Background and aim <p>Soil organic carbon (SOC) stability is the ability of SOC to resist decomposition, which may largely determine the direction and strength of carbon-climate feedback. Clarifying the spatial variation of SOC stability in coastal shelterbelt forests is essential for accurately predicting soil carbon dynamics under future climate change and improving understanding of the carbon sink function of coastal ecosystems. However, comprehensive assessments of SOC stability using integrated characterization methods remain limited.</p> Methods <p>In the Yellow River Delta, we investigated seven plant communities across three types of coastal shelterbelt forests (<i>i.e.</i>, wave cutter, backbone, and longitudinal-inland shelterbelt forests) and evaluated SOC stability using laboratory incubation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis.</p> Results <p>SOC stability was the highest in the wave cutter forest and lowest in the longitudinal-inland shelterbelt forest. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that the total effect values of minerals and salinity on SOC stability were 0.64 and 0.46, respectively. The higher SOC stability in the wave cutter forest could be explained by enhanced mineral protection and increased soil salinity. This study provides evidence for integrated multi-method characterization of SOC stability and reveals that SOC stability is co-regulated by mineral protection and salinity in coastal shelterbelt forests, highlighting the importance of these factors in estimating soil carbon-climate feedbacks across coastal shelterbelt forests.</p>