DOI: 10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcjn
title: Bryophytes enhance nitrogen content in decaying wood via biological interactions

description: An increase in the nitrogen (N) content in coarse woody debris (CWD)
 facilitates its decomposition, affecting the cycling of N and other
 nutrients in forest ecosystems. Bryophytes may increase the N content by
 transferring the N in bryophyte tissues to the underlying CWD. This study
 examined whether and how bryophytes increase N content in the underlying
 CWD using N-stable isotope ratios (δ15N) as tracers for N sources. The N
 content and δ15N values in CWD with bryophytes were significantly higher
 than those in CWD without bryophytes. However, the δ15N values in CWD with
 bryophytes differed significantly from those in bryophytes on CWD,
 demonstrating that the N in bryophytes did not cause the increase in N
 content in CWD. The analyses using δ15N further indicated that the high N
 content in CWD with bryophytes may be attributed to increased N supply
 from wood-decomposing fungi and N-fixing bacteria. This increase in N
 content may result from the enhanced moisture content in CWD beneath
 bryophytes, which facilitates the activity of wood-decomposing fungi and
 N-fixing bacteria. Notably, the influence of bryophytes on the N content
 in CWD differed between bryophyte life forms: bryophytes that form dense
 mats increased the N content in CWD, whereas those with loose mats
 decreased the N content. This difference can be explained by the greater
 humidity experienced by CWD with bryophytes forming dense mats than that
 experienced by CWD with bryophytes forming loose mats. Given that the N
 content in CWD affects the decay processes, the results highlight the
 importance of biological interactions associated with bryophytes in forest
 ecosystems.
description: The data include three tables: Location and environments of the
 study plots (Dataset 1), Characteristics of coarse woody debris (CWD)
 samples and dominant bryophytes on them (Dataset 2), Nitrogen (N) content
 and stable N isotope ratios of CWD samples and bryophytes (Dataset 3).
 These data were used in an article titled “Bryophytes enhance nitrogen
 content in decaying wood via biological interactions,” published
 in <em>Ecosphere</em>. See the full article for complete
 methodological details.
description: Data for the article “Bryophytes enhance nitrogen content in decaying wood
 via biological interactions” by Oishi, Y (2023), *Ecosphere* Yoshitaka
 Oishi Center for Arts and Sciences, Fukui Prefectural University,
 --- This folder contains the data (Dataset 1–3)
 used in the article (Oishi, 2023). See further information in the
 associated research article. The contents of Dataset 1–3 are as follows:
 Dataset 1: Location and environments of the study plots * DBH, tree
 diameter at breast height Dataset 2: Characteristics of coarse woody
 debris (CWD) samples and dominant bryophytes on them * CWD No, total
 number of surveyed CWD Decay stage, decay stages of CWD based on Fukasawa
 et al. (2009) * Abbreviations for bryophyte species: * Aqu pli,
 *Aquilonium plicatulum* * Bou mit, *Boulaya mittenii* * Dic vir, *Dicranum
 viride* var. *hakkodense* * Gol rug, *Gollania ruginosa* * Het nem,
 *Heterophyllium nemorosum* * Hyp fuj, *Hypnum fujiyamae* * Loe cav,
 *Loeskeobryum cavifolium* * Nec hum, *Neckera humilis* * Oka hak,
 *Okamuraea hakoniensis* * Pyr tri, *Pylaisiadelpha tristoviridis* * Rhy
 jap, *Rhytidiadelphus japonicus* * Thu kan, *Thuidium kanedae* *
 Abbreviations for life-forms (Bates 1998): * t, short turfs * F, fans *
 Rm, rough mats * Sm, smooth mats * W, wefts Dataset 3: Nitrogen (N)
 content and N stable isotope ratios (δ15N) of CWD and bryophytes * CWD No,
 total number of surveyed CWD * CWDb, CWD with bryophytes * CWDn, CWD
 without bryophytes References: * Bates, J. W. 1998. “Is ‘life-form’ a
 useful concept in bryophyte ecology?” *Oikos* 82: 223–37.
 * Fukasawa, Y., T. Osono, and H.
 Takeda. 2009. “Dynamics of physicochemical properties and occurrence of
 fungal fruit bodies during decomposition of coarse woody debris of *Fagus
 crenata*.” *Journal of Forest Research* 14: 20–9.