THE SCOPE OF
DIGITAL SOIL MAPPING
WITHIN THE ESBN AND THE JRC
Gergely Tóth
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The need for soil information
To provide background data support for the implementation
of the thematic strategy for soil protection
The need for digital soil maps
- Multiple purpuse use (functionality)
- Easy to handle information (conversion options)
- Easy update options
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The need for
digital soil mapping
• The need for better quality data sources
• The need for end-user oriented soil data
(providing interpreted data)
• Cost-effectiveness
• Limited time frame
After Endre Dobos & Joël Daroussin (2004)
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Digital soil information
in the ESBN and the JRC perspective
- in cooperation with the EEA
Main „customers”:
• The Soil Framework Directive
• Soil surveys of MSs
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Challenges – Way Forward
 New area of Community competence
 Inferences for land use planning, touching private ownership
 Short and medium term costs with benefits visible only at
medium and long term
 Identification of risk areas demands some efforts
 Leaving methodology to MS, but common criteria
 Achieve the right balance between subsidiarity and EU action
 Establishing a long term soil policy in the EU
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Content of some articles of the
Soil Framework Directive
Objectives
Establish a common strategy based on the principles to
prevent the THREATS, to preserve SOIL FUNCTIONS,
and to ensure SUSTAINABLE USE
Working unit
RISK AREA for certain threats (erosion, organic matter
decline, salinisation, compaction, landslides)
NATIONAL /REGIONAL approach for other threats
(contamination, sealing)
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Soil threats addressed by the Soil
Framework Directive
EROSION
ORGANIC MATTER DECLINE
SALINISATION
COMPACTION
LANDSLIDES
SEALING
CONTAMINATION
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Erosion, organic matter, compaction,
salinisation and landslides

IDENTIFICATION OF RISK AREAS BY MS

PREVENTION AND MITIGATION OF RISK OF
EROSION/ORGANIC MATTER DECLINE (via
specific measures to be taken by Member States for e.g.
farming, forestry, construction work)

REPORTING
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GIS as support tool to
Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection
 Objectives:
 Manage and make available a rapidly increasing
amount of soil related data and information in a more
efficient (metadata) and harmonized manner
 increasing Pan-European Coverage + additional
geographic areas (circum polar, Eurasia, MEDA, …)
 harmonized integrated within Inspire initiative
 GIS Tools are used for fulfilling those objectives
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Streamlining the flow of policy relevant
soil information in Europe
Georeferenced Soil
Database for Europe
EU Soil Monitoring
(ICP Forest+LUCAS,etc.)
Reporting policy relevant soil data
aggregated by administrative units
(EUROSTAT NUTS 3)
National Soil
Monitoring
National Soil Surveys
Soil Mapping Unit
(Soilscape)
Normalised Statistical Unit
(EUROSTAT NUTS)
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From the global to the local scale
EUSIS - A nested soil information system for Europe
Different scales give answers to different questions
Global assessments
World Soil and Terrain Database
1 : 5,000,000
FAO
Soil Geographical Database of
Europe
1 : 1,000,000
EU
Georeferenced Soil Database of
Europe
Member States
Regions
Communes
1 : 250,000
Catchment
Information System
1 : 50,000
Soil
Monitoring
Sites
1 : 5000
Spatial planning
Precision farming
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Digital soil mapping as a support tool to
Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection
A common methodology in digital soil mapping can:
-accelerate the soil map preparation in different scales
-help the cross-boarder harmonization of soil
information in different MSs while allow different
approaches of traditional soil surveys (standardization
and diversity)
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Requirements of
digital soil map information
-zones should be delineated by reference to the spatial distribution of
soil types
-a tiered approach should be adopted for delineation of zones of higher
risk: coarse scale information (e.g. 1:250k) may be used to identify
where risks may require management and then within such areas finer
scale assessment (e.g. 1:50k) should be used to identify smaller zones
- soil information at a scale of 1:50k or better is essential for
implementation of risk management actions at farm or land holding
levels.
Without an adequate soil information layer with a spatial resolution of
1:50k, the effectiveness of the SFD will be compromised.
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Brief for the digital soil functional mapping WG
from the ESBN Steering Committee
•Aim for minimum of 50k spatial resolution (,although it may be appropriate to
vary actual resolution depending on soil variability).
•Primary data adequacy underpins all outputs; describe which primary data is
needed at which scale (i.e. minimum primary datasets); explore new technology
options to gather primary data quickly and efficiently; be clear which data is primary
and which is derived
•Outputs must include spatial distributions of both soil types and soil properties.
This spatial information is the priority to meet SFD requirements and should
precede work on true functional maps (i.e. spatial data sets describing soil process
performance)
•Properties required should include texture, bulk density, organic matter, depth, pH,
base saturation, wetness class, colour, coarse fragments (stone content). The
emphasis should be on topsoil but subsoil hydrological properties must also be
included.
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Brief for the digital soil functional mapping WG
from the ESBN Steering Committee
•“Ground-truthing” is essential i.e. validation of predictive modelling of soil type
and soil property distributions
•WRB taxonomy should be the foundation for type definitions, but noninterpreted pedological maps cannot be the end point, which must be a set of
soil types that are interpretable by the non-specialist
•All outputs should be INSPIRE compliant
•Legend colours in outputs should be harmonised and follow the FAO scheme
•A user perspective should be maintained throughout
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The scope of digital soil mapping within
the ESBN and the JRC
Short-term (this year):
Publication of proceedings of the workshop with
summary recommendation (please submit your written
contribution by 30 May, 2005)
Mid-term (from next year on):
To establish common methodology of soil digital
functional mapping of different resolutions to support of
implementation of the thematic strategy of soil protection
and soil framework directive and tested in selected
representative pilot areas throughout Europe.
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Thank you for your attention!
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