Soil Organic Matter Fraction Carbon and Nitrogen Contents from UK Topsoil

100 topsoil samples from Great Britain provide carbon and nitrogen content measurements for soil organic matter fractions, including free-light fraction, occluded particulate fraction, and mineral associated organic matter. Data originates from the UKCEH Countryside Survey conducted in 2019-2020, with associated historic soil and vegetation data available.

Use Cases

• Model relationships between soil organic carbon (SOC) and mineral associated organic matter (MAOM) fractions across 100 samples.
• Analyze carbon content distribution between free-light fraction (LF) and occluded particulate fraction (OF) to assess soil organic matter stability.
• Compare total soil nitrogen (TN) with nitrogen content in particulate organic matter (POM) fractions for nutrient cycling studies.
• Correlate soil organic matter (SOM from loss-on-ignition) measurements with specific fraction data to validate estimation methods.

Strengths

• Includes 100 distinct topsoil samples from a standardized national survey.
• Provides measurements for seven specific soil organic matter fractions and aggregates.
• Data is linked to the broader UKCEH Countryside Survey collection for contextual soil and vegetation variables.

Limitations

• Sample size of 100 may limit statistical power for detailed regional or habitat-specific analyses.
• Data is restricted to topsoil (0 15 cm depth), excluding subsoil properties.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre, UKCEH Countryside Survey.

Collection Method

Soil sampling and laboratory analysis of carbon and nitrogen content for defined organic matter fractions.

Time Range

2019-2020.

Freshness

Data from 2019-2020 survey, with record updated in March 2026.

Geography

Great Britain.