Organic Carbon, Bulk density and Coarse Fragment Data from Mined and Unmined Sites in Tigray, Ethiopia

This dataset is collected as part of my PhD study which results the titled “Mining-Induced Carbon Stock Dynamics Across Slope and Soil Depth Gradients of two Land uses in Tigray, Ethiopia”. This study investigates how traditional gold mining (TGM), a widespread but poorly regulated and mostly illegal mining practice in the African drylands, alters soil–landscape processes and organic carbon dynamics. Through a combination of stratified field sampling, slope- and depth-specific soil carbon analysis, and mediation modeling, we demonstrate that TGM significantly depletes soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks across hillslope gradients, particularly through the geomorphic accumulation of coarse fragments (CFs) and increased bulk density (BD).