Resolving the intricate role of climate in litter decomposition

Abstract

This study explores the relative importance of the putative plant litter decomposition drivers using a network of 194 mature forest plots, varying in tree species composition, at European scale (FunDivEUROPE exploratory platform). We explored the control of these drivers through three complementary decomposition experiments. In a first experiment, we measured the realistic decomposition with naturally occurring leaf litter that matched tree species richness and composition of the different plots within each region. In a second experiment, we measured the decomposition environment with two standard materials (paper sheets and wood sticks) in all plots of variable species composition within all six regions. In a third experiment, we measured the decomposability of all naturally-occurring leaf litter combinations found along the climatic and vegetation gradients by measuring their decomposition in a common garden where none of the litter types occurred naturally (Fig. 1). This dataset contains information on the sites, the decomposition rates from the different experiments, as well as indices of climate, soil and litter characteristics.