A global database of soil nematode abundance and functional group composition

Measurement(s)Abundance center dot Nematoda center dot environmental factorTechnology Type(s)Elutriative Centrifugation center dot computational modeling techniqueFactor Type(s)geographic locationSample Characteristic - OrganismNematodaSample Characteristic - Environmentsoil environment center dot climateSample Characteristic - LocationEarth (planet) Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.11925843 As the most abundant animals on earth, nematodes are a dominant component of the soil community. They play critical roles in regulating biogeochemical cycles and vegetation dynamics within and across landscapes and are an indicator of soil biological activity. Here, we present a comprehensive global dataset of soil nematode abundance and functional group composition. This dataset includes 6,825 georeferenced soil samples from all continents and biomes. For geospatial mapping purposes these samples are aggregated into 1,933 unique 1-km pixels, each of which is linked to 73 global environmental covariate data layers. Altogether, this dataset can help to gain insight into the spatial distribution patterns of soil nematode abundance and community composition, and the environmental drivers shaping these patterns.