A dataset of soil elements content of desert grassland in southern Tarim Basin, during 2009-2015

The study area is located between Qinghai Tibet alpine bounded by the Kunlun Mountains and the Taklimakan Desert, with rare vegetation, simple ecosystem structure and poor stability. Since joining in the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) in 2005, the Cele National Field Science Observation and Research Station of Desert Grassland Ecosystem of Xinjiang(Cele Station), Chinese Academy of Science, has carried out long-term located monitoring on soil nutrient elements, main physical and chemical properties and heavy metal content in desert ecosystem according to unified monitoring standards. This dataset collected and processed 42 soil indices from different soil lays(0-10cm, 10-20cm, 20-40cm, 40-60cm, 60-80cm and 80-100cm) from 3 desert observation sites and 7 farmland observation sites in Cele Station from 2009 to 2015, such as exchange capacity of soil, total nutrients, total minerals, microelements and heavy metals, available microelements, mechanical composition and soil bulk density, etc. This dataset is aimed to provide basic data for the biogeochemical cycling process of air-water-soil-plant in desert system and theoretical reference for restoration and conservation of desert ecosystem.