Mixed afforestation alters soil carbon pool accumulation and stability by influencing aggregate mass proportion
Description
This dataset contains soil physical, chemical, and biological measurements from three Pinus massoniana forest types in subtropical China: pure plantation (MPF), conifer-conifer mixed (MCLMF), and conifer-broadleaf mixed (MLMF). It includes aggregate mass distribution (four size classes), concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions (e.g., POC, MBC, LOC, NC333), and key soil properties (texture, nitrogen, pH, etc.). Notable findings show that micro-aggregates hold higher carbon concentrations than macro-aggregates. Mixed afforestation had divergent effects: MCLMF increased SOC and stable carbon (NC333) storage, while MLMF decreased it. Both mixtures enhanced carbon stability by increasing the NC333 proportion. The shift in aggregate mass ratio and associated microbial activity (MBC) were key drivers of post-afforestation carbon dynamics. Data was gathered via soil sampling, wet-sieving for aggregates, and standard lab protocols for carbon fractionation. This dataset is valuable for verifying forest management impacts on soil carbon, supporting meta-analyses, calibrating models, and investigating specific mechanisms like nitrogen-aggregate-carbon interactions.