Robinson, D.A. et al

Topsoil physico-chemical properties from the UKCEH Countryside Survey, Great Britain, 2019

Name: Topsoil physico-chemical properties from the UKCEH Countryside Survey, Great Britain, 2019
Published: 2020-10-06

https://doi.org/10.5285/aaada12b-0af0-44ba-8ffc-5e07f410f435 Cite this dataset

THIS DATASET HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED The latest version is Topsoil physico-chemical properties from the UKCEH Countryside Survey, Great Britain, 2018-2019

The authors discovered an error in the data. Bulk density was calculated from air dry soil, not oven dry soil. The error will have also impacted calculations of gravimetric water content; that would include the following variables: GWC_FE_D, C_FE_GWC_W and C_FE_VWC. There are also a small number of errors in the plot IDs but this will only be relevant if matching data to the paired botanical data.

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This dataset consists of measures of topsoil (0-15cm) physico-chemical properties from soils sampled from the first 100 1km squares across Great Britain in 2019 as part of a rolling soil and vegetation monitoring program of 500 1km squares repeated every 5 years. The properties included are: soil organic matter (loss on ignition (LOI)), derived carbon concentration, total soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen, Olsen-phosphorous, pH, electrical conductivity, soil bulk density of fine earth and fine earth volumetric water content.

The UKCEH Countryside Survey is a unique study or 'audit' of the natural resources of the UK's countryside. The sample sites are chosen from a stratified random sample, based on a 15 by 15 km grid of GB. Surveys have been carried out in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1998 and 2007 by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and predecessors, with repeated visits to the majority of squares. The countryside is sampled and surveyed using rigorous scientific methods, allowing us to compare new results with those from previous surveys. In this way, we can detect the gradual and subtle changes that occur in the UK's countryside over time. In addition to soil data, vegetation species data are also gathered by the current phase of the Countryside Survey.

This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability.

Publication date: 2020-10-06

Format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

Spatial information

Study area
Spatial representation type: Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system: OSGB 1936 / British National Grid

Temporal information

Temporal extent: 2019-05-01 to 2019-09-30

Provenance & quality

Within each of 100 x 1km sample squares, a set of soil samples were taken from 5 pre-determined randomly dispersed locations (where practically possible). The soil sample analysed for soil metrics was taken using a black plastic core ('C-core'), 15cm long, from a location co-incident with vegetation surveys.

After collection, the soil cores were refrigerated and stored until posted, usually within a couple of days, to laboratories at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Bangor and Lancaster. Analysed data were transferred to secure databases at UKCEH following sample analysis.

Citations

Seaton, F.M., Robinson, D.A., Monteith, D., Lebron, I., Bürkner, P., Tomlinson, S., Emmett, B. A., & Smart, S. M. (2022). Fifty years of reduction in sulphur deposition drives recovery in soil pH and plant communities. In Journal of Ecology (Vol. 111, Issue 2, pp. 464-478). https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14039

Supplemental information

UKCEH Countryside Survey

Project website