Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
77
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
77 results for “leaf decomposition”
Data from: Nutrient scarcity strengthens soil fauna control over leaf litter decomposition in tropical rainforests
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data for: Decomposability of leaf and wood litter are not correlated across species: Effects of litter traits on decomposition in field and laboratory conditions
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Quantifying the factors affecting leaf litter decomposition across a tropical forest disturbance gradient
Deforestation and forest degradation are driving unprecedented declines in biodiversity across the tropics, and understanding the consequences of these changes for ecosystem functioning is essential for human well-being. Forest degradation and loss alter ecosystem functioning through changes in species composition and abiotic conditions. However, the consequences of these changes for heterospecific processes are often poorly understood. Leaf litter decomposition is a major source of atmospheric carbon and critical for carbon and nutrient cycling. Through a highly replicated litter-bag experiment (3360 bags), we quantified the effects of litter quality, decomposer functional diversity and seasonal precipitation regime on litter decomposition along a tropical disturbance gradient in SW China. In addition, using soil and litter from sites selected from across the disturbance gradient, we established replicated litter-bed treatments and exposed these to a gradient of simulated canopy cover in a shade-house. Across the landscape, mass loss from litter-bags after 12 months varied from 7% to 98%. Even after 12 months, litter-bags installed at the beginning of the dry season had much lower mass loss than those installed at the beginning of the wet season. As expected, litter quality and faunal exclusion had substantial effects on decomposition rates. Decomposition rates declined along the disturbance gradient from mature forest, through regenerating forest to open land, although the effect size was strongly dependent on installation season. The effect of excluding meso- and macro-invertebrates increased with increasing forest degradation, whereas the effect of litter quality declined. Results from the shade-house experiment strongly suggested that forest degradation effects were driven predominantly by changes in micro-climatic conditions resulting from increased canopy openness. To better model the impacts of anthropogenic global change on litter decomposition rates, it will be important to consider landscape scale processes, such as forest degradation.
Data from: Traits including leaf dry matter content and leaf pH dominate over forest soil pH as drivers of litter decomposition among 60 species
1. Soil pH varies by several units among ecosystems. While soil pH is known to be a key driver of plant species composition, we still have a poor understanding of how it affects carbon cycling processes. For instance, soil pH, or its associated chemistry in terms of base cations and organic acids, may affect decomposition rates of dead matter directly, by controlling decomposer composition and activity, and indirectly, by controlling the traits of the plant species and thereby the afterlife effects of those traits on litter decomposition. Leaf and litter pH may play a role in this control. Based on the very limited empirical data available, we hypothesized that variation in species traits including leaf (litter) pH, within and between ecosystems contrasting in soil pH, would have stronger effects on leaf litter decomposition rates than variation in soil chemistry would. 2. We tested this hypothesis by carrying out a 'common garden' litterbed experiment in subtropical SW China, in which leaf litters of the 30 predominant plant species from mid-successional forest on acidic sandstone (soil pH around 4.0) and calcareous soil (pH around 7.5) respectively, were incubated and their decomposition rates measured over two harvests in fourteen months, both in soil plus litter matrix from their 'home' forest and in those from the "away" forest. 3. We found that leaf (litter) trait variation among species and plant functional types, headed by species' dry matter content but also including tissue pH, was the strongest driver of variation in leaf litter decomposition rates. Surprisingly however, while these effects of interspecific trait variation were very strong among species from the same site, there was no overall difference in litter decomposability between the species from the acidic versus calcareous site. Equally surprising was that this strong difference in pH of soil substrate plus litter matrix from an acidic sandstone site versus a calcareous karst site did not directly affect leaf litter decomposition rates across a given species set. 4. This first attempt to disentangle the multiple potential direct and indirect ways in which soil and leaf (litter) acidity might be related to litter decomposition rates, has important implications for our understanding of soil-plant feedbacks. Based on our forest-based study, we predict that soil-plant feedbacks via acidity are unlikely to be strong in ecosystems with wide-ranging species in terms of their leaf functional traits, including leaf pH.
