The researchers studied soil in a desert oasis to see how different factors affect the amount of organic and inorganic carbon in the soil. They found that irrigated desert soil had the highest organic carbon content, while aeolian sandy soil had the highest inorganic carbon content. Soil moisture and nutrients were highest in irrigated desert soil and lowest in aeolian sandy soil. Salinity was high in all soil types except irrigated desert soil. The most important factors affecting soil carbon content were total nitrogen, available phosphorus, soil moisture, and groundwater depth. Soil carbon content was strongly correlated with these factors, as well as with available potassium and pH. Other environmental factors did not have a significant impact on soil carbon content.