Topsoil Particle Size and Carbon Measurements Across Great Britain 2018-2023

Countryside Survey data provides particle size distribution, electrical conductivity, and total and inorganic carbon measurements for topsoil (0-15cm depth). The dataset covers a five-year monitoring period from 2018 to 2023, including a pilot year, across the geography of Great Britain. It originates from the UK's longest integrated national countryside monitoring programme, which began in 1978.

Use Cases

• Model relationships between soil particle size distribution and total carbon content to predict soil carbon sequestration potential.
• Analyze spatial patterns of topsoil electrical conductivity as an indicator of salinity or nutrient levels across Great Britain.
• Assess changes in inorganic carbon (CaCO3) levels over the 2018-2023 monitoring period within the survey's national framework.
• Investigate correlations between aggregate size distribution/stability metrics from 2019 and other measured soil properties.

Strengths

• Data from the UK's longest integrated national countryside monitoring programme, established in 1978.
• Covers a defined five-year monitoring period from 2018 to 2023, including a pilot sampling year.
• Provides measurements for multiple key soil properties: particle size, conductivity, and carbon forms.

Limitations

• Sample size (row count) and specific column structure are unknown, limiting assessment of analytical scope.
• Lack of sample data prevents verification of data formats, value ranges, and potential missing data patterns.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Countryside Survey monitoring programme sampling of topsoil (0-15cm depth).

Time Range

2018 to 2023

Freshness

null

Geography

Great Britain