Spatial and temporal dynamics of soil organic carbon in landscapes of the upper Blue Nile Basin of the Ethiopian Highlands

•We studied soil organic C and land use in the upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia.•There is more recalcitrant organic matter in shrub- than in grass- or croplands.•It is more difficult to sequester C into an eroded than a non-eroded soil.•Conversion to shrubland shows high potential to restore recalcitrant soil C.•Current management at the sites of croplands and grasslands is not sustainable. The purpose of this study was to characterize the soil organic carbon dynamics associated with four land-uses (cropland, grassland, shrubland, and forestland) in the upper Blue Nile Basin of the Ethiopian Highlands. We collected diverse biophysical data to allow spatial variability of soil organic carbon and factors contributing to this variation to be determined statistically, and used well established simulation models to interpret the data, predict long-term carbon dynamics and determine the potential for improvements in soil quality and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. The spatial variation in soil organic carbon in the 0–20cm soil depth was significant across study areas (P