A dataset of the litterfall recovery amount and the standing crop dynamics in the tropical seasonal rainforests of Xishuangbanna (2005–2020)

Abstract

Litterfall refers to the collective organic matter generated by the aboveground parts of plants that accumulates on the surface. It is a key medium linking the ecological processes between the aboveground and the underground in terrestrial ecosystems. Litterfall recovery and the standing crop comprise the dry weight of branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, bark, moss and lichen, and so on. The annual yield of leaf litterfall can provide data support for the assessment of forest productivity, and the falling flowers and fruits are of great value to the research of forest seed rain. The proportion of each component is an important factor affecting nutrient cycling and carbon cycling in the ecosystem. The dataset collects the litterfall recovery amount and the standing crop of the tropical seasonal rainforest in Xishuangbanna during 2005–2020. The establishment and sharing of this dataset can furnish fundamental data for the in-depth examination of vegetation structure and ecosystem function under the global hydrothermal pattern changes, and serve as a foundation for advancing the study of the litterfall and tropical seasonal rain forests.