Spatial Variability of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in Desert Steppes of China’s Hexi Corridor

Stock estimates are critical to quantifying carbon and nitrogen sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, understanding key biogeochemical processes (i.e., soil nutrient cycling). Many studies have assessed organic matter nutrients in different ecosystems. However, the spatial distribution of influencing factors arid desert steppe remain unclear. Here, we investigated ( SOC ) total STN a depth 100 cm at 126 sites northwestern China. contents decreased with increasing depth; highest average were 12.70 0.65 g kg ?1 surface 5 cm, lowest from 80 (4.49 0.16 , respectively). density SOCD STND averaged 8.94 0.45 m ?2 respectively. The top 1 soils stored approximately 1,041 Tg 52 study area. Geostatistical analysis showed strong moderate autocorrelation for layers, but gradually weakened depth. southwest northeast area, along an elevation gradient. Both significantly positively correlated topographic variables, precipitation, normalized-difference vegetation index, negatively temperature aridity. More than 40% variation was explained by elevation, which dominant factor. data high-resolution maps this will support future analyses.