ABoVE: Active Layer Soil Characteristics at Selected Sites Across Alaska

This dataset provides soil active layer characteristics from nine locations across Alaska. Soil samples were collected in 2016 except for one site which was sampled in 2018. Soil cores were collected from each site using a steel barrel and plastic sample tube attached to a hand drill. At the majority of sites, samples were taken from each end of three 30-m transects (i.e. samples collected at the 0 m and 30 m location of each transect). The entire thawed horizon (active layer) was sampled where possible, and the length of cores varies among sites. Cores were kept frozen until analysis in the lab. Samples were sectioned by horizon (organic and mineral), and the organic horizon was split into subsections so that no section was longer than approximately 10 cm. Coarse roots were removed, dried and weighed. Soils were measured for gravimetric water content, percent soil organic matter (SOM), pH, and bulk density. Locations were selected to investigate fire disturbance, to span the range of permafrost regions from continuous to sporadic, and to cover vegetation types from boreal forests, tussock tundra, upland willow/herbaceous scrub, and lowland fen and wet tundra sites across Alaska. The data are provided in comma-separated values (CSV) format.