Global Grassland Soil Microbial Metabolic Quotient Data

23 grassland sites across 5 continents provide data on microbial respiration and biomass under nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion treatments. The dataset supports a published study analyzing drivers of the microbial metabolic quotient (MMQ). It was published by a consortium of researchers via ENVIDAT and last updated in 2023.

Use Cases

• Model microbial metabolic quotient (MMQsoil) from edaphoclimatic variables like mean annual temperature and soil organic carbon concentration.
• Analyze treatment effects of nutrient addition (NPK+micronutrients) and herbivore exclusion on microbial respiration (MR) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC).
• Investigate interactions between experimental treatments and local soil conditions, such as water holding capacity, using the site-level data.
• Assess the global drivers of microbial carbon use efficiency across a wide edaphoclimatic gradient represented by the 23 sites.

Strengths

• Data spans 23 globally distributed sites across 5 continents, capturing wide edaphoclimatic variation.
• Includes experimental treatment data for both nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion, enabling causal analysis.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to 23 sites, which may constrain statistical power for some sub-global analyses.
• Specific row counts, column details, and data formats are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

ENVIDAT, supporting a peer-reviewed publication in Global Ecology and Biogeography.

Collection Method

Soils collected from plots with established experimental treatments; microbial respiration assessed via laboratory incubation, microbial biomass via substrate-induced respiration.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated in 2023.

Geography

Global, encompassing 23 grassland sites across 5 continents.