Topsoil microbe data - Bacteria. Data is representative of 0 - 15 cm soil depth and includes bacterial community structure as assessed by ordination scores, Shannon diversity index and Simpson diversity index. Over 1000 samples from 233 1km x 1km squares across Great Britain were sampled in 2007 and analysed. See Emmett et al. 2010 for further details of sampling and Griffiths et al. 2011 for further details of methods. Estimates of mean values within selected habitats and parent material characteristics across GB were made using Countryside Survey (CS) data from 2007 using a mixed model approach. The estimated means of habitat/parent material combinations using 2007 data are modelled on dominant habitat and parent material characteristics derived from the Land Cover Map 2007 and Parent Material Model 2009, respectively. The parent material characteristic used was that which minimised AIC in each model (see dataset documentation). Please see Scott, 2008 for further details of similar statistical analysis. Areas, such as urban and littoral rock, are not sampled by CS and therefore have no associated data. Also, in some circumstances sample sizes for particular habitat/parent material combinations were insufficient to estimate mean values.

References:
Emmett, B.A., Frogbrook, Z.L., Chamberlain P.M., Griffiths R., Pickup R., Poskitt, J., Reynolds B., Rowe E., Rowland P., Spurgeon D., Wilson J., Wood, C.M. (2008). Countryside Survey Technical Report No.03/07: Soils Manual. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5201/1/CS_UK_2007_TR3%5B1%5D.pdf

Griffiths, R.I.; Thomson, B.C.; James, P.; Bell, T.; Bailey, M.; Whiteley, A.S. (2011). The bacterial biogeography of British soils. Environmental Microbiology, 13 (6). 1642-1654. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02480.x

Scott, W.A. (2008). CS Technical Report No.4/07: Statistical Report. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5202/1/CS_UK_2007_TR4%5B1%5D.pdf