SOIL FUNCTIONS

& SOIL SEALING

Gergely Tóth

European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability,
Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit

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 Soil quality

Soil quality is the ability of soil

¾to perform its functions

¾behave against threats

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Framework of soil protection in the EU
Based on the „Thematic Strategy”, EC Communication (2002/179)
and the upcoming Directive on Protection and Sustainable Use of Soil

Preservation of soil functions

- biomass production, - physical and cultural environment for humans
- biodiversity pool - archive of geological and archeological heritage
- source of raw material - acting as carbon pool
- storing filtering and transforming nutrients, substances and water

Prevention of threats to soil

- erosion, - soil organic matter decline
- salinization - compaction
- landslides - soil sealing
- contamination

Integration of soil protection measures and principles

to other policies 3
Soil functions
1) biomass production

2) storing filtering and transforming

nutrients, substances and water

3) biodiversity pool

4) physical and cultural environment

for humans

5) source of raw material

6) acting as carbon pool

7) archive of geological and

acheological heritage

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(SINFO)
Soil functions
1) biomass production
- suitability for/
productivity of cereals
2) storing filtering and transforming
nutrients, substances and water

3) biodiversity pool

4) physical and cultural environment

for humans

5) source of raw material

6) acting as carbon pool

7) archive of geological and

acheological heritage

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(SINFO)
Soil threats

- erosion

- organic matter decline

- salinization

- compaction

- landslides

- soil sealing

- contamination

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 Soil threats

- erosion

- organic matter decline

- salinization

- compaction

- landslides

- soil sealing

- contamination

Source: Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA)

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 Soil Function (1):
BIOMASS PRODUCTION

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 Elements of biomass production
Climate
Year type 1 Year type 2
Management
(LGP) (LGP)
irrigation
Plant Requirements

Terrain amelioration
slope%
Soil Agrochem.
aspect nutrient level
parent material N, P, K, micronut. fertilization

texture S
pH liming
Hydrology clay minerals
humus%
.
humus layer organic matter organic fertil.
bulk density
soil structure tillage methods
water level
drainage
(CEC)
(contamination)
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The effect of fertilization on biomass production
(wheat yield levels, on a case study area dominantly with cambisol)
Yield (t/ha)

Yield (t/ha)

Effect of nitrogen Effect of potassium

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Source: Tóth 2000.
 Human - natural environment,
land productivity and land degradation

Land degradation or
loss of land Deterioration of potential Natural resources

production decrease
less stable production
suitability decrease Environmental
Productivity conseqences
Security
higher inputs are required Global cycling change
to maintain desired output,
profitability decrease fewer LU (CO2, CH4, N)
alternatives,
environmental
Viability concerns Land Cover

Social acceptability Land Use

conservation, transformation,
change of technology
Welfare

Life Styles Social conseqences :

Migration, employment
pattern, estate distribution

After Pisniatchevski (1995) 11

 Soil Function (2):
BIODIVERSITY POOL

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Biologocal habitat and gene reserve

Source: Jones (2005)

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 Soil Function (3):
SOURCE OF RAW MATERIALS

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Source: http://natura-tozeg.internettudakozo.hu/ 16
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 18
After Jones (2005.)
 Soil Function (4):
STORING, FILTERING AND TRANSFORMING
NUTRIENTS, SUBSTANCES AND WATER

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Nitrate sensitive areas in Hungary

Source: www.kvvm.hu/ 20
 Soil Function (5):
ARCHIVE OF GEOLOGICAL AND
ARCHEOLOGICAL HERITAGE

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Cultic pit with ceramics www.zmmi.hu/bm/images/asatasok/

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www.szentesinfo.hu 24
 Soil Function (6):
ACTING AS A CARBON POOL

Organic Carbon (%)

No Data
0-1
1-2
2-5
5 - 10
10 - 25
25 - 35
> 35

Organic carbon content in the surface horizon (0-30 cm) of soils in Europe
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 Bringing soil carbon to policy & decisions
tC
100
Max tC 90
Max & Min tC are soil

80 Carbon Sequestration Potential Carbon

70 Rate, CSR Sequestration,
PCS
specific

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Actual tC50
40
Carbon Loss Rate, Potential Carbon
30
CLR Loss, PCL
20
10
0
Min tC
0 5 10 15 20
Years

Source: Stolbovoy 2006 26

 Soil Function (7):
PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL
ENVIRONMENT FOR HUMANS

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 SOIL FUNCTIONS &

SOIL SEALING

Gergely Tóth

European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability,
Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit

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 Results of soil sealing

= sealed soil

= (total) loss of abilities to

perform certain functions

= trade off between functions ???

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Soil (WRB 2006):
any material within 2 m from the Earths surface that is in contact with the
atmosphere, with the exclusion of living organisms, areas with continuous
ice not covered by other material, and water bodies deeper than 2 m1

Technosols (a Reference Soil Group in WRB 2006)

are soils with a certain amount of artefacts, a constructed geomembrane or
technic hard rock.

They contain a significant amount of artefacts (something in the soil

recognizably made or extracted from the earth by humans), or are sealed
by technic hard rock (material created by humans, having properties unlike
natural rock).

They include soils from wastes (landfills, sludge, cinders, mine spoils and
ashes), pavements with their underlying unconsolidated materials, soils
with geomembranes and constructed soils in human-made materials.

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35
Las Vegas 1972

www.earthshots.usgs.gov/LasVegas/LasVegas 36
Las Vegas 1992

www.earthshots.usgs.gov/LasVegas/LasVegas 37
Land use change in Germany (1981-1997)

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Built-up area and population in Europe
index 1992=100 (%)

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Source: http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/
 Bruxelles, le 16.4.2002
COM(2002) 179 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/agriculture/soil_protection.htm

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OPINION of the Committee of the Regions
on the COM(2002) 179 final

- Standardised methodologies, with appropriate quality

control, are a pre-requisite for instituting coordinated soil
quality assessments across Europe.

- Constructing a set of use-based quality indicators and

associated targets, (and a pragmatic and local risk-oriented
and cost-effective programmes).

- The definition of soil use must allow for the derivation of

appropriate local and customised soil quality standards.

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Thank you for your attention!

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