Urban Lawn Litter Decomposition Rates for 8 Tree and Shrub Species

Decomposition rate data for 8 tree and shrub litters measured in open and wooded urban lawns using litterbags. The dataset includes decomposition constants (k values ranging from 0.29 to 6.23 y⁻¹) for species including Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica, and Pinus radiata, with comparisons of microclimate and soil property effects. It was created by Tom Künnemann and last updated on April 30, 2026.

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 specific species like Quercus rubra.
• Assessing the contribution of macrofauna to decomposition using data from different mesh-size litterbags.
• Ranking tree and shrub species for urban planting based on their litter decomposition rates.

Strengths

• Includes decomposition rate constants (k) for 8 distinct litter types, with values explicitly ranging from 0.29 to 6.23 y⁻¹.
• Compares experimental results from two lawn types (open vs. wooded) and two mesh sizes (5 mm and 2 mm) to isolate factors.
• Reports specific quantitative findings, such as Quercus rubra litter decomposing 87% faster in wooded lawns.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small (42.6 KB), indicating limited scope and likely a summary table rather than raw observations.
• Geographic location of the study is not specified, which may limit generalizability.

Provenance

Source

figshare, author Tom Künnemann.

Collection Method

Data likely originates from a controlled field experiment measuring litter decomposition using litterbags, with monitoring of microclimate and soil properties.

Freshness

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