UK Grassland Soil Biological and Chemical Properties from Fertilizer Trials (2016)

Soil nitrogen gene data, biodiversity indices, and microbial community composition were measured at three depths across 16 plots per site in a UK grassland fertilizer trial. Data includes soil chemical parameters like nitrate, ammonium, dissolved organic carbon, and biological measures like microbial biomass carbon. Measurements were collected between April and October 2016 at three UK research stations for the Newton Fund UK-China Virtual Joint Centre.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between fertilizer treatments (urea, urea-inhibitors, ammonium-nitrate) and soil nitrate or ammonium levels across three soil depths.
• Model microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen as a function of soil chemical parameters like pH, dissolved organic carbon, and total phosphorus.
• Compare soil biodiversity indices and microbial community composition between control plots and plots receiving different fertilizer applications.
• Investigate temporal changes in parameters like amino acids and peptides or permanganate oxidizable carbon across sampling times (before fertilizer, peak growth, before last cut).

Strengths

• Data collected from 16 plots per site across three distinct UK grassland research stations, providing geographic replication.
• Includes measurements for over 20 soil chemical and biological parameters, such as nitrate, ammonium, pH, and microbial biomass.
• Samples were taken at three soil depths (0-15, 15-30, 30-60 cm) and at three key time points relative to fertilizer application and silage cuts.

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally limited to a single growing season (April to October 2016), preventing analysis of long-term trends.
• Sample size is constrained to 16 plots per site within a specific experimental design, which may limit statistical power for some comparisons.
• Soil physico-chemical parameters are stored in a separate related dataset, requiring a join for a complete analysis.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre, with measurements by Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bangor University, and Rothamsted Research.

Collection Method

Samples collected from a randomized complete block design fertilizer trial on three-cut silage plots, with parameters measured following fertilizer applications.

Time Range

April 2016 to October 2016

Freshness

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Geography

Three UK grassland sites: North Wyke in Devon, Henfaes Research Station in North Wales, and Easter Bush in Scotland.