The England Ecosystem Survey (EES) project, part of The Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme, which is funded by Defra. EES collects soil data for a range of measured variables. This document is for the users of the England Ecosystem Survey (EES) data and those interested in its methods. It describes the field methods used to collect the Year 1 EES Soil Sampling and Assessment Survey data. This includes detailed instructions of the preparation required for each survey, the workflow during a survey, the management of soil samples after collection, and the equipment required.
The soil surveys are carried out in 16 × 16 m Soil Plots. Each Soil Plot has a 2 x 2 m Vegetation Plot in its centre (surveyed in the Vegetation and Landscape Survey). The Soil Plots are randomly distributed within 1 x 1 km main sampling units, called Monads, where all other EES features are located as well. Every year a stratified random sample of Monads, representing the diversity of England and its regions, is surveyed. The period from March 2023 to March 2024 was the first year of 5-year monitoring cycle. The survey involves taking soil samples for laboratory analysis and assessments done in the field. The samples are sent for analysis of physical, chemical and biological soil properties. The assessments done in the field include Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure, counting of earthworms, and where present, measuring peat depth.