Evaluating the roles of microbial functional breadth and home-field advantage in leaf litter decomposition
<p><span>Soil biota are increasingly recognized as a primary control on litter decomposition at both local and regional scales, but the precise mechanisms by which biota influence litter decomposition have yet to be identified.</span></p> <p><br><span>There are multiple hypothesized mechanisms by which biotic communities may influence litter decomposition – for example, decomposer communities may be specially adapted to local litter inputs and therefore decompose litter from their home ecosystem at elevated rates. This mechanism is known as the home-field advantage (HFA) hypothesis. Alternatively, litter decomposition rates may simply depend upon the range of metabolic functions present within a decomposer community. This mechanism is known as the functional breadth (FB) hypothesis. However, the relative importance of HFA and FB in litter decomposition are unknown, as are the microbial community drivers of HFA and FB. Potential relationships/tradeoffs between microbial HFA and FB are also unknown.</span></p> <p><br><span>To investigate the roles of HFA and FB in litter decomposition, we collected litter and soil from six different ecosystems across the continental US and conducted a full factorial litter × soil inoculum experiment. We measured litter decomposition (i.e., cumulative CO2-C respired) over 150 days and used an analytical model to calculate the HFA and FB of each microbial decomposer community.</span></p> <p><br><span> Our results indicated clear functional differences among decomposer communities, i.e., litter sources were decomposed differently by different decomposer communities. These differences were primarily due to differences in FB between different communities, while HFA effects were less evident.</span></p> <p><br><span>We observed a positive relationship between HFA and the disturbance-sensitive bacterial phylum Verruomicrobia, suggesting that HFA may be an important mechanism in undisturbed environments. We also observed a negative relationship between bacterial r vs. K strategists and FB, suggesting an important link between microbial life history strategies and litter decomposition functions.</span></p> <p><br><span>Microbial FB and HFA exhibited a strong unimodal relationship, where high HFA was observed at intermediate FB values, while low HFA was associated with both low and high FB. This suggests that adaptation of decomposers to local plant inputs (i.e., high HFA) constrains FB, which requires broad rather than specialized functionality. Further, this relationship suggests that HFA effects will not be apparent when communities exhibit high FB and therefore decompose all litters well and also when FB is low and communities decompose all litters poorly. Overall, our study provides new insights into the mechanisms by which microbial communities influence the decomposition of leaf litter.</span></p>
Changes in leaf litter decomposition of primary Korean pine forests after degradation succession into secondary broad-leaved forests
<p>Forest degradation succession often leads to changes in forest ecosystem functioning. Exactly how the decomposition of leaf litter is affected in a disturbed forest remains unknown. Therefore, in our study, we selected a primary Korean pine forest (PK) and a secondary broad-leaved forest (SF) affected by clear-cutting degradation, both in Northeast China. The aim was to explore the response to changes in the leaf litter decomposition converting PK to SF. The mixed litters of PK and SF were decomposed in situ (one year). The proportion of remaining litter mass, main chemistry, and soil biotic and abiotic factors were assessed during decomposition and then we made an in-depth analysis of the changes in the leaf litter decomposition. According to our results, leaf litter decomposition rate was significantly higher in the PK than that in the SF. Overall, the remaining percent mass of leaf litter's main chemical quality in SF was higher than in PK, indicating that leaf litter chemical turnover in PK was relatively faster. PK had a significantly higher amount of total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) than SF during decomposition. Based on multivariate regression trees, the forest type influenced the soil habitat factors related to leaf litter decomposition more than decomposition time. Structural equation modeling revealed that litter N was strongly and positively affecting litter decomposition, and the changes in actinomycetes PLFA biomass played a more important role among all the functional groups. Selected soil abiotic factors were indirectly driving litter decomposition through coupling with actinomycetes. This study provides evidence for the complex interactions between leaf litter substrate and soil physical-chemical properties in affecting litter decomposition via soil microorganisms.</p>
Data from: Inorganic fungicides as routinely applied in organic and conventional agriculture can increase palatability but reduce microbial decomposition of leaf litter
