Deep-soil carbon changes at 62 European beech stands in the Vienna Woods, Austria, 1984-2022

This dataset comprises repeated soil, vegetation, and site measurements from long-term forest monitoring in the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald), Austria, part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Wienerwald” (48.1°–48.3° N, 15.8°–16.3° E). The study focuses on pure, naturally regenerated European beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands, initially sampled in 1984 and resampled in 2012 and 2022 . Elevations range from ~180 to 800 m a.s.l., with mean annual temperatures of 8–9 °C and precipitation of 600–900 mm. Soil samples were collected from three mineral soil depths (0–5 cm, 30–40 cm, and 80–90 cm) following consistent protocols across sampling years. Variables include total, organic, and inorganic carbon, total nitrogen and sulfur, exchangeable base cations (Ca, Mg, K), pH, total Fe and Mn, fine soil mass, bulk density, rock content, soil texture, and root biomass. Stocks were calculated. Leaf nutrient concentrations (C, N, S, P, Ca, Mg, K) were determined in all sampling years. Dendrochronological measurements were conducted to determine growth trends since stand establishment, and stand-level characteristics (tree density, DBH, aboveground biomass, crown vitality, slope, aspect) were recorded. Site-level climate data (mean annual temperature, annual precipitation) from 1961 to present and atmospheric deposition data for N and S (1990, 2012, 2022) were integrated from national and European gridded datasets. The dataset supports long-term assessments of soil carbon and nutrient dynamics, forest productivity, and environmental change impacts in old-growth beech forests. Data collection is complete for the 1984, 2012, and 2022 campaigns; no ongoing sampling is planned.