Tea Time for Triticum: Decomposition in Wheat Soils Under Simulated Climates

Jennifer Michel's dataset investigates organic matter decomposition in soils planted with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum var. Asory). The study uses a controlled Ecotron setup with two soil types and three simulated climates (2013, 2068, 2085), measuring decomposition via the tea bag index, soil pore water, microbial biomass, gene abundance, and respiration. Findings indicate lower decomposition rates in planted soils, suggesting plant-microbe competition, and highlight the roles of fungi and soil humidity over bacteria and temperature.

Use Cases

• Modeling decomposition rates based on soil type, climate scenario, and plant presence.
• Analyzing plant-microbe resource competition using microbial biomass and respiration data.
• Assessing the Tea Bag Index (TBI) as a standardized metric for soil health comparisons.
• Investigating the relative importance of fungal vs. bacterial communities for organic matter turnover.
• Evaluating the effects of simulated future climates (2068, 2085) on soil processes.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled, multi-factor experimental design (Ecotron) with two soil types and three simulated climates.
• Employs multiple, complementary measurement methods including the Tea Bag Index, microbial quantification, and soil respiration.
• Dataset is openly available under a CC-BY-4.0 license, facilitating reuse.
• Cross-platform presence on figshare suggests established curation and importance.

Limitations

• Column names and a precise row count are not provided, limiting assessment of data structure and granularity.
• The dataset size is given as 44433 (likely bytes), but the unit and data volume are ambiguous.
• Metadata lacks information on the specific organization or institution behind the research.

Provenance

Source

Jennifer Michel

Collection Method

Experimental data from a controlled Ecotron study measuring decomposition, soil pore water, microbial biomass, gene abundance, and respiration.

Time Range

Simulated climate years: 2013, 2068, 2085.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-03-19.

Geography

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