Spatial evaluation and quantification of soil multifunctionality potential and actual state across Europe.

ended

Soils sustain a multitude of functions contributing to the provision of ecosystem services to human society. The quantification of these functions is a key prerequisite to develop sound policy intervention for their protection and enhancement, as well as to recommend adequate soil management practices to land users. In the European Union (EU), however, there is currently limited knowledge of how the supply of soil functions and their interactions differ spatially with land use type, soil characteristics, climate and management. SEQoSOIL will make the first spatially explicit and quantitative evaluation of soil multifunctionality across the countries of the EU. It will explore the current state of soil multifunctionality, but also the potential – that is, the maximum that a soil can offer based on inherent soil indicators not affected by management practices. This project proposes an ambitious and comprehensive work plan divided in four innovation objectives: i) quantify soil functions of importance, ii) their potential and state, iii) identify synergies and trade-offs between them, and iv) map this information across the EU. The functions quantified will be primary productivity, water purification and regulation, carbon storage and climate regulation, nutrient cycling and provision of habitat for biodiversity. Publicly available datasets on soil, climate and management will be analysed through a combination of well-establish statistical methods and innovative elements in an interdisciplinary approach. The expected results have the capacity to significantly increase our understanding of how the function delivery varies spatially in the EU and which functions to prioritize on different soil and land use types to optimize multifunctionality towards a desired state. SEQoSOIL is timely because it will directly contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policies and management actions such as the Green Deal for Europe and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.