{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153389", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:17:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-01-30", "title": "Systems knowledge for sustainable soil and land management", "description": "While soils and land are pivotal elements of many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and societal challenges, they face degradation and reduction of related functions and services worldwide. Societal demands on soils and land are increasing, including contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem services, biodiversity and biomass production for food, feed, fiber and energy. This adverse combination of reducing capacities and increasing demands requires rapid transition towards sustainable soil and land management that mitigates trade-offs and creates synergies. Likewise, a transformation of soil and land research is required to scientifically support the sustainable transformation. Based on a literature analysis combined with engagement of soil and land scientists, we developed a systemic research framework for sustainable soil and land management to support the implementation of the Horizon Europe Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe'. The framework summarizes soil and land related topics into six societal challenges and associates them with eight knowledge types that outline integrated research for development and implementation of sustainable soil and land management. We propose that research should be aligned with living labs and lighthouses to leverage local solutions, innovation, training and education. We outline the role of experimentation, data analysis, assessment, modelling and the importance of research for institutions, governance and policy support. For encouraging a swift transition towards a systems approach for sustainable soil and land management, we concluded that among all knowledge types, those addressing socio-economic interrelations with soil health and related policies currently represent the biggest bottleneck.", "keywords": ["[SDE] Environmental Sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "Ecosystem service", "Climate Change", "Holistic", "Sustainable Development", "15. Life on land", "Soil degradation", "01 natural sciences", "333", "Holistic ; Soil degradation ; Living labs ; Ecosystem service ; Sustainable development ; Soil health", "12. Responsible consumption", "Soil", "Living labs", "13. Climate action", "Sustainable development", "Soil health", "Sustainable development; Holistic; Soil health; Ecosystem service; Soil degradation; Living labs", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "11. Sustainability", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153389"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Science%20of%20The%20Total%20Environment", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153389", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153389", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153389"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-05-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1002/2688-8319.70043", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:14:18Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2025-05-15", "title": "Integrated above\u2010 and below\u2010ground ecological monitoring for nature\u2010based solutions", "description": "Abstract

As the development of nature\uffe2\uff80\uff90based solutions (NbS) increases globally, it is important to ensure that projects meet the objective of delivering benefits for biodiversity, alongside tackling societal challenges. However, this is challenging because most NbS projects do not directly monitor ecological outcomes, and those that do often focus on a limited set of metrics.

We identify the most informative and feasible above\uffe2\uff80\uff90 and below\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground ecological metrics for monitoring the ecological outcomes of NbS. We identify possible biodiversity and soil health metrics using a structured non\uffe2\uff80\uff90systematic literature review, and rank these using a scoring system to assess their informativeness and feasibility for monitoring.

Metrics are categorised into compositional, structural, and functional aspects of biodiversity, and biological, physical and chemical aspects of soil health. We group biodiversity and soil health metrics into Tier 1 (the most informative and feasible metrics), Tier 2 (informative metrics with some limitations in scope or feasibility) and Future metrics (highly informative metrics which are currently less feasible to monitor). Tier 1 metrics collectively address multiple aspects of biodiversity and soil health and are the highest priority for NbS project assessments. For biodiversity, 9 Tier 1, 6 Tier 2 and 15 Future metrics were identified, and for soil health there are 11 Tier 1, 6 Tier 2 and 5 Future metrics.

We identify existing standardised methodologies, threshold and reference values for monitoring these metrics, although in many cases, these are not available.

Solution . Our study provides practitioners with a framework for selecting optimum metrics for assessing above\uffe2\uff80\uff90 and below\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground ecological outcomes of NbS relevant to the location in which they are being implemented. We summarise the relevance of each metric to biodiversity or soil health and provide standardised methodologies for collecting data to support ecological monitoring protocols for NbS projects. The information on each metric is freely available as a searchable online database designed for UK practitioners, but with wider applicability.

