Map of Soil Susceptibility to Compaction in Europe

Soil compaction is one of eight main threats for soils in Europe as it is recogized in the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection. A preliminary map of soil susceptibility to compaction was elaborated for the purposes of gaining an improved information of the possible and/or actual risk of compaction in relation to natural or man-induced susceptibility. Main natural factors which play key role in this process are soil texture, type and arrangement of soil horizons in profiles reflected in soil typological units and by these factors the resulting soil water regime. Climate is one of the most important non soil factors for susceptibility of soils to possible compaction. On the other hand, human activities like soil use for agricultural production, forest, urban soils, civil engineering activities can accelerate soil compaction even if the natural susceptibility of soil to this type of threat is low. In elaboration of a soil compaction map both approaches have been used and combined for risk areas identification and delineation. The main source of data utilized in the map elaboration was the European Soil Database (ESDB) at scale 1:1,000,000. It has been created starting from the first digitized soil map of Europe in 1985. This database has been developed jointly with partners in the European Soil Bureau Network (ESBN) resulting in the only harmonized coverage of digital soil information for Europe. The database is extensively used for applications in the most diverse fields: agriculture, water protection, climate change, flood forecasting, desertification assessment, etc. This database is part of European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), which was created in relation to the development of the EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection. The data centre will be based on the well established European Soil Information System (EUSIS), developed during the past 10 years by the Joint Research Centre. As a single focal point for policy relevant soil information it will be designed to provide the relevant soil data and information to all interested users and stakeholders. The map of Soil Susceptibility to Compaction in Europe is one of the results coming out from use of harmonized soil data at European scale.

MONTANARELLA Luca;  HOUSKOVA Beata; 

2008-12-17

Università di Palermo

JRC37006