Dataset on Ecological Restoration Enhancing Carbon Stocks in Drylands

Ecological restoration enhances dryland carbon stock by reducing surface soil carbon loss due to wind erosion. PNAS, 2024 Vol. 121, e2416281121. Ecological restoration is widely hypothesized to enhance ecosystem carbon stocks by stimulating plant photosynthetic carbon fixation. However, the role of vegetation in mitigating dryland soil carbon loss from wind erosion is often overlooked. This study distinguishes the contributions of increased plant carbon input and reduced wind erosion carbon loss to ecosystem carbon stocks under ecological restoration through a comprehensive regional survey covering an area of 3.14 million km2 and a 13-year manipulative experiment in China's drylands. Contrary to widely accepted consensus, enhanced plant growth contributes little to increased carbon stocks under ecological restoration, which is predominantly caused by reduced surface soil carbon loss due to suppressed wind erosion. This finding reveals a novel but often-overlooked mechanism enhancing dryland carbon stocks.