A dataset on microbial traits and mineral protection controlling the temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition in eroded and depositional agricultural soils

This dataset documents erosion-induced changes in the temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon decomposition (Q10) across four erosion-prone regions in China: the Northeast Rolling Hills, the Loess Plateau, the Sichuan Basin, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. Together, the provinces encompassing these regions account for 26.20% of China’s land area but contribute 56.95% of the national soil erosion area.Soil samples were collected from intensively managed sloping farmlands during the 2021 harvest season (September–November). In each region, four geographically independent hillslopes (>200 m apart) were selected as replicates. Along each hillslope, four geomorphic positions representing an erosion–deposition sequence were identified: non-eroded (NE) summit positions, moderately eroded (ME) shoulder slopes, severely eroded (SE) backslopes, and depositional (DP) footslopes. In total, 64 plots were established (4 regions × 4 hillslopes × 4 erosion classes).Within each plot, three soil profiles were excavated to 60 cm depth, and samples were collected at 20 cm intervals for physicochemical and microbial analyses. Soil subsamples were incubated under variable temperature regimes, and CO₂ release was measured to quantify Q10.The dataset includes Q10 values and associated soil properties, including microbial community indicators, carbon fractions, enzyme activities, soil texture, aggregate stability, nutrient stoichiometry, and physical properties.