Key soil attributes and land-management dataset for Australian agroecosystems linking baseline and resampling surveys
Year: 2026
Type: data-paper
Abstract: The Soil Organic Carbon Monitoring project provides a dataset from 308 agricultural sites distributed across Australia's major farming regions, integrating soil attributes (biological, chemical and physical) and elemental properties with detailed temporal land-management information. Baseline soil samples were collected between 2009 and 2012 under the Soil Carbon Research Program, and the same sites were resampled between 2022 and 2025. The dataset includes laboratory measurements of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH of 1:5 soil/water suspension, pH of 1:5 soil/0.01 M calcium chloride extract, electrical conductivity (EC) of 1:5 soil/water extract, whole-soil bulk density, permanganate-oxidisable carbon, and soil elemental composition measured by portable X-ray fluorescence for a wide suite of major and trace elements. Ten soil samples were collected at three depths (0 - 0.10, 0.10 - 0.20, and 0.20 - 0.30 m) on a 25 × 25 m grid, except for the rangeland sites, where a large polygon area was used as the sampling support. At some sites, cores were kept separate (not composited based on the depth supports, known as detailed sites), while at other sites, they were composited at each depth support. Particle size distribution and direct measurements of soil organic carbon fractions (particulate, humic and resistant carbon) were performed on a spatially representative subset of 300 samples, selected to capture variability in soil properties inferred through the gathered infrared spectral datasets for the whole dataset. In addition, paddock-level land-management histories spanning 2010-2023 document crop and pasture types, tillage and residue management, fertiliser application, irrigation status, and grazing. These records enable estimation of annual carbon inputs using a multi-model crop simulation ensemble. All components are spatially referenced and interoperable, allowing integration of soil properties, agriculture management practices, and positional data. This resource supports benchmarking of SOC stocks and changes, evaluation of management impacts, and development of monitoring, reporting, and verification frameworks for soil carbon and soil health in Australian agroecosystems.
Source: Scientific Data
Authors: Chiara Pasut, Christina Asanopoulos, Xueyu Zhao, Mark Farrell, Ming Li, Andrea Powell, Georgia Reed, Paul Adkins, Thomas Carter, Anna McBeath, Janine McGowan, Sheridan Morton, Steve Szarvas, Kumara Weligama, David Beutel, Hue Dang, Sara Ormond, Bonnie Armour, Glenn Brown, Doug Crawford, Mary Garrard, Frances Hoyle, Ronny Lauerwald, Raia Silvia Massad, Malcom McCaskill, Massimiliano De Antoni Migliorati, Rob Moreton, Tamara O’Keeffe, Katherine Polain, Steven Reeves, Amanda Schapel, Liz Stower, Brian Wilson, Senani Karunaratne
Institutions: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Data61, Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, University of New England, Murdoch University, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Écologie Fonctionnelle et Écotoxicologie des Agroécosystèmes
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,490
OpenAlex ID: W7168276908