Global Litterfall and Nutrient Database from 685 Studies

685 original literature sources provide measurement data for aboveground litterfall mass and litter pool carbon, nitrogen, and nutrient concentrations. This compilation contains 1,497 site records from 575 distinct global locations, synthesizing direct field measurements reported from 1827 to 1997. The dataset was compiled by researchers with the intent to analyze global patterns of carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global spatial patterns of carbon in litterfall using site latitude, longitude, and annual litterfall quantities.
• Correlating litter nutrient concentrations (N, P, base cations) with site climate data like mean annual temperature and precipitation.
• Studying vegetation characteristics by ecosystem and vegetation-type codes across different management regimes and stand ages.
• Estimating litter pool mass and nutrient stocks (g m-2) by class and litter layer for different biomes.
• Tracing historical changes in litterfall measurements using literature references dating back to 1827.

Strengths

• Compiles data from a wide temporal range, covering literature sources from 1827 to 1997.
• Aggregates measurements from 685 original studies, representing 1,497 site records at 575 global locations.
• Includes detailed site-level data such as climate, vegetation characteristics, and nutrient concentrations alongside mass measurements.

Limitations

• Sparse measurements for elements other than carbon and nitrogen, limiting analysis of phosphorus and base cations.
• Conflicting metadata: one source lists a last updated date of 2026-03-13, while another indicates the underlying data ends in 1997.
• Column names and exact data structure are not provided in the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Extracted and compiled from 685 original literature sources reporting individual direct field measurements.

Time Range

1827 to 1997

Freshness

2026-03-13 16:36:16.845087

Geography

Global (575 different locations)