DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8931zcs56
title: Data from: Functionally diverse stands promote leaf litter decomposition irrespective of litter species’ resource acquisition strategy

description: Stand functional diversity (RaoQ) and stand functional composition in
 terms of the functional traits of the component species (CWM trait) are
 critical for ecosystem processes and functioning, such as litter
 decomposition and associated nutrient cycling. Litter decomposition rates
 could differ among stands varying in functional diversity and composition
 because of interspecific variation of resource economic traits in litter
 quality, as well as differences in microenvironmental conditions. However,
 whether and how functionally diverse stands with different
 microenvironmental conditions change the litter decomposition rates among
 functionally contrasting species is poorly understood. We tested
 our hypotheses through a litter decomposition study in a tree diversity
 experiment in subtropical China. We quantified the leaf litter mass losses
 for acquisitive, intermediate, and conservative species and measured
 microclimates across 30 stands that represent a range of tree functional
 diversity and composition over five decomposition periods over 394 days.
 We found that increasing stand species richness and stand
 functional diversity were significantly associated with higher leaf litter
 decomposition rates across all three functionally contrasting litter
 species. This positive effect did not change with the litter
 species’ resource acquisition strategies. We also found
 that increasing stand functional composition along an axis from
 resource conservative to acquisitive had rather similar humpback relations
 with leaf litter decomposition rates for all three litter
 species. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the
 potential direct and indirect roles of functional trait diversity and
 composition in driving litter decomposition, and these insights are
 relevant to many ecosystem types globally.
description: # Data from: Functionally diverse stands promote leaf litter decomposition
 irrespective of litter species’ resource acquisition strategy Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.8931zcs56](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8931zcs56) ####
 Description: This is the leaf litter decomposition data derived from Yang
 et al. (2026, *Functional Ecology*). ### Files and variables #### Files
 and variables ##### File: Data_decomposition.csv **Abbreviations used in
 this dataset:** LiFo: *Liquidambar formosana* CyGl: *Cyclobalanopsis
 glauca* MaTh: *Machilus thunbergii* RaoQ: Rao’s quadratic entropy index
 CWM: Community-weighted mean **Variables** Block, block number
 Composition, plot species composition Species, species classification
 (LiFo, CyGl, MaTh) SFP, species functional strategy PC1, litter
 species' PC1 Time, decomposition time SR:stand species richness,
 log2-transformed RaoQ:stand functional diversity, RaoQ,
 ln(x+1)-transformed CWMPC1, stand functional composition, CWMs of
 integrate traits, CWMPC1 (raw data, no transformation) CWM.LL, CWMs of
 leaf longevity,ln-transformed CWM.LDMC, CWMs of leaf dry mass
 content,ln-transformed CWM.SLA, CWMs of specific leaf area,ln-transformed
 CWM.LA, CWMs of leaf area,ln-transformed CWM.LCC, CWMs of leaf carbon
 content,ln-transformed CWM.LNC, CWMs of leaf nitrogen
 content,ln-transformed CWM.LCN, CWMs of leaf carbon: nitrogen
 ratio,ln-transformed CWM.WD, CWMs of wood density,ln-transformed Hum, soil
 humidity, ln-transformed CP_ln, canopy packing, when we analylized the
 relationship between SR or RaoQ and CP, the CP is ln-transformed;
 CP_no:canopy packing,when we analylized the relationship between CWMPC1
 and CP, the CP_no is raw data (no transformation) ML:litter mass
 loss,squared-rooted transformed ## Code/software R language