Henrys, P.A.; Keith, A.M.; Robinson, D.A.; Emmett, B.A.

Model estimates of topsoil pH and bulk density [Countryside Survey]

https://doi.org/10.5285/5dd624a9-55c9-4cc0-b366-d335991073c7 Cite this dataset

Countryside Survey topsoil pH and bulk density (g cm-3) data is representative of 0 - 15 cm soil depth. Topsoil pH was measured using 10g of field moist soil with 25ml de-ionised water giving a ratio of soil to water of 1:2.5 by weight; bulk density was estimated by making detailed weight measurements throughout the soil processing procedure. For topsoil pH and bulk density data, a total of 2614 cores from 591 1km x 1km squares across Great Britain were collected and analysed in 2007. Please see Emmett et al. 2010 for further details of sampling and methods (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5201/1/CS_UK_2007_TR3%5B1%5D.pdf).

Estimates of mean values within selected habitats and parent material characteristics across GB were made using CS data from 1978, 1998 and 2007 using a mixed model approach. Please see Scott, 2008 for further details of similar statistical analysis (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5202/1/CS_UK_2007_TR4%5B1%5D.pdf). 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).

The Countryside Survey looks at a range of physical, chemical and biological properties of the topsoil from a representative sample of habitats across the UK. Countryside Survey soils data are freely available under licence from the Environmental Information Data Centre catalogue.

Publication date: 2012-03-26

This dataset is part of the following

Model estimates of topsoil properties [Countryside Survey]

Where/When

Study area

Supplemental information

This dataset is referenced in:

JONES, R. A., BROPHY, P. M., MITCHELL, E. S., & WILLIAMS, H. W. (2016). Rumen fluke (Calicophoron daubneyi) on Welsh farms: prevalence, risk factors and observations on co-infection with Fasciola hepatica. Parasitology, 144(2), 237-247

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182016001797

Beamish, D. (2015). Relationships between gamma-ray attenuation and soils in SW England. Geoderma, 259–260, 174–186.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.05.018

Other useful information regarding this dataset:

Countryside Survey Soils Report from 2007

Emmett, B.A., Reynolds, B., Chamberlain, P.M., Rowe, E., Spurgeon, D., Brittain, S.A., Frogbrook, Z., Hughes, S., Lawlor, A.J., Poskitt, J., Potter, E., Robinson, D.A., Scott, A., Wood, C., Woods, C. (2010). Countryside Survey: Soils Report from 2007. Technical Report No. 9/07. NERC/Centre for Ecology & Hydrology 192pp. (CEH Project Number: C03259).

Countryside Survey Statistical Report

Scott, W.A. (2008). Countryside Survey: Statistical Report. Technical Report No. 4/07. NERC/Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Provenance & quality

Data used are taken from the Countryside Survey Soils Report (Emmett et al. 2010) which can be found at http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/9354/1/CS_UK_2007_TR9.pdf

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.