The Sustainability Nexus Analytics, Informatics, and Data (AID) Programme of the United Nations University (UNU), aims to provide information, data, computational, and analytical tools to support the sustainable management and long-term security of natural resources using a nexus approach. This paper introduces the Soil Health Module of the Sustainability Nexus AID Programme. Healthy soil is crucial for life on Earth, and it is essential for ecosystem services and functioning, access to clean water, socioeconomic structure, biodiversity, and food security for the growing population of the world. Healthy soils contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and reduce the consequences of extreme events such as flooding and drought. Healthy soils influence the hydrologic cycle by regulating transpiration, water infiltration, and soil water evaporation affecting land\uffe2\uff80\uff93atmosphere interactions. The Soil Health Module of the UNU Sustainability Nexus AID Programme aims to evolve into the ultimate focal point, supporting a diverse array of stakeholders with state-of-the-art data and tools that are essential for soil health monitoring and projection. This paper discusses the importance of adopting a nexus approach for ensuring soil health, explores the AID tools currently at our disposal for quantifying and predicting soil health, and concludes with recommendations for future effort and direction within the Sustainability Nexus AID Programme concerning soil health.Recent laboratory studies revealed that root hairs may alter soil physical behaviour, influencing soil porosity and water retention on the small scale. However, the results are not consistent, and it is not known if structural changes at the small-scale have impacts at larger scales. Therefore, we evaluated the potential effects of root hairs on soil hydro-mechanical properties in the field using rhizosphere-scale physical measurements.

Methods

Changes in soil water retention properties as well as mechanical and hydraulic characteristics were monitored in both silt loam and sandy loam soils. Measurements were taken from plant establishment to harvesting in field trials, comparing three barley genotypes representing distinct phenotypic categories in relation to root hair length. Soil hardness and elasticity were measured using a 3-mm-diameter spherical indenter, while water sorptivity and repellency were measured using a miniaturized infiltrometer with a 0.4-mm tip radius.

Results

Over the growing season, plants induced changes in the soil water retention properties, with the plant available water increasing by 21%. Both soil hardness (P\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff890.031) and elasticity (P\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff890.048) decreased significantly in the presence of root hairs in silt loam soil, by 50% and 36%, respectively. Root hairs also led to significantly smaller water repellency (P\uffe2\uff80\uff89=\uffe2\uff80\uff890.007) in sandy loam soil vegetated with the hairy genotype (-49%) compared to the hairless mutant.

Conclusions

Breeding of cash crops for improved soil conditions could be achieved by selecting root phenotypes that ameliorate soil physical properties and therefore contribute to increased soil health.

", "keywords": ["/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1111", "0106 biological sciences", "Supplementary Data", "QH301 Biology", "/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1110", "Soil Science", "Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services (RESAS)", "Plant Science", "01 natural sciences", "630", "QH301", "BBSRC BB/L025825/1", "Barley", "Soil health", "Soil structure", "Root hairs", "Soil hydromechanical properties", "BB/L025620/1", "580", "2. Zero hunger", "name=Soil Science", "ERCDMR-646809", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Soil water retention", "BBSRC BB/J00868/1", "6. Clean water", "Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Other", "name=Plant Science", "Research Article"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/484590/2/s11104_022_05530_1.pdf"}, {"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11104-022-05530-1.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05530-1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Plant%20and%20Soil", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s11104-022-05530-1", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s11104-022-05530-1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s11104-022-05530-1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-06-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s11104-022-05508-z", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:15:30Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-06-22", "title": "Harnessing belowground processes for sustainable intensification of agricultural systems", "description": "Abstract

