A dataset of soil carbon flux in Xishuangbanna tropical rainforest ecosystem from 2003 to 2008

Abstract

Long-term and large-scale carbon flux data supports research on key processes of the global carbon and water cycle. Soil is the largest carbon pool in the terrestrial ecosystem. Small variations in soil carbon can significantly impact the carbon budgets of terrestrial ecosystems. Tropical forest is a crucial carbon sink in the world. However, there have been some reports indicating a decrease in soli carbon levels, potentially approaching neutrality, as a result of soil carbon degradation caused by global changing. Thus, the long-term and continuous observation of soil carbon flux is of great significance for evaluating the role of soil carbon in the tropical carbon cycle. ChinaFLUX Observation and Research Network (ChinaFLUX) has not only conducted the observation and research on carbon flux by using vorticity correlation technology, but also carried out the long-term observation and research on surface CO2 flux by using the box method. In this dataset, we collected and sorted out the soil CO2 emission flux data and conventional meteorological data of Xishuangbanna tropical rain forest ecosystem from January 2003 to August 2008 according to the static box observation method and data quality control management of greenhouse gas emissions. The dataset consists of three types of files at daily, monthly and yearly scales, covering surface CO2 flux, pressure, atmospheric temperature, soil temperature (5 cm) and soil water content (5 cm). It is expected to provide essential data for estimating carbon balance and understanding carbon cycle processes at both tropical and global scales.