Plant water use data in the lower reaches of the West Liaohe River

We present a dataset comprising stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of plant water sources, land use, and vegetation community surveys for the semi-arid agro-pastoral ecotone of China. The study area is located in the lower reaches of the West Liaohe River. Five plot types were established: typical steppe, meadow steppe, wooded steppe, abandoned farmland, and sand dune.
The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope dataset covers more than 30 plant species and their potential water sources, including precipitation, surface water, soil water, and groundwater. These plant species were selected as dominant species from the community surveys, encompassing shrubs, trees, and herbs, and were classified into annual and perennial plants according to functional groups.
The dataset also includes community structure metrics: annual-to-perennial species ratio, Simpson's diversity index, and species number. In addition, we measured volumetric soil water content (m³ m⁻³), total precipitation (mm), and groundwater table depth (m) at each plot. The land use data document the proportional areas of farmland, forest, grassland, water bodies, unused land, and construction land in the study region for 1990 and 2024.