Increasing food demand coupled with climate change pose a great challenge to agricultural systems. In this review we summarize recent advances in our knowledge of how plants, together with their associated microbiota, shape rhizosphere processes. We address (molecular) mechanisms operating at the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93microbe-soil interface and aim to link this knowledge with actual and potential avenues for intensifying agricultural systems, while at the same time reducing irrigation water, fertilizer inputs and pesticide use. Combining in-depth knowledge about above and belowground plant traits will not only significantly advance our mechanistic understanding of involved processes but also allow for more informed decisions regarding agricultural practices and plant breeding. Including belowground plant-soil-microbe interactions in our breeding efforts will help to select crops resilient to abiotic and biotic environmental stresses and ultimately enable us to produce sufficient food in a more sustainable agriculture in the upcoming decades.Soil degradation threatens agricultural production and soil multifunctionality. Efforts for private and public governance are increasingly emerging to leverage sustainable soil management. They require consensus across science, policy, and practice about what sustainable soil management entails. Such agreement does not yet exist to a sufficient extent in agronomic terms; what is lacking is a concise list of soil management measures that enjoy broad support among all stakeholders, and evidence on the question what hampers their implementation by farmers. We therefore screened stakeholder documents from public governance institutions, nongovernmental organizations, the agricultural industry, and conventional and organic farmer associations for recommendations related to agricultural soil management in Germany. Out of 46 recommended measures in total, we compiled a shortlist of the seven most consensual ones: (1) structural landscape elements, (2) organic fertilization, (3) diversified crop rotation, (4) permanent soil cover, (5) conservation tillage, (6) reduced soil loads, and (7) optimized timing of wheeling. Together, these measures support all agricultural soil functions, and address all major soil threats except soil contamination. Implementation barriers were identified with the aid of an online survey among farmers (n = 78). Results showed that a vast majority of farmers (> 80%) approved of all measures. Barriers were mostly considered to be economic and in some cases technological, while missing knowledge or other factors were less relevant. Barriers were stronger for those measures that cannot be implemented in isolation, but require a systemic diversification of the production system. This is especially the case for measures that are simultaneously beneficial to many soil functions (measures 2, 3, and 4). Results confirm the need for a diversification of the agricultural system in order to meet challenges of food security and climate change. The shortlist presents the first integrative compilation of sustainable soil management measures supporting the design of effective public or private governance.Microplastic as an anthropogenic pollutant accumulates in terrestrial ecosystems over time, threatening soil quality and health, for example by decreasing aggregate stability. Organic matter addition is an efficient approach to promote aggregate stability, yet little is known about whether microplastic can reduce the beneficial effect of organic matter on aggregate stability. We investigated the impacts of microplastic fibers in the presence or absence of different organic materials by carrying out a soil incubation experiment. This experiment was set up as a fully factorial design containing all combinations of microplastic fibers (no microplastic fiber addition, two different types of polyester fibers, and polyacrylic) and organic matter (no organic matter addition, Medicago lupulina leaves, Plantago lanceolata leaves, wheat straw, and hemp stems). We evaluated the percentage of water-stable aggregates (WSA) and activities of four soil enzymes (\uffce\uffb2-glucosidase, \uffce\uffb2-D-celluliosidase, N-acetyl-b-glucosaminidase, phosphatase). Organic matter addition increased WSA and enzyme activities, as expected. In particular, Plantago or wheat straw addition increased WSA and enzyme activities by 224.77 or 281.65% and 298.51 or 55.45%, respectively. Microplastic fibers had no effect on WSA and enzyme activities in the soil without organic matter addition, but decreased WSA and enzyme activities by 26.20 or 37.57% and 23.85 or 26.11%, respectively, in the presence of Plantago or wheat straw. Our study shows that the effects of microplastic fibers on soil aggregation and enzyme activities are organic matter dependent. A possible reason is that Plantago and wheat straw addition stimulated soil aggregation to a greater degree, resulting in more newly formed aggregates containing microplastic, the incorporated microplastic fibers led to less stable aggregates, and decrease in enzyme activities This highlights an important aspect of the context dependency of microplastic effects in soil and on soil health. Our results also suggest risks for soil stability associated with organic matter additions, such as is common in agroecosystems, when microplastics are present.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "570", "soil health", "soil aggregate stability", "500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "enzyme activity", "Environmental sciences", "plastic pollution", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "soil structure", "microplastic", "organic matter", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.650155"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Environmental%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fenvs.2021.650155", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fenvs.2021.650155", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fenvs.2021.650155"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-04-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1101/2023.06.28.546105", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:19:20Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-06-29", "title": "Construction and Characterisation of a Structured, Tuneable, and Transparent 3D Culture Platform for Soil Bacteria", "description": "2.Abstract

