content in decaying wood via biological interactions”

by Oishi, Y (2023), *Ecosphere*

Yoshitaka Oishi
Center for Arts and Sciences,
Fukui Prefectural University,

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This folder contains the data (Dataset 1–3) used in the article (Oishi, 2023).
See further information in the associated research article.

The contents of Dataset 1–3 are as follows:

Dataset 1: Location and environments of the study plots

* DBH, tree diameter at breast height

Dataset 2: Characteristics of coarse woody debris (CWD) samples and dominant bryophytes on them

* CWD No, total number of surveyed CWD
Decay stage, decay stages of CWD based on Fukasawa et al. (2009)

* Abbreviations for bryophyte species:

* Aqu pli, *Aquilonium plicatulum*
* Bou mit, *Boulaya mittenii*
* Dic vir, *Dicranum viride* var. *hakkodense*
* Gol rug, *Gollania ruginosa*
* Het nem, *Heterophyllium nemorosum*
* Hyp fuj, *Hypnum fujiyamae*...