Effects of shrub encroachment on vertical changes in soil organic carbon in Mongolian grasslands: using a multi-biomarker approach

Aims In recent decades, ecologists have investigated the effects of shrub encroachment on regional carbon cycling in semi-arid and arid regions. Although differences in carbon sequestration and stocks have been recognized in different soil layers, the vertical changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) at the molecular level following shrub encroachment remain unexplored. In this study, we used biomarkers to assess the impacts of shrub encroachment on SOC composition.