Elevated CO2 Effects on Leaf Litter Chemistry and Decomposition

ORNL_CLOUD assembled this dataset from a 1998 GCTE workshop and other sources for meta-analysis. It contains observations on nitrogen and lignin concentration in senesced leaves, and mass loss from decomposition trials, for plants exposed to elevated CO2. Data originates from field experiments across the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.

Use Cases

• Meta-analysis of how elevated CO2 concentrations (typically 600 700 ppm) alter leaf litter nitrogen concentration (mg/g).
• Statistical modeling of the relationship between elevated CO2, lignin concentration (mg/g), and subsequent decomposition rates.
• Assessing geographic variation in decomposition response, measured as percentage of initial mass lost, using data from field sites across multiple continents.
• Evaluating the methodological consistency of CO2 enrichment experiments by comparing data from field chambers with excluded growth chamber studies.

Strengths

• Data is curated for meta-analysis, excluding studies with potential artifacts like artificial lighting or non senesced leaves to improve reliability.
• Includes replication counts and standard deviations for chemistry measurements when available, supporting statistical rigor.
• Synthesis incorporates both published and unpublished sources from a coordinated international workshop network (GCTE, COST).

Limitations

• Key metrics like total row count, dataset size, and a complete column list are unavailable from all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: one source lists 2000-11-21, while others list 2026-03-13, creating uncertainty about maintenance.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD, originating from the GCTE/COST workshop 'Litter Quality and Decomposition under Elevated CO2' in Capri, Italy (September 1998).

Collection Method

Gathered from workshop participants and other published and pre-publication sources, with specific exclusion criteria for experimental artifacts.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-13 03:08:08.259357

Geography

Field and field chamber experiments in the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.