conference soil, climate change and biodiversity – where do we...

Conference Soil, Climate Change and Biodiversity – Where do we stand? Brussels, Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th September 2010 1

The Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region

Luca Montanarella

European CommissionJoint Research Centre

Institute for Environment and SustainabilityLand Management and Natural Hazards Unit


•Arwyn Jones, Soil Action, JRC (Lead Editor)

•Luca Montanarella, Soil Action Leader, JRC

•Vladimir Stolbovoy, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences

•Prof. Gabriele Broll, University of Osnabrück (D)

•Charles Tarnocai, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

•Otto Spaargaren, ISRIC – World Soils Data (NL)

•Prof. Chien-Lu Ping, University of Alaska Fairbanks (USA)

Editorial Board of the Atlas

Baffin Island

Gabrielle Broll

Over 24 scientists contributed significant articles to the atlas with a further 50 providing additional graphical materials and photographs.


dpa

The International Polar Year (IPY) is a global scientific programme that focuses on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009.

The 4th International Polar Year is led by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Importantly, the IPY aims to educate the public whilst training the next generation of polar engineers and scientists. Therefore, over 50 projects deal with education and

outreach.

Within this goal, EU initiative to produce a Atlas of Northern Circumpolar Soil.

The Atlas strengthens the theme of soil within IPY

Greenland shorelineChristian Morel

Registered as Activity 1210 under IPY Expression of Intent and attached to the IPY Collaborative Science Programme 373 on ‘Carbon Pools in Permafrost Regions (CAPP)’.


Why soils?

The importance of soil and the multitude of environmental services that depend on soil properties are not widely understood by society at large.

This is particularly true of soil in northern latitudes where the impacts of global climate change would be dramatic on both a local and global perspective.

Soil scientists are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity to raise awareness and educate the general public, policy makers and other scientists of the importance and global significance of soil.

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Canadian PeatlandsGovernment of Northwest Territories


•Publication to raise awareness of the significance of soils in the Northern Circumpolar Region (> 50o

North).

•Supporting the EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection and related initiatives.

•To educate and inform.

•Send a message from soil scientists to policy makers on the global importance of soils in northern latitudes.

What is the aim of atlas?

Baffin Island

Gabrielle Broll


•High quality reference work on the soils of the northern circumpolar region for the general public

•Informative, easy to read, graphically stimulating

•Lead to better understanding and appreciation of the role of soils in our lives

Audience and Targets

Life in northern soils!

Charles Tarnocai

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The AtlasThe Atlas

A3 book of 144 pages (Portrait)

Opens to A2 spreads (Landscape)


Inviting layout

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Visually StimulatingVisually Stimulating

Phot

os: T

arno

cai,

USG

S, M

iche

li, R

usse

l

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Explain cold soils in a clear mannerExplain cold soils in a clear manner

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Deliver message through graphicsDeliver message through graphics

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An Atlas Needs Maps!

An Atlas Needs Maps!

•Nearly 200 A4 pages of text

•Heart of the atlas based on digital soil datasets:

• Northern and Mid-Latitude Soil Database (Cryosol WG)

• Soil Geographical Database of Eurasia (ESBN/JRC)

• Digital Soil Map of the World (FAO)

• Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database 2007 (Tarnocai)

•Dominant Soil Type assigned to each polygon.

•Novel conversion of soil nomenclature to international classification/correlation scheme (WRB 2006)

Different classification system

s, different standards, different databases

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29 Regional Soil Maps29 Regional Soil Maps

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Link between texts and mapsLink between texts and maps

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Northern soils in a global contextNorthern soils in a global context

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Northern soil in a local contextNorthern soil in a local context

Northern soil in a global context

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ConclusionsConclusionsThe atlas:

• raises public awareness of the importance, fragility and beauty of soil in the northern circumpolar region.

• illustrates the enormous variety and complexity of permafrost- affected and seasonally-frozen soils in the northern circumpolar region (accounting for approximately 15% of the global soil cover).

• describes the sensitivity of soil to the effects of climate change and human activities.

• makes the case for a sustainable approach to land management to ensure a minimal level of soil degradation.

• calls for continued research to improve our understanding of the complex interactions between permafrost-affected soils and climate change.

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How can you obtain a copy?How can you obtain a copy?

•

Purchase via Office of Official Publications –

Luxembourg

–

http://bookshop.europa.eu/

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Limited copies via the JRC

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http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

–

[email protected]

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Today!

http://bookshop.europa.eu/

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JRC Editorial Plan for the Soil Atlas Series:

2005 – Soil Atlas of Europe

2010 – Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region

2010 – Atlas of Soil Biodiversity

2011 – Soil Atlas of Africa

2013 – Soil Atlas of Latin America

In discussion:Soil Atlas of AntarcticaSoil Atlas of North AmericaSoil Atlas of Asia

The way forward!

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Thank you for your attention.

http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

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