Paired alpine grassland vegetation–soil dataset under plateau pika disturbance for MAOC and POC analysis

Description

This dataset is derived from field investigations and laboratory analyses conducted in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. It comprises paired observations from plots with and without plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) disturbance, providing a basis for evaluating how burrowing herbivore disturbance influences soil organic carbon fractions and their stability.We measured three groups of variables:Plant traits: community-level vegetation characteristics obtained from standardized quadrat surveys;Soil physicochemical properties: key indicators describing soil nutrient status and environmental conditions;Microbial diversity: soil bacterial and fungal diversity assessed using molecular approaches and diversity metrics.All measurements were collected under a paired design, in which pika-disturbed plots were directly matched with adjacent undisturbed counterparts. This design allows direct comparison of soil carbon dynamics under contrasting disturbance conditions while minimizing background environmental variation.The dataset is primarily intended to support analyses of mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC), with the goal of exploring how plateau pika disturbance influences soil organic carbon stability through changes in plant traits, soil properties, and microbial diversity.

Institutions

• Lanzhou University

  Gansu, Lanzhou

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