A national soil organic carbon density dataset (2010–2024) in China
Zhongxing Chen, Lingkun Chen, Rui Lü, Zihang Lou, Furong Zhou, Yecheng Jin, Jie Xue, Hancheng Guo, Zheng Wang, Yanyu Wang, Feng Liu, Xiaodong Song, Gan‐Lin Zhang, Yang Su, Ye Su, Zhou Shi, Songchao Chen
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a vital component of terrestrial ecosystems and a key indicator of soil quality, agricultural potential, and climate regulation. Despite growing interest in SOC distribution across China, high-resolution and standardized datasets remain scarce. Here, we present a national soil organic carbon density (SOCD) dataset containing 23,103 samples from 7,852 soil profiles collected between 2010 and 2024. The dataset covers soil depths down to 800 cm and includes bulk density (BD) values-both measured and imputed using an ensemble modelling approach. Records are georeferenced and annotated with land cover type, climate zone, and depth information, offering wide spatial and environmental coverage across diverse Chinese landscapes, including the previously underrepresented Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Data sources include national soil surveys, open-access repositories, and peer-reviewed literature, with all variables standardized to ensure usability.