Data from: Will climate change cause the global peatland to expand or contract? Evidence from the habitat shift pattern of Sphagnum mosses

<p><span>Peatlands play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. <em>Sphagnum</em></span><span> mosses (</span><span>peat mosses) are considered to be the peatland ecosystem engineers and contribute to the carbon accumulation in the peatland ecosystems. As cold-adapted species, the dominance of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses in peatlands will be threatened by climate warming. The response of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses to climate change is closely related to the future trajectory of carbon fluxes in peatlands. However, the impact of climate change on the habitat suitability of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses on a global scale is poorly understood. To predict the potential impact of climate change on the global distribution of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses, we used the MaxEnt model to predict the potential geographic distribution of six <em>Sphagnum</em> species that dominate peatlands in the future (2050 and 2070) under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5). The results show that the mean temperature of the coldest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, and topsoil calcium carbonate are the main factors affecting the habitat availability of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses. As the climate warms,<em> Sphagnum</em> mosses tend to migrate northward. The suitable habitat and abundance of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses increase extensively in the high-latitude boreal peatland (north of 50° N) and decrease on a large scale beyond the high-latitude boreal peatland. The southern edge of boreal peatlands would experience the greatest decline in the suitable habitat and richness of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses with the temperature rising, and would be a risk area for the transition from carbon sink to carbon source. The spatial-temporal pattern changes of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses simulated in this study provide a reference for the development of management and conservation strategies for <em>Sphagnum</em> bogs.</span></p>