UKCEH, Soil Health, Laura Bentley.
Abstract
This presentation focuses on the UKCEH National Soil Monitoring program, which provides long-term, nationally representative data on soil condition and its changes across the UK. With over five decades of monitoring, it aims to understand soil changes, their drivers, and their implications for the future. The program uses a robust statistical design with stratified-random sampling and a rolling five-year monitoring cycle, focusing on the top 15 cm of soil. The presentation highlights key integration opportunities, such as linking soil health indicators to ecosystem functions and services, collaborating with the modeling community to inform policy, and ensuring compatibility of measurements across the UK and with EU initiatives.