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Forest Research home > Research > Woodlands & the environment > Integrated forest monitoring > Long term monitoring of forest ecosystems > GB plots and summary data > Thetford > Measurements

Thetford Level II plot - Soil analysis

Soil profile
DepthHorizonDetail
3 cmLFPine needles, pine cones, twigs and bracken fronds; smooth and abrupt boundary.
0 to 13 cmAhVery dark greyish brown (10 YR 3/2) sand; few stones, medium subangular flints, (up to 2 cm length); single grain structure with < 5% granular, weakly developed; very few coarse and few fine woody roots; no coats; no concretions; no mottles; no nodules; ill-defined boundary forming a transitional layer 11 cm thick
13 to 24 cmE(g)Very dark greyish brown (10 YR 3/2) becoming strong brown (7.5 YR 4/6) loamy sand; Transitional very few coarse and few fine woody roots.
24 to 50 cmBwStrong brown (7.5 YR 4/6) sandy loam; well defined layer of stones 33 - 37 cm deep composed primarily of sub angular flints 7 - 8 cm length lying parallel to surface of BC; single grain structure; very few, fine woody roots; non calcareous; no coats; no concretions; no mottles; no nodules; undulating abrupt boundary; dry matrix colour
50 to 80+ cm2BCVery pale brown (10 YR 7/4) sand; sub angular flint (broken, up to 10 cm), surrounded chalk stones and rock fragments in a calcareous matrix of abundant fine to coarse gravel with internal specks of Fe oxide; massive structure; very few fine roots; no coats; no concretions

Soil chemistry and particle size distribution (%) data are also available for various horizons (sample date: 27/06/95). Contact Rona Pitman.