Soil carbon stocks and nutrient stratification differ across age-related development stages of oriental beech forests in northwestern Türkiye

Studies on stand development and nutrient dynamics in temperate forests have reported inconsistent patterns, indicating that underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study examined soil and forest floor properties across four stand development stages (young, middle-aged, mature, and overmature) in Oriental beech ( Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests in Northwestern Türkiye, integrating forest floor chemistry with soil carbon and nutrient stocks across the full 0–100 cm soil profile. A total of 32 plots (eight per stage) were established, and soil samples were collected from four depth intervals (0–10, 10–30, 30–60, and 60–100 cm). Soil analyses covered bulk density, fine earth content (