Forestry England Soils

The vector dataset provides detailed (1:10,000) soil type information for part (approximately half) of the Nations Forests. The main soil groups are given and for most polygons, a lower level of Soil Type is also provided. Additionally, for each spatially mapped polygon, up to 3 different soils may be identified and their percentage occurrence within that unit specified. Whilst the soil codes and percentage values are provided for all three potential soils identified within a single polygon, only the primary soil type is identified by name. The Forestry Commission (FC) soil classification system, listed by Pyatt (1982), is the one most commonly used in forest soil survey work; by foresters, forest managers and within FC publications and was specifically constructed to serve silviculture, distinguishing soils on the basis of drainage and nutrition. This system was used within the Ecological Site Classification (ESC): a PC-based decision support system for British Forests. Inevitably, the FC soil classification system has evolved since its conception; some soil types have been removed, others introduced.

FC Soil Codes

Code Group Type

1 Brown Earth Typical brown earth

1d Brown Earth Basic brown earth

1u Brown Earth Upland brown earth

1z Brown Earth Podzolic brown earth

2 Man-made Soil

2s Man-made Soil Mining spoil coarse texture

2m Man-made Soil Mining spoil fine texture

3 Podzol Typical podzol

3m Podzol Hardpan podzol

4 Ironpan Soil Typical ironpan soil

4z Ironpan Soil Podzolic ironpan soil

4b Ironpan Soil Intergrade ironpan soil

5 Ground-water Gley Typical ground-water gley

5b Ground-water Gley Brown ground-water gley

6 Peaty Surface-water Gley Typical peaty surface-water gley

6z Peaty Surface-water Gley Podzolic peaty surface-water gley

7 Surface-water Gley Typical surface-water gley

7b Surface-water Gley Brown surface-water gley

7z Surface-water Gley Podzolic surface-water gley

8 Basin Bog

8a Basin Bog Phragmites bog

8b Basin Bog Juncus articulatus or acutiflorus bog

8c Basin Bog Juncus effusus bog

8d Basin Bog Carex bog

9 Flushed Blanket Bog

9a Flushed Blanket Bog Molinia-Myrica-Salix bog

9b Flushed Blanket Bog Tussocky Molinia-Calluna bog

9c Flushed Blanket Bog Tussocky Molinia-Erophorum bog

9d Flushed Blanket Bog Non-tussocky Molinia-Eriphorum-Trichphorum bog

9e Flushed Blanket Bog Trichophorum-Calluna-Eriophorum-Molinia bog

10 Flat or Raised Bogs

10a Flat or Raised Bogs Lowland Sphagnum bog

10b Flat or Raised Bogs Upland Sphagnum bog

11 Unflushed Blanket Bog

11a Unflushed Blanket Bog Calluna blanket bog

11b Unflushed Blanket Bog Calluna-Eriophorum blanket bog

11c Unflushed Blanket Bog Trichophorum-Calluna blanket bog

11d Unflushed Blanket Bog Eriophorum blanket bog

12 Calcareous Soil See additional Phase information

12a Calcareous Soil Rendzina

12b Calcareous Soil Calcareous brown earth

12t Calcareous Soil Argillic brown earth

13 Skeletal Soil

13c Skeletal Soil Ranker complex

13b Skeletal Soil Brown ranker

13g Skeletal Soil Gley ranker

13p Skeletal Soil Peaty ranker

13z Skeletal Soil Podzolic ranker

13r Skeletal Soil Rock

13s Skeletal Soil Scree

14 Eroded Bog Shallow hagged eroded bog

14h Eroded Bog Deeply hagged erroded bog

14w Eroded Bog Pooled eroded bog

15 Littoral Soil

15d Littoral Soil Dunes

15e Littoral Soil Sand with deep water-table

15g Littoral Soil Sand with shallow water-table

15i Littoral Soil Sand with moderatley deep water-table

15s Littoral Soil Shingle

15w Littoral Soil Sand with very shallow water-table

VC Valley Complex Valley complex