Soil hydraulic and hydrological data from seven field sites in the Thames catchment, UK, 2021

Observational data of soil physical and hydraulic properties are important for improving our understanding of hydrological processes. This is particularly relevant given current interest in the potential of land-based “natural flood management” measures (and related concepts: “nature-based solutions” and “working with natural processes”) to reduce flood risk. Therefore, a detailed survey of seven field sites under different land-uses and management practices in the Thames catchment, UK, was undertaken as part of the “LANDWISE” project. Measurements (n = 1300) included soil bulk density, estimated porosity, soil moisture and soil moisture retention, surface infiltration rate, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Field sites comprised three arable fields on shallow soils over Limestone, two arable fields on free draining loamy soils over Chalk, and permanent grassland and broadleaf woodland on slowly permeable soil over Mudstone. Soil sampling points covered infield areas, trafficked areas (e.g. tramlines), and untrafficked margins. Samples were generally taken at five depths ranging from the soil surface to 100 cm below ground level. Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity measurements were made at 25 and 45 cm depths. Soil samples and measurements were taken between April and October 2021, with repeats taken pre- and post-harvest (arable sites). These data provide valuable insight into the hydrological behaviour of soils under contrasting management, including both conventional and innovative agricultural practices (e.g. herbal leys, mob grazing and controlled traffic). Dataset applications include: improving the performance of hydrological and land surface models, and validation of remotely-sensed soil observations. The dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5285/a32f775b-34dd-4f31-aafa-f88450eb7a90 (Trill et al., 2022).