We have developed a tuneable workflow for the study of soil microbes in an imitative 3D soil environment that is compatible with routine and advanced optical imaging, is chemically customisable, and is reliably refractive index matched based on the metabolic profile of the study organism. We demonstrate our transparent soil pipeline with two representative soil organisms,Bacillus subtilisandStreptomyces coelicolor, and visualise their colonisation behaviours using fluorescence microscopy and mesoscopy. This spatially structured, 3D approach to microbial culture has the potential to further study the behaviour of other difficult-to-culture bacteria in conditions matching their native environment and could be expanded to study microbial interactions, such as interaction, competition, and warfare.

3.Graphical Abstract

A step-by-step method for creating a tailored 3D culture medium for study of soil microbes.

The complete workflow can be split into three parts: Growth and observation, metabolic profiling to provide a stable refractive index matching solution, and production of the 3D soil environment. The 3D culture scaffold was created by cryomilling Nafion\uffe2\uff84\uffa2 resin pellets and size filtration. Chemical processing altered the surface chemistry of Nafion\uffe2\uff84\uffa2 particles and facilitated nutrient binding by titration of a defined liquid culture medium. Metabolic profiling determined non-metabolisable sugars and provided an inert refractive index matching substrate, which was added to the final nutrient titration. Inoculation and growth of the test strain allowed for downstream assessment of colonisation behaviours and community dynamicsin situby, for example, optical microscopy.The soil microbiome determines the fate of plant-fixed carbon. The shifts in soil properties caused by land use change leads to modifications in microbiome function, resulting in either loss or gain of soil organic carbon (SOC). Soil pH is the primary factor regulating microbiome characteristics leading to distinct pathways of microbial carbon cycling, but the underlying mechanisms remain understudied. Here, the taxa-trait relationships behind the variable fate of SOC were investigated using metaproteomics, metabarcoding, and a 13C-labeled litter decomposition experiment across two temperate sites with differing soil pH each with a paired land use intensity contrast. 13C incorporation into microbial biomass increased with land use intensification in low-pH soil but decreased in high-pH soil, with potential impact on carbon use efficiency in opposing directions. Reduction in biosynthesis traits was due to increased abundance of proteins linked to resource acquisition and stress tolerance. These trait trade-offs were underpinned by land use intensification-induced changes in dominant taxa with distinct traits. We observed divergent pH-controlled pathways of SOC cycling. In low-pH soil, land use intensification alleviates microbial abiotic stress resulting in increased biomass production but promotes decomposition and SOC loss. In contrast, in high-pH soil, land use intensification increases microbial physiological constraints and decreases biomass production, leading to reduced necromass build-up and SOC stabilization. We demonstrate how microbial biomass production and respiration dynamics and therefore carbon use efficiency can be decoupled from SOC highlighting the need for its careful consideration in managing SOC storage for soil health and climate change mitigation.This special issue provides an assessment of the contribution of soils to Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). Here, we combine this assessment and previously published relationships between NCP and delivery on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to infer contributions of soils to the SDGs. We show that in addition to contributing positively to the delivery of all NCP, soils also have a role in underpinning all SDGs. While highlighting the great potential of soils to contribute to sustainable development, it is recognized that poorly managed, degraded or polluted soils may contribute negatively to both NCP and SDGs. The positive contribution, however, cannot be taken for granted, and soils must be managed carefully to keep them healthy and capable of playing this vital role. A priority for soil management must include: (i) for healthy soils in natural ecosystems,protectthem from conversion and degradation; (ii) for managed soils,managein a way to protect and enhance soil biodiversity, health and sustainability and to prevent degradation; and (iii) for degraded soils, restore to full soil health. We have enough knowledge now to move forward with the implementation of best management practices to maintain and improve soil health. This analysis shows that this is not just desirable, it is essential if we are to meet the SDG targets by 2030 and achieve sustainable development more broadly in the decades to come.

