<b>The effects, patterns, and predictors of phosphorus addition on terrestrial litter decomposition</b> rraw data.xlsx

Anthropogenic phosphorus (P) input profoundly affects carbon (C) and nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems, which poses a threat to soil health and nutrient sustainability. Litter decomposition is crucial for maintaining soil C and nutrient pools, yet there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the effects of anthropogenic P input on terrestrial litter decomposition.To address this, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 731 observations from 261 field studies to investigate the impact of P addition on litter decomposition. Our analysis revealed that P addition increased the activities of β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) and β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) during decomposition. This increase in enzyme activity accelerated the degradation of lignin and cellulose and the release of litter C and nitrogen (N). Ultimately, this resulted in a 6.42% increase in litter mass loss. The positive effect of P addition on litter mass loss was further amplified when combined with N addition. The effects of P addition on litter decomposition varied depending on P fertilizer type (e.g., Ca(H2PO4)2, NaH2PO4, and KH2PO4), P addition level (e.g., &lt;5, 5-10, and &gt;10 g P m-2 year-1), experimental duration (e.g., &lt;12, 12-24, and &gt;24 months), and ecosystem type. Model selection analysis indicated that soil pH was the primary predictor driving global-scale litter decomposition in response to P addition. In conclusion, P addition overall accelerated litter decomposition due to increased activities of BG and NAG. However, the patterns varied with N availability, P fertilizer type, P addition level, experimental duration, and ecosystem type. Future studies should thus consider the effects, patterns, and drivers of P addition on litter decomposition when guiding sustainable practices in nutrient management.