Soil Moisture, Temperature, and Earthworm Data from Yorkshire Farm Transects

Field measurements from arable fields and ley strips at four farms in North Yorkshire, England, collected in May 2016. The dataset includes soil moisture, soil temperature, soil bulk density, and earthworm abundance and biomass data from pits excavated along transects. Sampling was conducted by Miranda Prendergast-Miller and colleagues as part of the SoilBioHedge project.

Use Cases

• Analyze correlations between soil moisture, soil temperature, and earthworm abundance to model habitat suitability.
• Assess the impact of ley strips versus arable fields on soil bulk density and earthworm biomass as indicators of soil quality.
• Model spatial distribution of earthworm abundance along transects from hedgerows using field-collected pit data.

Strengths

• Data includes three key soil measurements (moisture, temperature, bulk density) alongside biological data (earthworm abundance, biomass).
• Sampling occurred at four distinct farm locations (Little Langton, Hutton Wandesley, Overton, Whenby) providing geographic variation.
• Collection dates are precisely documented (12-26 May 2016).

Limitations

• The dataset has been withdrawn, which may indicate issues with data availability or quality.
• Sample size (number of pits or rows) is unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.
• Data is from a single two-week period in 2016, limiting analysis of seasonal or long-term trends.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Pits excavated and soil hand-sorted for earthworms; mustard solution poured into pits to collect emerging earthworms; earthworms preserved in ethanol and identified with a field key; soil moisture, temperature, and bulk density measured at each pit.

Time Range

12-26 May 2016

Freshness

null

Geography

Farms at Little Langton, Hutton Wandesley, Overton, and Whenby, North Yorkshire, England