Project
Healthy soils
Healthy soils are crucial for food production, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and water retention, but 60% of European soils are currently unhealthy. While the problems associated with soil degradation are increasingly recognized worldwide, much of the knowledge needed to facilitate change is still lacking. National soil monitoring systems are fragmented, resulting in soil data collection, but not the ability to combine it and understand the big picture. Even within areas where soil properties are well documented, the current level of scientific knowledge cannot always pinpoint what is a ‘healthy’ state for those soil properties, in order to ensure sustainable soils. Finally, what is known is often poorly communicated to the user groups who need that information. The goal of this project is to produce three knowledge frameworks, to start to address these issues. The frameworks will address: efficient/innovative soil monitoring, meaningful/consistent soil assessment and transparent/user-appropriate communication. Together, these will facilitate the collection and use of soil data, and communication of that data to end users.
Healthy soils are crucial for food production, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and water retention, but 60% of European soils are currently unhealthy. While the problems associated with soil degradation are increasingly recognized worldwide, much of the knowledge needed to facilitate change is still lacking. The overall objective of this project is to provide scientifically-rigorous knowledge frameworks to support the collection, use and communication of soil data. The three frameworks are linked to the three project objectives:
1. Develop a flexible monitoring framework to provide statistically-robust guidance on context-specific monitoring
This will be achieved by identifying and describing current systems and infrastructure in place for monitoring of soil properties. This will be followed up by designing several scenarios to test gaps and suggest solutions, specifically for agricultural soil monitoring. Lessons learned and knowledge gaps identified will be summarized into a knowledge framework.
2. Develop a scientifically-robust assessment framework for the selection and use of different methods to interpret soil data
This will be achieved by comparing the outcomes and outcome types of different methods for soil assessment, and exploring the implications of the different method choices for specific soil properties. Based on an overview of how the different assessment methods compare within each scenario, a framework for choosing between the different methods will be developed.
3. Create the framework for a soil health dashboard that communicates soil health
This will be achieved through collaboration of experts on different soil health-related topics, to understand which types of soil properties are relevant for communicating agricultural vs urban soil health, to policy vs private stakeholders. Specific focus will be on establishing an approach to communicating uncertainty in soil data (e.g. monitoring/assessment uncertainty, but also temporal uncertainty).
The final outcomes of this project will form the scientific base for collection, interpretation and communication of soil data, which can be translated into actionable outcomes to address soil degradation. These frameworks and future developments will be relevant for policy, business, public and research stakeholders.