1. The application of fungicides is considered an indispensable measure to secure crop production. These substances, however, may unintentionally enter surface waters via runoff, potentially affecting the microbial community. To assess such risks adequately, authorities recently called for suitable test designs involving relevant aquatic microorganisms. 2. We assessed the structural and functional responses of leaf-associated microbial communities, which play a key role in the breakdown of allochthonous leaf material in streams, towards the inorganic fungicides copper (Cu) and elemental sulphur (S). These substances are of particular interest as they are authorized for both conventional and organic farming in many countries of the world. We used the food-choice of the amphipod shredder Gammarus fossarum (indicative for microorganism-mediated leaf palatability) as well as microbial leaf decomposition as functional endpoints. Moreover, the leaf-associated microbial communities were characterized by means of bacterial density, fungal biomass and community composition facilitating mechanistic understanding of the observed functional effects. 3. While Gammarus preferred Cu-exposed leaves over unexposed ones, microbial leaf decomposition was reduced by both Cu and S (up to 30%). Furthermore, Cu-exposure decreased bacterial densities (up to 60%), stimulated the growth of leaf-associated fungi (up to 100%) and altered fungal community composition, while S did not affect any of the assessed structural endpoints. 4. Synthesis and applications. We observed both structural and functional changes in leaf-associated microbial communities at inorganic fungicide concentrations realistic for surface water bodies influenced by conventional and organic farming. Our data hence justify a careful re-evaluation of the environmental safety of the agricultural use of these compounds. Moreover, inclusion of an experimental design similar to the one used in the present study in lower-tier environmental risk assessments of antimicrobial compounds may aid to safeguard the integrity of aquatic microbial communities and the functions they provide.
Figure 2 from: Wood C, Schlindwein C, Soares G, Araujo P (2012) Feeding rates of Balloniscus sellowii (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea): the effect of leaf litter decomposition and its relation to the phenolic and flavonoid content. ZooKeys 176: 231-245. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.176.1940
Figure 2 - Total phenolic and flavonoid content and estimated amount of total phenolics and flavonoids ingested by Balloniscus sellowii on leaves of Schinus terebinthifolius for different stages of decomposition. The values are mg of equivalent of quercetin(flavonoid) or tannic acid (phenolic) per mg of dry leaf ± SE. Superscript letters indicatesignificant differences among treatments (p < 0.05).
Figure 1 from: Wood C, Schlindwein C, Soares G, Araujo P (2012) Feeding rates of Balloniscus sellowii (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea): the effect of leaf litter decomposition and its relation to the phenolic and flavonoid content. ZooKeys 176: 231-245. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.176.1940
Figure 1 - Isopod feeding rates on leaves of Lithraea brasiliensis (n = 10), Ricinus communis (n = 9), and Schinus terebinthifolius (n = 10) with 14 days of decomposition and respective phenolic content (standard error was not calculated due to the low amount of leaf remains for chemical analysis). Egestion and assimilation rate could not be calculated for Ricinus communis (low amount of fecal pellets). The values are mean and SE. Superscript letters indicate significant difference among treatments (p < 0.05).
Data from: Inorganic fungicides as routinely applied in organic and conventional agriculture can increase palatability but reduce microbial decomposition of leaf litter
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Traits including leaf dry matter content and leaf pH dominate over forest soil pH as drivers of litter decomposition among 60 species
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Evaluating the roles of microbial functional breadth and home-field advantage in leaf litter decomposition
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Quantifying the factors affecting leaf litter decomposition across a tropical forest disturbance gradient
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Changes in leaf litter decomposition of primary Korean pine forests after degradation succession into secondary broad-leaved forests
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Exotic or not, leaf trait dissimilarity modulates the effect of dominant species on mixed litter decomposition
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Leaf litter traits predominantly control litter decomposition in streams worldwide
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Tree leaf and root traits mediate soil faunal contribution to litter decomposition across an elevational gradient
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.