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Gergely Tóth1, Luca Montanarella1,

György Várallyay2, Tibor Tóth2 and Nikola Filippi1

1European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit

2Research institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Strengthening optimal food chain element transport by Strengthening optimal food chain element transport by minimizing soil degradationminimizing soil degradation::

RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS FORFOR S SOILOIL T THREATSHREATS

IDENTIFICATION IDENTIFICATION ONON D DIFFERENTIFFERENT S SCALESCALES

IN THE EUROPEAN UNIONIN THE EUROPEAN UNION

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Framework of soil protection in the EU

Based on the upcoming Directive on Protection and Sustainable Use of Soil and on EC Communication (2002/179)

Preservation of soil functions- biomass production, - physical and cultural environment for humans

- biodiversity pool - archive of geological and acheological heritage

- source of raw material - acting as carbon pool

- storing filtering and transforming nutrients, substances and water

Prevention of threats to soil- erosion, - soil organic matter decline,

- salinization - compaction,

- landslides - (soil sealing, contamination)

Integration of soil protection measures and principles to other policies

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The ’Two Tiers’ concept

Tier 1, is a step to provide tool for risk area identification based on qualitative or model-based descriptions using lower data resolution. (European level)

Tier 2, is a second step, to provide tool, for risk area delineation and characterization based on higher resolution data. (Member States level)

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Flow of information on soil threat

Identification andlocalization of risk zones

Specification andcorrection of risk zones anddelineation of risk areas

Adjustment andreformulation ofrisk zones

Tier I.European level

Tier II.Member States (regional) level

Characterization /reporting of risk areas

Identification andlocalization of risk zones

Specification andcorrection of risk zones anddelineation of risk areas

Adjustment andreformulation ofrisk zones

Tier I.European level

Tier II.Member States (regional) level

Characterization /reporting of risk areas

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Conditions exemined for each threats (to define common criteria of risk identification throughout Europe)

identification of factors/hazards related to the threat („external” factors)

characterization of the receptor relevant to the threat („internal” soil factors)

performance specification, model selection (with data requirements)

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Application of the two tiers approach

Tier Target Description

Tier 1 Broad risk zones identification (problem identification and

localization)

available data at European-levelGeographical scale of 1:1,000,000/1:250,000

Soil-specific qualitative approach, and/orModel-based (pedo-transfer rule) approach

combined with thresholds indicators

Tier 2Detailed risk zone delineation.

Measures/implementation plans to protect and/or prevent soils

within the risk zones

Data available/relevant at the Member State level (e.g. regional soil maps)

Qualitative/quantitative/model approach

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Summary Table Common Criteria: Salinization

Common criteria

Data source/type of information

Data Quality /Resolution

Tier 1 Tier 2

soil typological unit European Soil Database; National soil databases

1:1,000,000 (1:250,000)national

soil texture texture class; Sand, Silt, Clay content texture class particle size

soil hydraulic properties

hydraulic conductivity, water retention, drainage

not required for in Tier 1national profile data base; soil inventory / monitoring

irrigation areas and chemical properties of irrigated water

irrigated area, irrigation intensity, salt content, sodicity, alkalinity of irrigation water

national registries regional registry

groundwater information

depth, salt content, sodicity, alkalinity

European Groundwater Database (salt concentration, type of salt)

regional database

climate annual rainfall, annual potential evapotranspiration

1 km raster size (modelled from national weather station network)

same or higher

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Salt affected soils in Europe (source: I. Szabolcs, 1974)

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Summary Table Common Criteria: Compaction

Common criteria

Data source/type of information

Data Quality /Resolution

Tier 1 Tier 2

SMU/STU delineation

National soil databases national regional

STU topsoil and subsoil texture

texture class or mean silt, clay and sand content

texture class particle size

STU descriptionbulk density, water retention, organic matter content, structure, mechanical properties

pedotransfer functions or rules

measurements

climate rainfall, PETaverage year with monthly or 10-day dataNUTS 3 or 50 km

20 to30 years with one day data10 km

land use

statistical data about agriculture and forestry: crop types and forest areas, types of farming systems (annual crops, vineyards, animal breeding, etc.), type of forests

