Priming effect and microbial carbon use efficiency in coastal saline soils: Responses to soil salinity and carbon availability (Research data)

Soil salinization in coastal regions exerts negative impacts on soil fertility, plant productivity, and overall ecosystem stability. Although the critical role of soil organic matter (SOM) augmentation in saline soil amelioration is widely acknowledged, the transformation processes and underlying mechanisms of organic carbon (C) in coastal saline soils remain poorly understood. This study employed ¹³C-labeled maize (Zea mays L.) straw to track microbial C transformations in salt-affected soils from China's Bohai Rim region. Through a 180-day controlled incubation experiment, we quantified how salinity gradients (low-, medium-, and high-salinity) and C availability (with/without field straw return) regulate priming effects (PE) and microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE).