Data for 'Examining model transferability for forest carbon stock estimation in subtropical ecosystems based on airborne Lidar and field measurements'

This dataset contains carbon stock values calculated from field plot surveys and corresponding contemporaneous forest structural variables derived from airborne lidar. It encompasses three plantation tree species in southern China: Masson pine, Chinese fir, and Eucalyptus. The dataset were collected from nine study sites across three provinces/regions in China—Anhui, Fujian, and Guangxi—spanning the northern, central, and southern subtropical zones. A total of 270 sample plots were established. The plot size was 20 m × 20 m, except in Anhui province where it was 25.82 m × 25.82 m. Plot-level carbon stocks (t/ha) were derived by summing individual tree carbon estimates from species-specific allometric equations and carbon conversion coefficients. Airborne LiDAR data (2018-2024) were processed to create a canopy height model (CHM) at a 1-meter resolution. The forest structural variables comprised the following metrics: Mean height (HME), Kurtosis (HKU), Standard deviation (HSD), Height percentiles (H10, H20, ..., H100) The dataset is provided in Excel (.xlsx) format.