A global dataset of soil particulate organic carbon
Data files
Nov 21, 2024 version files 2.09 MB
-
POC_0_100.csv
497.55 KB
-
POC_0-30.csv
1.59 MB
-
README.md
4.05 KB
Apr 17, 2026 version files 5.21 MB
-
POC_0_100.csv
497.55 KB
-
POC_0-30.csv
1.59 MB
-
POC_Global_Map.nc
3.12 MB
-
README.md
5 KB
Abstract
This original data provides soil particulate organic carbon concentration at the biome and global scale. Sampling site latitude and longitude were available for the majority of the samples that enabled assembling additional soil properties(soil type, soil texture, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil pH, bulk density, porosity, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil dissolved carbon, soil dissovled nitrogen, soil microbial biomass carbon, soil microbial biomass nitrogen), geographic information (latitude, longtidue), climatic information (mean annual air temperature, mean annual precipitation), vegetation type, sampling dates and depth. A total of 3,418 data points were finally collected from the LUCAS database and 244 publications from 1988 to 2020. The database was divided into two groups: one group consists of 2,507 data points for topsoil (0 – 30 cm) in 632 sites, and 911 data points for soil profile (0 – 100 cm) in 55 sites. The concentrations of soil particulate organic carbon, in combination with other soil databases, were used to estimate the global storage of soil particulate organic carbon in 0-30 cm and 0-100 cm soil profiles. These storage estimates were combined with a spatial map of 12 major biomes (boreal forest, temperate coniferous forest, temperate broadleaf forest, tropical and subtropical forests, mixed forest, grassland, shrub, tundra, desert, natural wetland, cropland, and pasture) at 0.05-degree by 0.5-degree spatial resolution. The biome map and estimates of soil particulate organic carbon are provided in a single netCDF format file.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sbcc2frhh
Description of the data and file structure
All data was collected from published paper by searching "soil particulate organic carbon" at Web of Science and Google Scholar. We derived the data points from tables involving soil POC and/or extracted from figures vis the Engauge Digitizer software version 10.7. Climate, edaphic, and microbial data not mentioned in papers were extracted from global datasets following our previous studies. SOC, TC, and BD were downloaded from the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD, https://daac.ornl.gov/cgibin/dsviewer.pl?ds_id=1247) at a 0.05° × 0.05° resolution grid. Soil C, BD, and TN were extracted from the IGBP-DIS dataset (IGBP, https://daac.ornl.gov/SOILS/guides/igbp-surfaces.html) at a spatial resolution of 0.5′ × 0.5′. MAT and MAP were obtained from the WorldClim database version 2 with a spatial resolution of 30 seconds during 1970 – 2000 (https://www.worldclim.org/data/worldclim21.html). Missing data are entered as Na.
In the updated version (Changes made after November 21, 2024) of our dataset, we have addressed the reviewers' suggestions by making the following changes:
- Added Raw Data: We have included the original raw data for the soil POC (Particulate Organic Carbon) profiles (0–30 cm) that were utilized in the analysis of our manuscript. This provides more granular information for users interested in depth-specific carbon distribution.
- Enhanced Variable Descriptions: We have moved beyond simply listing variables and units. For each variable (such as sand, clay, silt, and POC content), we have added brief explanations regarding their measurement methods, scientific context, and their roles in the soil profile analysis to ensure better clarity for future users.
Files and variables
File: POC_0-30.csv, POC_0_100.csv, POC_Global_Map.nc
Description:
Variables
- ID: Original Sample ID
- NO.: Sample ID
- Country:
- bd_igbp (g cm-3): Bulk Density from igbp dataset
- tn_igbp (g kg-1): total nitrogen from igbp dataset
- tc_igbp (g kg-1): total carbon from igbp dataset
- CN ratio: carbon nitrogen ratio from igbp dataset
- tc_hwsd (kg C m-2): total carbon from hwsd dataset
- soc_hwsd (%): soil organic carbon from hwsd dataset
- soc_hwsd (g/kg): soil organic carbon from hwsd dataset
- SM_yearly (v/v): mean annual soil moisture
- sand (%): soil sand content
- Cden_bel (kg m-2): root carbon density from igbp dataset
- pH: soil pH
- NPP (g m-2 yr-1): net primarily productivity from igbp dataset
- MAP (mm): mean annual precipitation
- MAT (deg C): man annual temperature
- clay (%): soil clay content from igbp dataset
- silt (%): soil silt content from dataset
- bd_hwsd (g cm-3): bulk density from hwsd dataset
- ST_yearly (deg C): mean annual soil temperature
- porosity_bottom: soil porosity of bottom layer
- porosity_midlayer: soil porosity of midlayer
- porosity_toplayer: soil porosity of toplayer
- Biome S: ecosysterm type
- Lat F: latitude
- Long F: longitude
- Sand F: soil sand content extracted from literature
- Silt F: soil silt content extracted from literature
- Clay F: soil clay content extracted from literature
- BD F: Bulk Density extracted from literature
- Porosity F: soil porosity extracted from literature
- SM F: soil moisture extracted from literature
- TOC g/kg F: total organic carbon extracted from literature
- SOC g/kg F: soil organic carbon extracted from literature
- TN g/kg F: total nitrogen extracted from literature
- pH F: soi pH extracted from literature
- C/N F: carbon nitrogen ration extracted from literature
- POC Sample Type: soil sample type
- iPOC Total(g/kg_53-2000): POC standardized via igbp dataset
- hPOC Total(g/kg_53-2000): POC standardized via hwsd dataset
- Group T: vertical group ID
- POC Calcul F: particular organic carbon final used for analysis
- POC Fractions: POC fraction type
- POC Value Type F: POC content type
- POC Covert: POC calculation
- Date F: sample date
- Depth F: soil depth
- Reference: soil data source
- Method POC_C: POC carbon measurement type
- Method POC: POC sample method
- Method F: POC sample method classification
Code/software
Engauge Digitizer software version 10.7 (http://digitizer.sourceforge.net/)
Scikit-learn packages (version 0.23.2, https://scikit-learn.org) for Python (version 3.7.5, https://www.python.org/)
RStudio software version 4.0.3 (http://www.rstudio.com/)
ORIGIN Pro 2023 (http://www.originlab.com/)
ArcGIS software (version 10.8, ESRI, Redlands, CA)
The data were collected from publications by searching “soil particulate organic carbon” in Web of Science and Google Scholar. We derived the data points from tables involving soil POC and/or extracted from figures using the Engauge Digitizer software version 10.7.