Active Al/Fe and native soil organic matter exert time-dependent controls on residue-derived carbon retention in particulate and mineral-associated organic matter

This dataset was generated to test the hypothesis that active Al/Fe, native soil organic carbon (SOC) content, and native soil organic matter (OM) composition exert time-dependent controls on the mineralization and retention of added plant residue-derived carbon (C) in particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). Soils collected along an elevation gradient (150–2800 m) were incubated with 13C-labeled plant residue for 343 days. The dataset includes: (1) basic soil properties; (2) native SOC mineralized during specified sampling intervals and cumulatively throughout incubation; (3) residue-derived C mineralized during specified sampling intervals, cumulative mineralization, and mineralization rates; (4) peak areas of individual pyrolysis products and relative abundances of compound groups in native soil OM determined by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS); (5) dry masses and C contents of OM fractions separated from incubated soils; and residue-derived C contents in these fractions at different incubation times (days 28, 175, and 343). The data reveal two major stages of residue-derived C retention. Higher native SOC content and more labile native OM favored early retention in POM but limited subsequent stabilization in MAOM, whereas active Al/Fe promoted retention in both fractions during the mid-to-late stage. Approximately one-third of the residue-derived C present in MAOM at day 28 was lost by day 343, indicating that initial incorporation into MAOM does not necessarily ensure persistence. These data can be used to quantify native and residue-derived C mineralization, examine changes in residue-derived C distribution among OM fractions, and evaluate relationships between soil properties, native OM composition, and residue-derived C retention in different OM fractions. Interval mineralization represents C mineralized over a specified sampling period, whereas cumulative mineralization represents the total since the start of incubation; mineralization rates describe the amount mineralized per unit time. Py–GC/MS peak areas and compound-group relative abundances characterize the composition of detected pyrolysis products. Fraction C contents and residue-derived C contents should be interpreted according to the units specified in each data table. Relationships among measured variables support interpretation of potential controls on residue-derived C retention in POM and MAOM, while the observed dynamics represent responses under the experimental incubation conditions