Data compilation of soil respiration, moisture, and temperature measurements from global warming experiments from 1994-2014

This dataset is the largest global dataset to date of soil respiration, moisture, and temperature measurements, totaling >3800 observations representing 27 temperature manipulation studies, spanning nine biomes and nearly two decades of warming experiments. Data for this study were obtained from a combination of unpublished data and published literature values. We find that although warming increases soil respiration rates, there is limited evidence for a shifting respiration response with experimental warming. We also note a universal decline in the temperature sensitivity of respiration at soil temperatures >25°C. This dataset includes 3817 observations, from control (n=1812), first (i.e., lowest or sole) level warming (n=1812), second (higher) level warming (n=179, four studies), and third-level warming (n=14, one study). Experiment locations ranged from 33.5 to 68.4 degrees N latitude and the duration of warming at experiments ranged from <1 to 22 years (average 5.1 years). Depths of soil temperature (1-10 cm) and moisture measurements (5-30) ranged across studies, but were always consistent between warmed and control plots within a particular study. Each site was classified into a particular biome (grassland, northern shrubland (i.e., peatlands and heathlands), southern shrubland (i.e., Mediterranean or sub-tropical shrublands)), tundra, desert, meadow, temperate agriculture, temperate forest and boreal forest) by the associated principal investigator (PI).