Lv_Plant-derived organic carbon mainly contributes to soil organic carbon as the community succeeds after glacier retreat_dataset

Understanding plant community succession and soil development and their relationships after glacier retreat is crucial for predicting the contribution of newly formed periglacial regions to local and global biodiversity as well as climate regulation. Based on field surveys of subtropical mountain glaciers on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, we find that peak plant diversity is found, and higher plant diversity causes higher soil organic carbon over glacier retreat durations. Plant-derived organic carbon contributes more to the increase in SOC compared with microbe-derived organic carbon. This stored SOC may face the risk of being rapidly decomposed and released by microorganisms under future warming. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the protection of these newly formed fragile ecosystems.