Summary
This study validates an accessible index for assessing soil organic matter quality based on the ratio of soil organic carbon to clay content, tested across 3,809 sites from the National Soil Inventory of England and Wales (1978–83). The SOC/clay ratio provides quantifiable thresholds for distinguishing degraded, moderate, good, and very good soil structural conditions, with land use identified as the strongest explanatory variable. The authors propose the index as a practical tool for national and regional soil monitoring in European soils under similar climatic conditions.
UK applicability
The findings are directly applicable to UK soil management and monitoring, as the index was validated using comprehensive English and Welsh soil inventory data. The thresholds offer a readily implementable method for assessing soil health at national, regional, or sub-regional scales using routinely measured soil properties, potentially supporting UK soil policy and land management frameworks.
Key measures
Soil organic carbon (SOC) to clay ratio; soil structural quality classification; SOC/clay thresholds of 1/8, 1/10, and 1/13 demarcating structural condition boundaries; variance in SOC/clay ratio explained by land use, soil type, precipitation, and pH
Outcomes reported
The study tested an SOC/clay ratio index against 3,809 soil sites across England and Wales, establishing thresholds that distinguish between degraded, moderate, good, and very good soil structural conditions. The research quantified the prevalence of soil degradation across different land uses, finding 38.2% of arable sites, 6.6% of grassland sites, and 5.6% of woodland sites were classified as degraded.
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