Temperature Sensitivity of the Spatial Patterns and Mechanisms of Soil Carbon Metabolic Potential in the Desert Regions of Northwestern China

This dataset provides field and laboratory measurements characterizing soil microbial carbon metabolic potential and its temperature sensitivity across representative arid regions of northwestern China. The data integrate observations along a natural spatial temperature gradient with standardized carbon addition incubation experiments, aiming to quantify how long-term thermal and arid stress shape microbial carbon metabolism in desert ecosystems.The dataset includes measurements of basal soil respiration, respiration following substrate limitation release, microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities, and soil resource availability. These variables collectively describe microbial metabolic capacity, enzyme investment strategies, and carbon use responses under contrasting thermal conditions. The data support analyses of direct and indirect temperature effects on soil microbial respiration and carbon metabolism, and provide empirical evidence for thermal adaptation and conservative metabolic strategies in arid soils.This dataset is intended to support research on dryland carbon cycling, microbial thermal adaptation, and climate change impacts on belowground processes.