Version: 0.0.2 | Published: 27 Jun 2024 | Updated: 290 days ago
Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) Soil and Earthworm Survey
Dataset
Documentation
Associated Media:
Description:
Since 2007, OPAL's citizen scientists have collectively built a wealth of environmental data. To ensure that this rich source of information may continue to be used by researchers and the wider public, spreadsheets containing data for OPAL's core UK-wide surveys can be downloaded using the links on this page.
Soil is one of the world’s most precious natural resources. It is vital for plant growth, providing food and materials for humans and animals; it regulates water by filtering out pollutants and can reduce flood risks; and it is home to a vast array of animals. Despite all these vital functions, much less is known about soil than air or water. Soil is made up of water, air, minerals and organic matter. Soil properties are influenced by the bedrock beneath it, the local environment, the plants that grow on it, and the animals that move through it. Of these animals, earthworms are one of the most important to soil structure and fertility.
The OPAL Soil and Earthworm Survey was created to find out more about soil and earthworms and investigate the relationships between earthworm species and habitats and soil types.
The survey contains five activities:
Digging a soil pit to take a soil sample
Investigating the properties of the soil sample (e.g. hardness, moistness, pH, texture)
Recording the different species of earthworm
Searching for earthworms in other habitats
Recording other organisms found in the soil sample
Is Part Of:
NOT APPLICABLE
Coverage
Spatial
Geographical Levels:
county
Temporal
Start Date:
01 January 2007
End Date:
31 December 2019
Frequency:
STATIC
Provenance
Source:
Survey
Purpose:
Study
Collection Situation:
Collect
Access and Governance
Usage
Data Use Requirements:
- DISCLOSURE CONTROL
- PUBLICATION REQUIRED
- RETURN TO DATABASE OR RESOURCE
Access
Access Rights:
Jurisdiction:
- England and Wales
- Scotland
Data Controller:
Imperial College London
Format and Standards
Languages:
ENGLISH
Origin
Name:
Data Catalogue