Data from: Fungi rather than bacteria explain home-field advantage for decomposition of litter carbon fractions

Home-field advantage (HFA) hypothesis proposes that specific interactions
between the litter and microbial communities lead to faster mass loss in
home habitats than in away habitats. However, the effects of HFA on the
decomposition of individual carbon (C) fractions with distinct chemical
structures remain largely unexplored. In particular, it remains unclear to
what extent litter-layer microbial communities–shaped by interactions
between litter and soil microbial communities–drive the fraction-specific
manifestation of HFA during litter C decomposition. In this study, a
480-day reciprocal litter transplant experiment was conducted across
forest and cropland ecosystems. The effect of HFA on the loss of four C
fractions (dissolved organic carbon, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin)
with varying chemical qualities, as well as the role of litter-layer
microbial communities in this process, was assessed using four litter
types: two forest litters (Schima superba and Castanopsis fargesii) and
two cropland litters (Zea mays and Eleusine indica). HFA significantly
accelerated the loss of both total litter mass and individual C fractions,
with particularly strong effects on recalcitrant lignin. Litter-layer
microbial communities were the key drivers of HFA, as microbial community
dissimilarity between the home and away sites showed a significant
negative correlation with HFA for the loss of lignin. Moreover, a higher
abundance of specific fungal taxa at home sites accelerated the C fraction
decomposition, whereas specific bacterial taxa suppressed decomposition.
These findings suggest that HFA differentially affects the decomposition
of individual C fractions, which is likely mediated by specific
litter-layer microbial communities at home sites. Overall, this study
highlights the importance of recalcitrant C substrates and litter-layer
fungal taxa in shaping HFA, thereby providing new insights into the
microbial mechanisms governing litter decomposition in terrestrial
ecosystems.