NUTS 3 NUTS 4

farming and forest systems

typology of farming systems or forestry systems in relation to land use data

expert knowledge survey data

land coverlocalisation of agricultural areas, forest areas, etc. using data like CORINE land cover

250 m 100 m

slope Digital Elevation Model 250 m 90 m

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Susceptibility to Subsoil Compaction in Europe

(source: Jones, R.J.A. et al., 2004)

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Summary Table Common Criteria: Erosion

Common criteria

Data source/type of information

Data Quality /Resolution

Tier 1 Tier 2

soil typological unit (STU) (soil type)

European/national soil databases national level regional level

soil texture (STU level) sand, silt, clay content texture class particle size

soil density, hydraulic properties (STU level)

bulk density, packing density, water retention art field capacity and wilting point

pedo-transfer-rules (PTR) or functions

measured data

topography gradient (slope), length 250m (SRTM) 90m

land cover land cover type 250m 100m

land use land use, agricultural statistics NUTS3 NUTS4

climateprecipitation, rainfall, snowfall, number of rain days, storm events, PET, temperature

10 km daily average50km daily average

1 km raster (modelled from national

hydrological conditions

catchment information system, DEM 10km 1km

agro-ecological zone based on soil, climate, landscape 50km 1km

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Source: Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA)

Soil erosion risk in Europe

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Summary Table Common Criteria: SOM Decline

common criteria

data source/type of information

minimum data quality /resolution

Tier 1 Tier 2

soil typological unit (soil type)

soil type: provide 1:1,000,000 (1:250,000) 1:250,000 or larger

soil texture/clay content

standard textural analysis; textural classes according to official classification

not required for Tier 1national profile data base; soil inventory/monitoring

soil organic carbon (concentration)

analysis: dry combustion, [g/kg], or pedo-transfer function

not required for Tier 1forest floor, peaty layers, 0-30 cm

soil organic carbon (stock)

[kg/m2], [t/ha]; requires:- stone content- bulk density

not required for Tier 1forest floor, peaty layers, 0-30 cm

climateannual average precipitation; annual average temperature

10 km grid climatic data

1 km raster size (modelled from national weather station network)

slope, exposition, position in relief

DEM 250m same or higher

land cover/land useCORINE; LUCAS SSU extended by soil type; management statistics

250mNUTS III

same or higher

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Organic Carbon (%) No Data 0 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 5 5 - 10 10 - 25 25 - 35 > 35

Organic carbon content in the surface horizon (0-30 cm) of soils in Europe

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Bringing soil carbon to policy & decisions

0

1020

30

4050

60

70

8090

100

0 5 10 15 20

Max tC

Min tC

Actual tC

Max

& M

in t

C a

re s

oil

spec

ific

Years

tC

Potential Carbon Sequestration,

PCS

Carbon Sequestration Rate, CSR

Potential Carbon Loss, PCL

Carbon Loss Rate, CLR

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Conclusions

- A proposal for common criteria for delineation of areas in risk of soil degradation has been prepared (by SIWG, JRC and ESBN).

- It should be achievable to develop a common framework, which attempts to keep the linkage of soil information in EU Member States with pan-European data.

- Much efforts still have to be conducted to establish an efficient workflow for updating and maintaining thematic layers with highly detailed information (in a participatory approach).

- The new "Multiscale EUropean Soil Information System" should be integrated into more comprehensive/multi-layer monitoring and reporting programmes, for example the Commission's Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) initiative.

- In this manner the infrastructure and access to soil information transfer can be developed to assist the protection of the multifunctionality of soils and contribute to optimal food chain element transport.

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