A dataset of soil moisture content in the typical forest ecosystem of Dinghu Mountain (2002 – 2016)

As a critical carrier of the material and energy cycle of forest ecosystem, soil moisture plays an important role in the hydrological processes, water balance, nutrient circulation, forest productivity formation and ecological function maintenance of the forest ecosystem. Soil moisture has been an important indicator of the water environment of the terrestrial ecosystems of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN). Typical forest types in Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve include Pinus massoniana coniferous forest, mixed Pinus massoniana broad-leaved forest and monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, which have been for a long time under close protection. According to the CERN observation and quality control protocols, standard observation plots were set up in the above-mentioned forests by Dinghu Mountain Forest Ecosystem Research Station, where we carried out long-term in-situ observation, data collection, quality control, scientific research and demonstration work concerning forest soil-moisture-content. This dataset is an assemblage of the long-term observation data of soil moisture content of three typical forest types, including Pinus massoniana coniferous forest, mixed Pinus massoniana broad-leaved forest and monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in DHS from 2002 to 2016. It provides critical information for in-depth studies of forest ecosystem structure and function under the background of climate change and vegetation change, supporting forest management and ecosystem service evaluation in this region.