An open-source database for the synthesis of soil radiocarbon data: International Soil Radiocarbon Database (ISRaD) version 1.0
Authors: Lawrence Corey R. , Beem-Miller Jeffrey , Hoyt Alison M. , Monroe Grey , Sierra Carlos A. , Stoner Shane , Heckman Katherine , Blankinship Joseph C. , Crow Susan E. , McNicol Gavin , Trumbore Susan , Levine Paul A. , Vindušková Olga , Todd-Brown Katherine , Rasmussen Craig , Hicks Pries Caitlin E. , Schädel Christina , McFarlane Karis , Doetterl Sebastian , Hatté Christine , He Yujie , Treat Claire , Harden Jennifer W. , Torn Margaret S. , Estop-Aragonés Cristian , Asefaw Berhe Asmeret , Keiluweit Marco , Della Rosa Kuhnen Ágatha , Marin-Spiotta Erika , Plante Alain F. , Thompson Aaron , Shi Zheng , Schimel Joshua P. , Vaughn Lydia J. S. , von Fromm Sophie F. , Wagai Rota 
Published: January 2020

Abstract. Radiocarbon is a critical constraint on our estimates of
the timescales of soil carbon cycling that can aid in identifying mechanisms
of carbon stabilization and destabilization and improve the forecast of soil
carbon response to management or environmental change. Despite the wealth of
soil radiocarbon data that have been reported over the past 75 years, the
ability to apply these data to global-scale questions is limited by our
capacity to synthesize and compare measurements generated using a variety of
methods. Here, we present the International Soil Radiocarbon Database
(ISRaD; http://soilradiocarbon.org, last access: 16 December 2019), an open-source archive of soil data that
include reported measurements from bulk soils, distinct soil carbon pools
isolated in the laboratory by a variety of soil fractionation methods,
samples of soil gas or water collected interstitially from within an intact
soil profile, CO2 gas isolated from laboratory soil incubations, and
fluxes collected in situ from a soil profile. The core of ISRaD is a relational
database structured around individual datasets (entries) and organized
hierarchically to report soil radiocarbon data, measured at different
physical and temporal scales as well as other soil or environmental
properties that may also be measured and may assist with interpretation and
context. Anyone may contribute their own data to the database by entering it
into the ISRaD template and subjecting it to quality assurance protocols.
ISRaD can be accessed through (1) a web-based interface, (2) an R package
(ISRaD), or (3) direct access to code and data through the GitHub
repository, which hosts both code and data. The design of ISRaD allows for
participants to become directly involved in the management, design, and
application of ISRaD data. The synthesized dataset is available in two
forms: the original data as reported by the authors of the datasets and an
enhanced dataset that includes ancillary geospatial data calculated within
the ISRaD framework. ISRaD also provides data management tools in the
ISRaD-R package that provide a starting point for data analysis; as an
open-source project, the broader soil community is invited and encouraged
to add data, tools, and ideas for improvement. As a whole, ISRaD provides
resources to aid our evaluation of soil dynamics across a range of spatial
and temporal scales. The ISRaD v1.0 dataset is
archived and freely available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2613911 (Lawrence et al., 2019).