Saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density and soil organic carbon content from three paired upland woodland and grassland sites in northern England, July 2019-April 2021

Soil bulk density rings, 5.3 cm in diameter were used to collect 5 cm long samples from each sample point. The samples were collected at the same point for depths of 2.5-7.5 cm, 12.5-17.5 cm, 22.5-27.5 cm, 32.5-37.5 cm, 42.5-47.5 cm, if the soil was deep enough. The samples were then brought to the laboratory and processed, while remaining in the same rings, on an Eijkelkamp 25 place permeameter to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity (reported in metres per day). Following these permeability measurements, the bulk density of the samples (grams per cubic centimetre) was determined through gravimetric assessment using oven drying at 105 deg C for 24 hours. For the upper two soil depths at each sampling point, soil organic carbon content was determined (reported as percentage of the total dry soil mass) via loss on ignition at 450 deg C for 5 hours.