Dataset for "Shrub expansion promotes soil carbon stability and stock by increasing plant organic carbon molecular diversity in boreal peatland"

This dataset contains the underlying data supporting the findings of the study on shrub expansion effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) stability and stock in a boreal peatland. The field investigation was conducted along a Sphagnum-shrub transect in a permafrost-affected peatland in the Greater Khingan Mountains, northeastern China.The dataset includes the following measurements:Plant community composition and plant organic carbon (OC) molecular diversity index: Species-level carbon trait data derived from plant community surveys, used to calculate a novel plant OC molecular diversity index within the Shannon diversity framework. Soil organic carbon properties: SOC stock (kg C m⁻²), SOC fractions (including labile and recalcitrant pools), and SOC stability indices. Soil OC molecular composition: Molecular-level characterization of soil organic carbon, used to derive soil OC molecular diversity.Microbial properties: Microbial community structural complexity indicators and microbial necromass carbon (MNC) concentrations, including amino sugar biomarkers (e.g., glucosamine, muramic acid). Raw sequencing data for fungi (ITS), bacteria, and archaea (16S rRNA) are also included in the compressed file of this dataset.Environmental covariates: Basic soil physicochemical properties (e.g., soil moisture, pH, total nitrogen, bulk density) and site environmental variables.Data were collected through field sampling, laboratory analyses, and subsequent computational processing. All data are provided as processed numerical values in spreadsheet format.These data are suitable for researchers investigating plant-soil carbon feedbacks, vegetation change effects on soil carbon persistence, and molecular-scale mechanisms of SOC dynamics in high-latitude ecosystems. The dataset can be used for meta-analyses, model parameterization, or comparative studies across different peatland systems.