Labile soil organic carbon levels vary with different types of vegetation along an elevation gradient in west Sichuan, China. The researchers used chemical and physical methods to measure different types of organic carbon in the soil. They found that easily oxidized carbon, particulate organic matter carbon, and light fraction organic carbon decrease with soil depth. Higher elevation vegetation types have higher labile organic carbon content. The different types of organic carbon are related to each other. Organic carbon content decreases with mean annual temperature.