Data from: Soil organic carbon dynamics matching ecological equilibrium theory

The persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) has traditionally been
explained as a combination of recalcitrance properties and stabilization
processes, which lead to the formation of complex organic compounds.
However, recent conceptual advances and experimental evidence challenge
this view. Here, we test these conceptual advances using a dynamic
equilibrium theory of SOC founded on classic ecological theory. We
postulate that the persistence of SOC is an equilibrium point where SOC
losses resulting from continuous decomposition and SOC gains due to SOC
protection are balanced. We show that we can describe the temporal
dynamics of SOC remarkably well (average and median R2 = 0.75) in publicly
available SOC time series from experiments that investigated the effects
of agricultural practices in arable soils. The predictive power of our
simplistic model is not meant to compete with that of current multi-pool
SOC models or recent developments that include microbial loops. The
simplicity of our analysis can, however, show how the conceptual
distinction between the forces that control SOC loss and gain, and their
equilibrium, can shed light on SOC dynamics. Specifically, our analysis
shows that, regardless of specific mechanisms, the persistence of SOC will
depend on the ultimate equilibrium between SOC gains and losses, which may
depend on environmental (e.g., temperature) and ecological (e.g.,
spatially structured microbial activities) factors and the relative roles
of these factors. Future experimental studies should quantify these roles
to formulate a new generation of SOC dynamics model.