Dataset for a global meta-analysis of microbial metabolic traits and soil organic carbon responses to environmental change

This dataset supports a global meta-analysis examining relationships between microbial metabolic traits and soil organic carbon (SOC) responses to environmental change. It contains 707 effect-size records compiled from published studies across diverse ecosystems and environmental-change scenarios, including climate variability, land-use change, and land-management practices. The dataset integrates study-level information, geographic and climatic variables, soil physicochemical properties, treatment characteristics, microbial metabolic traits, and carbon-related response variables. Microbial variables include carbon use efficiency (CUE), metabolic quotient (qCO2), microbial biomass carbon, microbial community attributes, and extracellular enzyme activities. Carbon-related variables include SOC, dissolved organic carbon, and other relevant carbon pools. Treatment effects are primarily expressed as natural-log response ratios (lnRR), with corresponding sampling variances where available. A data dictionary describing variable definitions, units, and coding conventions, together with source-publication information and DOI records, is provided to facilitate reproducibility, synthesis, and reuse of the dataset.