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Continental scale soil monitoring: a proposed multi-ccale framing of soil quality
Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.15480/882.15852
Publikationstyp
Review Article
Date Issued
2025-07-01
Sprache
English
Author(s)
TORE-DOI
Journal
Volume
76
Issue
4
Article Number
e70174
Citation
European journal of soil science 76 (4): e70174 (2025)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
Wiley
Globally, soils are subjected to various management practices and stressors which can lead to degradation. This makes their protection essential for sustaining many functions and services as well as maintaining the overall life support system of Earth. National monitoring programmes are increasingly implemented to evaluate the state and trend of soils, a move which has been advocated by the Mission Soil in Europe. In soil science, frameworks have been established to interpret and communicate soil monitoring results, concentrating on the concept of quality, a term which can be interpreted in many ways. This paper explores the multifaceted meaning of soil quality, addressing its implications for future soil health assessments. It achieves this by focusing on the context of the Mission Soil. Soil health is a holistic concept embracing emergence, complexity and highlighting long-term vitality and resilience. In contrast, soil quality is often viewed through the lens of its capacity to meet specific human needs and functions, typically in a shorter timeframe. The concept of quality is assessed through indicators where the choice of framework significantly influences selection and interpretation. However, selecting appropriate soil indicators across Europe is challenging due to diverse climate, topography, geology and soil types, resulting in varied soil processes. Therefore, establishing clear principles and criteria for soil indicator selection is essential. Our paper identifies four distinct frameworks for soil quality assessment: ‘Fitness for Purpose’, ‘Free from Degradation’, ‘External Benchmarking’ and ‘Value Assessment’, with each possessing a unique role and application. Notably, the ‘Free from Degradation’ framework is emphasised for its alignment with soil protection efforts and its relevance to soil threats. This makes it particularly suitable for pan-European assessments conducted by the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO).
Subjects
degradation
Europe
Mission Soil
quality
soil health
Soil Monitoring Law
DDC Class
551.3: Surface and Exogenous Processes and their Agents
630: Agriculture and Related Technologies
333.7: Natural Resources, Energy and Environment
Publication version
publishedVersion
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Name
European J Soil Science - 2025 - Campbell - Continental Scale Soil Monitoring A Proposed Multi‐Scale Framing of Soil.pdf
Type
Main Article
Size
1.72 MB
Format
Adobe PDF