A stand-scale ecological health indicator framework for poplar shelterbelts in water-limited sandy regions supported by deep soil water evidence

This dataset supports the study entitled “A stand-scale ecological health indicator framework for poplar shelterbelts in water-limited sandy regions supported by deep soil water evidence”. The dataset contains stand-scale field measurements from 56 poplar shelterbelt plots located in the Kubuqi Desert and Mu Us Sandy Land, northern China. The data include stand structure indicators, understory vegetation characteristics, surface soil properties, sediment transport measurements, health risk indicators, and deep soil water content profiles.

For each 20 m × 20 m plot, stand structure variables include canopy density, mortality rate, maximum tree height, maximum DBH, and related shelterbelt structural attributes. Understory and habitat variables include vegetation cover, species richness, maximum shrub height, surface soil water content, bulk density, soil organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium, and sediment transport amount. Health risk variables include dead branch ratio and grazing intensity. Deep soil water content was measured from 0 to 7 m soil depth at 20 cm intervals and was used as external ecological evidence to support the health classification results.

The dataset also includes processed variables used for ecological health assessment, including standardized indicator values, CRITIC-based indicator weights, ecological health index (EHI), and health grades classified using the RSR/Probit method. The health grades include Healthy, Lightly degraded, Moderately degraded, and Severely degraded. These data can be used to evaluate the ecological health status of water-limited poplar shelterbelts and to explore the relationship between shelterbelt degradation and deep soil water conditions.