Data from: Effects of invertebrates and local environment on decomposition rates of dead plant and animal biomass along an elevation gradient
Data files
Jul 13, 2026 version files 120.36 KB
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DEC_necromass.csv
93.67 KB
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R_code_for_Necromass_decomposition.R
20.10 KB
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README.md
6.60 KB
Aug 07, 2026 version files 120.57 KB
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DEC_necromass.csv
93.67 KB
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R_code_for_Necromass_decomposition.R
20.31 KB
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README.md
6.60 KB
Abstract
Decomposition of necromass, i.e., dead biomass of plants and animals, is an essential process across ecosystems, primarily influenced by climate, necromass characteristics, and decomposer communities, but local environmental conditions like vegetation and soil can also modify large-scale patterns. While single necromass types have been studied intensively, it remains poorly understood how patterns and drivers of decomposition vary across necromass types originating from plants and animals. Here, we quantified how elevation, as a proxy for macroclimate, and local conditions (microclimate, vegetation, soil) interactively affect decomposition rates and invertebrate effects across necromass types. We conducted a comprehensive decomposition experiment including five types of plant or animal necromass (carrion, dung, leaves, beech and spruce wood) along an elevation gradient (600–2000 m a.s.l.) in the German Alps. To assess the invertebrates' effects on decomposition of different necromass types, we implemented two treatments, which either gave access to invertebrates or excluded them. We found that invertebrates had idiosyncratic effects on decomposition across necromass types, with positive effects for carrion and spruce wood, negative effects for dung and leaves, and no effect for beech wood. Although decomposition rates tended to decrease with elevation for all necromass types, patterns were significant for carrion and beech wood only. Local environmental conditions, especially higher tree cover and stronger microclimatic buffering led to lower decomposition rates of carrion, leaves, and beech wood, but higher decomposition rates of dung and spruce wood. Soil pH was particularly relevant for the decomposition of carrion and beech wood. Only for carrion, the invertebrates' effect on decomposition significantly declined with increasing elevation. Our results demonstrate that patterns and drivers of decomposition show little generality across necromass types in temperate mountain forests. Although decomposition rates tended to decrease with elevation for all studied plant and animal necromass types, effects of local environmental conditions were more important than the macroecological driver elevation. Invertebrates are important for decomposition of most necromass types, but they can either accelerate or decelerate decomposition. This highlights that both necromass characteristics and local environmental conditions need to be considered to better understand decomposition processes at the ecosystem level.
Dryad DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hdr7sqvv4
Dataset description
This dataset contains measurements of the decomposition of five types of plant and animal necromass—carrion, dung, leaf litter, beech wood, and spruce wood—along an elevational gradient.
The experiment included treatments with and without invertebrate access. The dataset contains information on plot characteristics, local environmental conditions, necromass mass loss, decomposition rate k, and the estimated contribution of invertebrates to decomposition.
The dataset contains 384 rows and 28 columns. Each row represents an experimental subplot under either the invertebrate-access or invertebrate-exclusion treatment.
File structure
DEC_necromass.csv
This file contains the data used in this paper.
Variable descriptions
Experimental design and plot information
plot_ID_biodiv
Unique identifier for each experimental plot.
Type
Broad habitat type of the experimental plot.
Canopy types
Canopy category of the experimental plot, such as open or closed canopy.
subplot
Identifier for the experimental subplot, including the invertebrate treatment and replicate number.
Treatment
Invertebrate-access treatment:
M: With invertebrate accessA: Without invertebrate access
Environmental variables
T_macro_mean
Mean macroclimatic temperature of the plot, measured in degrees Celsius (°C).
ENPCA1
Plot score on the first principal component axis derived from a principal component analysis of local environmental variables.
ENPCA2
Plot score on the second principal component axis derived from a principal component analysis of local environmental variables.
elevation
Elevation of the plot location, measured in metres above sea level (m a.s.l.).
Necromass mass loss
leaf litter_mass loss
Mass loss of leaf litter over the experimental period, expressed as a percentage of the initial dry mass (%).
Beech_mass loss
Mass loss of beech wood over the experimental period, expressed as a percentage of the initial dry mass (%).
