A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation
Abstract Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the main natural source of new nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting terrestrial productivity, carbon uptake, and other Earth system processes. We assembled a comprehensive global dataset of field measurements of BNF in all major N-fixin...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Data |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05131-4 |
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| author | Carla R. Reis Ely Steven S. Perakis Cory C. Cleveland Duncan N. L. Menge Sasha C. Reed Sarah A. Batterman Timothy E. Crews Katherine A. Dynarski Maga Gei Michael J. Gundale Sarah E. Jovan Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Mark B. Peoples Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero Verity G. Salmon Fiona M. Soper Anika P. Staccone Benton N. Taylor Bettina Weber Nina Wurzburger |
| author_facet | Carla R. Reis Ely Steven S. Perakis Cory C. Cleveland Duncan N. L. Menge Sasha C. Reed Sarah A. Batterman Timothy E. Crews Katherine A. Dynarski Maga Gei Michael J. Gundale Sarah E. Jovan Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Mark B. Peoples Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero Verity G. Salmon Fiona M. Soper Anika P. Staccone Benton N. Taylor Bettina Weber Nina Wurzburger |
| author_sort | Carla R. Reis Ely |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the main natural source of new nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting terrestrial productivity, carbon uptake, and other Earth system processes. We assembled a comprehensive global dataset of field measurements of BNF in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes derived from the analysis of 376 BNF studies. The dataset comprises 32 variables, including site location, biome type, N-fixing niche, sampling year, quantification method, BNF rate (kg N ha−1 y−1), the percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa), N fixer or N-fixing substrate abundance, BNF rate per unit of N fixer abundance, and species identity. Overall, the dataset combines 1,207 BNF rates for trees, shrubs, herbs, soil, leaf litter, woody litter, dead wood, mosses, lichens, and biocrusts, 152 herb %Ndfa values, 1,005 measurements of N fixer or N-fixing substrate abundance, and 762 BNF rates per unit of N fixer abundance for a total of 424 species across 66 countries. This dataset facilitates synthesis, meta-analysis, upscaling, and model benchmarking of BNF fluxes at multiple spatial scales. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f366384dc4d4e88a1390593be045160 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2052-4463 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Data |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f366384dc4d4e88a1390593be0451602025-08-20T03:42:34ZengNature PortfolioScientific Data2052-44632025-08-0112111010.1038/s41597-025-05131-4A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixationCarla R. Reis Ely0Steven S. Perakis1Cory C. Cleveland2Duncan N. L. Menge3Sasha C. Reed4Sarah A. Batterman5Timothy E. Crews6Katherine A. Dynarski7Maga Gei8Michael J. Gundale9Sarah E. Jovan10Sian Kou-Giesbrecht11Mark B. Peoples12Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero13Verity G. Salmon14Fiona M. Soper15Anika P. Staccone16Benton N. Taylor17Bettina Weber18Nina Wurzburger19Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State UniversityUnited States Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterDepartment of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of MontanaDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityUnited States Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science CenterCary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesThe Land InstituteDepartment of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of MontanaAssociation for Tropical Biology and ConservationDepartment of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesUSDA Forest Service, PNW Research StationDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dalhousie UniversityCSIRO Agriculture and FoodCentro de Investigación de Colecciones Científicas de la Universidad de Almería (CECOUAL) y Departamento de Agronomía, Universidad de AlmeríaEnvironmental Science Division and Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryDepartment of Biology and School of the Environment, McGill UniversityEarthshot LabsDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityMultiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for ChemistryOdum School of Ecology, University of GeorgiaAbstract Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the main natural source of new nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting terrestrial productivity, carbon uptake, and other Earth system processes. We assembled a comprehensive global dataset of field measurements of BNF in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes derived from the analysis of 376 BNF studies. The dataset comprises 32 variables, including site location, biome type, N-fixing niche, sampling year, quantification method, BNF rate (kg N ha−1 y−1), the percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa), N fixer or N-fixing substrate abundance, BNF rate per unit of N fixer abundance, and species identity. Overall, the dataset combines 1,207 BNF rates for trees, shrubs, herbs, soil, leaf litter, woody litter, dead wood, mosses, lichens, and biocrusts, 152 herb %Ndfa values, 1,005 measurements of N fixer or N-fixing substrate abundance, and 762 BNF rates per unit of N fixer abundance for a total of 424 species across 66 countries. This dataset facilitates synthesis, meta-analysis, upscaling, and model benchmarking of BNF fluxes at multiple spatial scales.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05131-4 |
| spellingShingle | Carla R. Reis Ely Steven S. Perakis Cory C. Cleveland Duncan N. L. Menge Sasha C. Reed Sarah A. Batterman Timothy E. Crews Katherine A. Dynarski Maga Gei Michael J. Gundale Sarah E. Jovan Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Mark B. Peoples Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero Verity G. Salmon Fiona M. Soper Anika P. Staccone Benton N. Taylor Bettina Weber Nina Wurzburger A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation Scientific Data |
| title | A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation |
| title_full | A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation |
| title_fullStr | A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation |
| title_short | A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation |
| title_sort | global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05131-4 |
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