Wood Block Decomposition Study in Great Western Woodlands

Wood block decomposition assessment data from the Great Western Woodlands site in 2018. It is part of a global program investigating the influence of microbes and invertebrates, specifically termites and fungi, on wood decay. The study used a common protocol with untreated Pinus radiata wood blocks exposed under different mesh conditions.

Use Cases

• Compare wood decay rates between treatments that exclude and do not exclude macroinvertebrates like termites.
• Analyze the relative influence of fungi versus termites on the decomposition of untreated Pinus radiata wood blocks.
• Model decomposition patterns using data from the standardized global protocol applied at the Great Western Woodlands site.

Strengths

• Data is part of a standardized global decomposition program, enabling cross-site comparisons.
• Focuses on a specific, ecologically significant region: the Great Western Woodlands.
• Explicitly investigates the separate roles of microbes and invertebrates in the decay process.

Limitations

• Specific data structure, column names, and sample size (rows) are unknown.
• Limited temporal coverage to a single year (2018).
• Geographic scope is restricted to one site, limiting generalizability.

Provenance

Source

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network's Data Discovery

Collection Method

Field experiment using a common global protocol with untreated Pinus radiata wood blocks and plastic mesh treatments.

Time Range

2018

Freshness

Data from 2018, with metadata last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Great Western Woodlands site