This data set supports the investigation into belowground carbon sequestration potential of apple trees. Each of the five experiments had their own specific aims in determining the positive or negative effects on the amount of belowground carbon that could be stored over the life span of orchards. This included the planning, growing and end of orchard life stages. The five factors that were investigated were: 1) rootstock variety, 2) scion variety, 3) increasing atmospheric temperature, 4) orchard age, 5) stored soil C post-grubbing. The raw data has been provided for each experiment on Excel spreadsheets with additional documentation for the DNA results for ITs and 16s (soil fungi and bacteria) linked to differences under rootstock varieties. 
The data was collected from soil samples in either pot/rhizotron, in glasshouse or polytunnels, or from three field-based experiments of longer-term plantations. The soil samples from the glasshouse or polytunnel experiments were hand collected as the trees were being removed from the containers, they were grown in. The samples were then placed into labelled bags before lab analysis was conducted. The field-based studies used hand cores to collect samples 30cm from the tree’s trunk and 30cm deep into the soil from the surface, and again placed in labelled bags, stored at 5oC before lab analysis was conducted. Further information on the laboratory analysis methods used to collect the raw data and how the soil and biomass samples were collected can be found in the associated chapters in the thesis that this data set supports.