{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10261/406452", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-27T16:25:58Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2025-10-14", "title": "Digital Soil Health Assessment: Pedogenon Mapping and Unit\u2010Specific Thresholds for Basque Country Forest Plantations", "description": "ABSTRACT

In Europe, rural landscapes and forests have been subjected to intensive anthropogenic transformations and uses since Antiquity. Since the early 20th century, many traditionally managed forests and mountain pastures were transformed into intensive forestry plantations. Hence, it is important to assess the effects of forest plantations on soil health. The European Soil Monitoring Law (SML) proposes the establishment of soil units for monitoring soil health and soil degradation processes using time\uffe2\uff80\uff90series of several indicators: SOC:clay for soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, pH for acidification and bulk density for compaction, among others. Thresholds that may be local must be defined for these different indicators. We propose an approach in which: (1) we delineate soil units applying unsupervised classification to a set of environmental covariates, proxies of the soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90forming factors (pedogenon mapping) and (2) use semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural native forests (i.e., secondary forests of native species with lesser human interventions compared to past decades) as references for setting unit\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific thresholds for soil indicators (reference approach) and (3) assessing and mapping the condition of forest plantations (intensively managed forests). We apply this approach to the Basque Country using soil data from the forest monitoring network Basonet. When considering the threshold suggested by the SML for SOC:clay (<\uffe2\uff80\uff891/13), 61% of plots at 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9320\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm layer and 90% at 20\uffe2\uff80\uff9340\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm layer of plantations were in poor condition (unhealthy), while 37% of plots at 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9320\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm and 79% at 20\uffe2\uff80\uff9340\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm of semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural forests would be considered unhealthy. When considering semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural forest as references the proportion of plantation plots in poor condition for SOC:clay ranged between 14%\uffe2\uff80\uff9350% depending on the percentile used to set thresholds (5th and 25th percentiles). Forest plantations had lower soil pH compared to semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural forests, with 15%\uffe2\uff80\uff9360% of plantation plots with pH lower than the unit\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific thresholds (poor condition). Only 3% of topsoils and 2% of subsoils under plantations were considered unhealthy with a fixed pH threshold of 4.2. All plantation plots were in good condition (healthy) in terms of bulk density with the EU criteria, but 9.6% of semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural plots had greater bulk density than the suggested thresholds. Our approach demonstrates the need of considering the context of soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90forming factors when identifying thresholds for soil health indicators.Soils have achieved prominence in the political agenda of the European Commission with the proposal for a Soil Monitoring Law and the ambitious Soil Mission research framework. The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) used the latest state\uffe2\uff80\uff90of\uffe2\uff80\uff90the\uffe2\uff80\uff90art pan\uffe2\uff80\uff90European datasets to propose a preliminary assessment of soil health in the EU based on 18 soil degradation proxy indicators. The body of knowledge will soon be enriched thanks to the investment of 1\uffe2\uff80\uff89billion euros towards the Mission \uffe2\uff80\uff98A Soil Deal for Europe\uffe2\uff80\uff99, which has the ambition to promote the development of new harmonized bottom\uffe2\uff80\uff90up and top\uffe2\uff80\uff90down soil health indicators. New data and knowledge are also anticipated through the national soil monitoring schemes to support the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law. We present the Soil Mission roadmap towards assessing and achieving soil health in the EU by 2030 to meet Green Deal objectives. We introduce the EUSO Soil Health Dashboard, a soil degradation indicator tool using soil health indicators developed by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) (2012\uffe2\uff80\uff932023) that will contribute to Soil Monitoring Law assessments.

European soils and their status is a matter of concern that has entered the policy arena and the objective to restore soil health is part of the Soil strategy to 2030. Aim of this study is to explore the integration of the concept of soil health and the provision of soil ecosystem service by conducting i) a content analysis of EU policies and ii) a scoping review of literature over policy instruments for soil governance. Results show a focus on soil fertility, mainly soil organic matter, while services such as conservation of biodiversity or cultural heritage still appear underrepresented. Findings are reinforced by the gap in literature, providing little evidence of policy instruments contributing to soil health. A more coordinated effort among policy sectors is required to prioritize soil health in the EU; invesitgating the role of market-based instruments could complement what public policies are lacking.

", "keywords": ["soil health", "policy instruments", "Soil Monitoring Law", "incentives", "soil health", " ecosystem services", " policy instruments", "incentives", " Soil Monitoring Law", "Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling", "SH1-691", "Forestry", "SD1-669.5", "ecosystem services"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Greta Winkler, Luciano Pagano, Daniele Vergamini, Fabio Bartolini,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-15466"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Bio-based%20and%20Applied%20Economics", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.36253/bae-15466", "name": "item", "description": "10.36253/bae-15466", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.36253/bae-15466"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-09-10T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "11568/1271387", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-27T16:26:15Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-10-16", "title": "Soils and ecosystem services: policy narratives and instruments for soil health in the EU", "description": "

European soils and their status is a matter of concern that has entered the policy arena and the objective to restore soil health is part of the Soil strategy to 2030. Aim of this study is to explore the integration of the concept of soil health and the provision of soil ecosystem service by conducting i) a content analysis of EU policies and ii) a scoping review of literature over policy instruments for soil governance. Results show a focus on soil fertility, mainly soil organic matter, while services such as conservation of biodiversity or cultural heritage still appear underrepresented. Findings are reinforced by the gap in literature, providing little evidence of policy instruments contributing to soil health. A more coordinated effort among policy sectors is required to prioritize soil health in the EU; invesitgating the role of market-based instruments could complement what public policies are lacking.

", "keywords": ["ecosystem services; incentives; policy instruments; soil health; soil monitoring law", "Q10", "soil health", "policy instruments", "Soil Monitoring Law", "ddc:330", "incentives", "Q15", "SH1-691", "Forestry", "SD1-669.5", "Q57", "soil health", " ecosystem services", " policy instruments", "incentives", " Soil Monitoring Law", "Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling", "ecosystem services"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://sfera.unife.it/bitstream/11392/2593331/1/W00119_75-92_05-15466-Winkler.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/11568/1271387"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Bio-based%20and%20Applied%20Economics", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "11568/1271387", "name": "item", "description": "11568/1271387", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/11568/1271387"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-09-10T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "11590/469733", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-27T16:26:19Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-02-26", "title": "A 1 billion euro mission: A Soil Deal for Europe", "description": "Abstract

Soils have achieved prominence in the political agenda of the European Commission with the proposal for a Soil Monitoring Law and the ambitious Soil Mission research framework. The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) used the latest state\uffe2\uff80\uff90of\uffe2\uff80\uff90the\uffe2\uff80\uff90art pan\uffe2\uff80\uff90European datasets to propose a preliminary assessment of soil health in the EU based on 18 soil degradation proxy indicators. The body of knowledge will soon be enriched thanks to the investment of 1\uffe2\uff80\uff89billion euros towards the Mission \uffe2\uff80\uff98A Soil Deal for Europe\uffe2\uff80\uff99, which has the ambition to promote the development of new harmonized bottom\uffe2\uff80\uff90up and top\uffe2\uff80\uff90down soil health indicators. New data and knowledge are also anticipated through the national soil monitoring schemes to support the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law. We present the Soil Mission roadmap towards assessing and achieving soil health in the EU by 2030 to meet Green Deal objectives. We introduce the EUSO Soil Health Dashboard, a soil degradation indicator tool using soil health indicators developed by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) (2012\uffe2\uff80\uff932023) that will contribute to Soil Monitoring Law assessments.