Add sulphur to soil

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

2%
Certainty

10%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Adding sulphur to soil can make it more acid, which can in turn promote colonization by shrubland plants that depend on acid conditions.

Study locations

Key messages

One randomized, replicated, controlled study in the UK found that adding sulphur to the soil of a former agricultural field did not increase the number of heather seedlings in five of six cases.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomized, replicated, controlled study in 1993–1996 in a former agricultural field in Suffolk, UK (1) found that adding sulphur to soils increased the number of common heather Calluna vulgaris seedlings in one of six cases and reduced vegetation cover in four of six cases. In one of six cases, the number of common heather seedlings was higher in areas where sulphur was added to soils (4 seedlings/plot) than in plots where no sulphur had been added (0 seedlings/plot). In four of six cases vegetation cover in areas where sulphur was added to soils was lower (7–48% cover) than in areas where sulphur was not added to soils (92% cover). In fifteen 5 m x 5 m randomly located plots sulphur was added to topsoil while in three other plots no sulphur was added. All plots were rotavated prior to addition of sulphur. In July 1994–1996 vegetation cover was surveyed using 1 m² quadrats located in the centre of each plot.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Owen K.M. & Marrs R.H. (2000) Creation of heathland on former arable land at Minsmere, Suffolk, UK: the effects of soil acidification on the establishment of Calluna and ruderal species. Biological Conservation, 93, 9-18.

Please cite as:

Martin, P.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Shrubland and Heathland Conservation. Pages 483-525 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Shrubland and Heathland Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Burn leaf litter Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Add sulphur to soil Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Remove trees, leaf litter and topsoil Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link