Spruce_mass loss
Mass loss of spruce wood over the experimental period, expressed as a percentage of the initial dry mass (%).
Carrion_cum_mass loss
Cumulative mass loss of carrion over the experimental period, expressed as a percentage of the initial mass (%).
Dung_mass loss
Mass loss of dung over the experimental period, expressed as a percentage of the initial dry mass (%).
Necromass decomposition rate constants
leaf_k_year
Decomposition rate constant, (k), for leaf litter. Unit: year⁻¹.
Beech_k_year
Decomposition rate constant, (k), for beech wood. Unit: year⁻¹.
Spruce_k_year
Decomposition rate constant, (k), for spruce wood. Unit: year⁻¹.
Carrion_k_day
Decomposition rate constant, (k), for carrion. Unit: day⁻¹.
Dung_k_year
Decomposition rate constant, (k), for dung. Unit: year⁻¹.
Invertebrate effects on decomposition rates
The contribution of invertebrates to decomposition was calculated as the difference in decomposition rate between treatments with and without invertebrate access:
Positive values indicate that invertebrate access increased decomposition, negative values indicate that invertebrate access reduced decomposition, and a value of zero indicates no difference between treatments.
The units are the same as those of the corresponding decomposition-rate variables: day⁻¹ for carrion and year⁻¹ for dung, leaf litter, beech wood, and spruce wood.
Net_insect_leaf
Invertebrate effect on the decomposition rate of leaf litter. Unit: year⁻¹.
Net_insect_Beech
Invertebrate effect on the decomposition rate of beech wood. Unit: year⁻¹.
Net_insect_Spruce
Invertebrate effect on the decomposition rate of spruce wood. Unit: year⁻¹.
Net_insect_Carrion
Invertebrate effect on the decomposition rate of carrion. Unit: day⁻¹.
Net_insect_Dung
Invertebrate effect on the decomposition rate of dung. Unit: year⁻¹.
Invertebrate effects on mass loss
The following variables describe the difference in percentage mass loss between treatments with and without invertebrate access:
positive values indicate greater mass loss with invertebrate access, whereas negative values indicate lower mass loss with invertebrate access. The unit is percentage points.
Leaf_netM
Invertebrate effect on leaf-litter mass loss. Unit: percentage points.
Beech_netM
Invertebrate effect on beech-wood mass loss. Unit: percentage points.
Spruce_netM
Invertebrate effect on spruce-wood mass loss. Unit: percentage points.
Dung_netM
Invertebrate effect on dung mass loss. Unit: percentage points.
Missing data
NA indicates that no measurement was available for the corresponding sample and variable.
Carrion and dung were measured at a lower within-plot replication than leaf litter and wood. Therefore, the carrion and dung variables contain NA values in rows corresponding to subplots in which these necromass types were not measured.
Code/software
The R code used to process the data, conduct the statistical analyses, and generate the figures is provided in R_code_for_Necromass_decomposition.R
This script includes the following analyses and figures:
1. Tests of the effects of invertebrate exclusion on the decomposition rates of five necromass types: carrion, dung, leaf litter, beech wood, and spruce wood.
2. Boxplots comparing decomposition rates between treatments with and without invertebrate access for each necromass type.
3. Tests of the interaction effects between elevation and local environmental conditions, represented by PCA axes PC1 and PC2, on:
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Necromass decomposition rates when invertebrates had access; and
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The contribution of invertebrates to necromass decomposition.
4. Interaction plots showing how local environmental conditions modify the effects of elevation on necromass decomposition rates (k).
5. Interaction plots showing how local environmental conditions modify the effect of elevation on the contribution of invertebrates to necromass decomposition rates (k).
6. Corresponding analyses based on percentage mass loss and the contribution of invertebrates to mass loss.
7. Figures showing mass loss and invertebrate effects on mass loss.
We conducted a comprehensive decomposition experiment including five types of plant or animal necromass (carrion, dung, leaves, beech and spruce wood) along an elevation gradient (600–2000 m a.s.l.) in the German Alps. To assess the invertebrates' effects on decomposition of different necromass types, we implemented two treatments which either gave access to invertebrates or excluded them.
Changes after Jul 13, 2026: Added the code for the statistical model tests in Figures S2 and S3.