Urban Lawn Litter Decomposition Rates for 8 Tree and Shrub Species

A 2026 study by Tom Künnemann measured decomposition rates (k values) for eight tree and shrub litters in open and wooded urban lawns. The dataset includes decomposition rates ranging from 0.29 to 6.23 y⁻¹, with measurements of microclimatic conditions and soil properties. The research was published on figshare under a CC-BY-4.0 license.

Use Cases

• Modeling soil carbon dynamics based on litter quality parameters like lignin and soluble compound content.
• Comparing decomposition rates between open and wooded lawn microclimates for different tree species.
• Assessing the contribution of macrofauna to litter decomposition using data from different mesh-size litterbags.

Strengths

• Includes decomposition rate constants (k) for eight distinct litter types, with values explicitly ranging from 0.29 to 6.23 y⁻¹.
• Compares results from two experimental lawn types (open vs. wooded) and two litterbag mesh sizes (5 mm and 2 mm).
• Links decomposition rates to specific measured drivers: litter quality (R² = 0.59–0.92), microclimate, and soil properties.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small (122.3 KB), indicating limited scope.

Provenance

Source

figshare, author Tom Künnemann.

Collection Method

Experimental measurement using litterbags in urban green spaces, with monitoring of microclimate and soil properties.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 05:39:06; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Urban green spaces (location unspecified).