Soil loss on ignition for Saddle Stream Network, 2017

Soil loss on ignition (LOI), as a proxy for total soil organic matter, is an important control on surface hydrology. To measure soil LOI across the Niwot Ridge LTER Saddle Stream Catchment, surface (0 – 10 cm) soil samples (n = 84) were collected on roughly a 60 x 60 m grid, including sensor network sites. After drying, sieving to < 2mm, and grinding to a fine powder, a ~20 g subsample of soil was combusted at 550°C for 4 hours. LOI is reported as a percent difference between dry weights at 550°C and 105°C. The average LOI was 19.23%, but soils had a wide range from 4.80% to 46.77%. This dataset is useful for studies of spatial patterns in organic matter accumulation, biogeochemical process rates, and surface hydrology.