Data Products

GRACEnet

GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas Reductions through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network) is a contribution of field experiments led by USDA-ARS scientists across 19 states in the USA. All data reported are obtained following standardized protocols for soil, trace gas, and plant sampling. Soil carbon and/or GHG emissions data are collected for agricultural systems under a “business as usual” management and at least one the following additional scenarios: a system that maximizes C sequestration; a system that minimizes GHG emissions; or a system that maximizes environmental benefits by improving water, air, and soil quality. The available data spans 29 tables describing experimental design, management information, and collected measurements for these field experiments across 19 states in the USA.

  • Citation: S. J. Del Grosso et al., “Introducing the GRACEnet/REAP Data Contribution, Discovery, and Retrieval System,” J. Environ. Qual., vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 1274–1280, Jul. 2013, doi: 10.2134/jeq2013.03.0097

  • Dataset DOI: 10.15482/USDA.ADC/1235557
    License: CC0 1.0 DEED, CC0 1.0 Universal
    Number of sites: 57
    Number of observations: 235,848/519,623
    Temporal extent: 1981-2016
    Land use available: Cropland; Grazeland
    File format: .csv
    Number of files in the dataset: 33
    Dataset size: 363 MB

Global Soil Carbon Fractions: Regenerative + Conventional Croplands

This dataset is a collection of results from studies investigating the response of SOC pools to three soil management practices: tillage, cropping intensification, and integrated crop-livestock. Selected research was found on the Web of Science and Agricultural Online Access Database (AGRICOLA) and screened based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Additional criteria included required peer-reviewed, primary literature, measurements of SOC that were or could be combined to POC and MAOM, measurements of the response of POC and/or MAOM to soil management intervention with a control not treated with that intervention, and experimental treatments that included at least one of the soil management practices of interest. Studies where the treatment of interest was not isolated within the experimental design were excluded.

  • Citation: A. M. Prairie, A. E. King, and M. F. Cotrufo, “Restoring particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon through regenerative agriculture,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., vol. 120, no. 21, p. e2217481120, May 2023, doi: 10.1073/pnas.2217481120

    Dataset DOI: doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22688191.v2
    License: CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 International
    Number of sites: 142
    Number of observations: 1250
    Temporal extent: 1992-2020
    Land use available: Cropland
    File format: .csv
    Number of files in the dataset: 2
    Dataset size: 893 KB

  • Dataset DOI: doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22688191.v2
    License: CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 International
    Number of sites: 142
    Number of observations: 1250
    Temporal extent: 1992-2020
    Land use available: Cropland
    File format: .csv
    Number of files in the dataset: 2
    Dataset size: 893 KB

Global Soil Carbon Fractions: Managed and Unmanaged Ecosystems

This dataset combined collection of SOC fractions data (POC and MAOC) from published studies and additional generated data from NEON “megapit” soil samples. Literature review was conducted on Google Scholar and included data from observational studies and control plots of relevant field studies. Data from agricultural systems contain information for treatments to account for different management practices across landscapes. Soil samples from NEON “megapits” were collected from large, temporary soil pits dug to either 2m depth or bedrock at each of NEON’s 47 terrestrial research sites (insert link to NEON sites) for each SOC fraction (POC and MAOC) as well as bulk SOC.

  • Citation: P. M. Hansen, R. Even, A. E. King, J. Lavallee, M. Schipanski, and M. F. Cotrufo, “Distinct, direct and climate‐mediated environmental controls on global particulate and mineral‐associated organic carbon storage,” Glob. Change Biol., vol. 30, no. 1, p. e17080, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1111/gcb.17080

Global Time-Series Soil Carbon for DAYCENT and MEMS

This dataset was collected and curated by researchers at CSU to develop and parameterize the DAYCENT and MEMS models. Data come from 58 experimental field sites across the globe with rich historical data and repeated soil carbon measurements. This dataset has not been published in its entirety, although many datapoints are published across the literature as separate studies and publications.

  • Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10182813
    License: CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 International
    Number of sites: 149
    Number of observations: 2998
    Temporal extent: 1949-2018
    Land use available: Cropland; Grazeland; Grassland; Shrubland; Forest; Wetland; Tundra; Urban; Bare; Other
    File format: .csv
    Number of files in the dataset: 2
    Dataset size: 3.14 MB

Global N₂O Database

There are hundreds of sites globally that have N₂O emission data. However, methods vary across sites with a large variety of systems being examined. The Global N₂O Database was created to serve as a repository for these datasets as well as become a resource for publicly available data. These datasets have been joined in data sheets that use the same formatting, allowing for easy access and comparison of data sets. We hope that this data availability will lead to improvements in N₂O understanding and mitigation.

Global SOC: Grassland Management

This dataset is a synthesis of grassland ecosystem research investigating the influence of management and land use conversion on soil carbon. Included studies must have been designed so that management was the primary factor influencing soil carbon. A variety of management practices were reported, including fertilization, intensity of grazing management, introduction of earthworms, introduction of legumes and grasses, and irrigation.

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