Extension of the soil monitoring network via tea bag initiatives: A 3000 km latitudinal gradient in European Russia

The increasing popularity and recognition of citizen science approaches to monitor soil health have promoted the idea to assess soil microbial decomposition based on a standard litter sample - tea bags. Although tea bag initiatives are expanding across the world, the global datasets remain biased in regard to investigating regions and biomes. This study aimed to expand the tea bag initiative to European Russia, which remains a “white spot” on the tea bag index map. We also added urban soils into the analysis, which were underestimated previously. We compared the standard and local tea brands to explore possible adaptations of the standard approach to regions with limited access to standard tea brands. The established monitoring network included natural and urban sites in six vegetation zones along a 3000 km latitudinal gradient. There was a very close linear relationship (R2 = 0.94–0.98) in the mass loss of alternative and standard tea litter. The mass loss of green tea in soil along the latitudinal gradient showed an increasing trend from north to south. Variations in the microbial decomposition of green tea were mainly explained by the latitudinal gradient, with low soil temperature identified as key factors hampering decomposition. Mass loss of the more recalcitrant rooibos tea was mainly determined via land use, with decomposition rates on average 1.3 times higher in urban soils. This pattern was in line with higher soil temperatures and pH in urban sites compared to natural counterparts. The findings of our study could prove valuable in extending the tea bag network of soil decomposition assessment into broader territories, including urban areas. Additionally, they could facilitate the involvement of citizen science and complete the database for C cycle modeling depending on climatic conditions.