Assess graduate-level understanding of the mechanisms controlling soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization in temperate forest ecosystems, focusing on biological drivers (microbial decomposition, mycorrhizal and root inputs, priming effects), physico-chemical controls (aggregation, mineral/clay associations, sorption, occlusion), environmental modulators (temperature, moisture, redox dynamics), and common methodological approaches (fractionation, incubations, isotopic tracing); evaluate how these processes interact across scales and the implications for carbon sequestration and forest management.