Abbreviations: CK, control with no fertilizer; CMR, C mineralization rate; CMR, Fed, diothionate extractable iron oxides; Feo, oxalate-extractable iron oxides; MBC, microbial biomass C; NPK, Chemical fertilizer; NPKM, 50% chmical fertilizer plus manure; NPKS, 100% chemical fertilizer plus straw; NPKMOI, 20% chemical fertilizer plus manure organic-inorganic compound fertilizer; SCMR, specific C mineralization rate; SOC, soil organic C; SRO, short-ranged order. S oil organic carbon constitutes the largest terrestrial C reservoir in the global C cycle (Heimann and Reichstein, 2008). The long-term storage and stability of SOC have a profound influence on soil fertility enhancement, food security improvement, and global warming mitigation (Lal, 2004). Furthermore, SOC is closely associated with a wide range of soil biogeochemistries and thus plays an important role in improving soil quality and agro-ecosystem productivity (Reeves, 1997). Therefore, C sequestration in agricultural soils by increasing organic amendment inputs has long been considered an important issue in increasing the SOC content and the mechanisms underlying the accumulation of SOC have drawn increasing attention Wen et al., 2014 • Oxalate extractable iron oxides contributed to soil organic carbon sequestration.• Soil organic carbon from 20 to 40 cm was more labile than that from 0 to 20 cm.• Oxalate extractable iron oxides preferentially preserved aromatic compounds.