This article is part of the theme issue \uffe2\uff80\uff98The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People\uffe2\uff80\uff99. This theme issue provides an assessment of the contribution of soils to Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). The papers in this issue show that soils can contribute positively to the delivery of all NCP. These contributions can be maximized through careful soil management to provide healthy soils, but poorly managed, degraded or polluted soils may contribute negatively to the delivery of NCP. Soils are also shown to contribute positively to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Papers in the theme issue emphasize the need for careful soil management. Priorities for soil management must include: (i) for healthy soils in natural ecosystems, protect them from conversion and degradation, (ii) for managed soils, manage in a way to protect and enhance soil biodiversity, health, productivity and sustainability and to prevent degradation, and (iii) for degraded soils, restore to full soil health. Our knowledge of what constitutes sustainable soil management is mature enough to implement best management practices, in order to maintain and improve soil health. The papers in this issue show the vast potential of soils to contribute to NCP. This is not only desirable, but essential to sustain a healthy planet and if we are to deliver sustainable development in the decades to come.

This article is part of the theme issue \uffe2\uff80\uff98The role of soils in delivering Nature\uffe2\uff80\uff99s Contributions to People\uffe2\uff80\uff99.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims for clean water and sanitation for all by 2030, through eight subgoals dealing with four themes: (i) water quantity and availability, (ii) water quality, (iii) finding sustainable solutions and (iv) policy and governance. In this opinion paper, we assess how soils and associated land and water management can help achieve this goal, considering soils at two scales: local soil health and healthy landscapes. The merging of these two viewpoints shows the interlinked importance of the two scales. Soil health reflects the capacity of a soil to provide ecosystem services at a specific location, taking into account local climate and soil conditions. Soil is also an important component of a healthy and sustainable landscape, and they are connected by the water that flows through the soil and the transported sediments. Soils are linked to water in two ways: through plant-available water in the soil (green water) and through water in surface bodies or available as groundwater (blue water). In addition, water connects the soil scale and the landscape scale by flowing through both. Nature-based solutions at both soil health and landscape-scale can help achieve sustainable future development but need to be embedded in good governance, social acceptance and economic viability.

This article is part of the theme issue \u2018The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People\u2019.

", "keywords": ["Climate", "Sustainable Development Goals", "01 natural sciences", "12. Responsible consumption", "Soil", "Water Quality", "11. Sustainability", "SDG 6", "nature-based solutions", "Ecosystem", "SDG 3", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "SDG 17", "Conservation of Water Resources", "soil health", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "SDG 12", "6. Clean water", "13. Climate action", "Sustainable Development Goal 6", "connectivity", "blue and green water", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "ecosystem services"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0175"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Philosophical%20Transactions%20of%20the%20Royal%20Society%20B%3A%20Biological%20Sciences", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1098/rstb.2020.0175", "name": "item", "description": "10.1098/rstb.2020.0175", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1098/rstb.2020.0175"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-08-04T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1109/jstars.2024.3422494", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:19:24Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-07-03", "title": "Soil Texture and pH Mapping Using Remote Sensing and Support Sampling", "description": "Soil pH and texture are valuable information for agriculture, supporting the achievement of high productivity and low environmental impact, which is the basis for sustainable agricultural production. In this study, we present novel soil mapping techniques that integrate high-spatial-resolution satellite and ground data, surpassing traditional methods in precision and reliability. By synergizing remote sensing data, including polarimetric synthetic aperture and multispectral imagery, with climate and terrain information, alongside coarse-resolution soil data, we achieved high accuracy, with an average error of less than 6%, in predicting soil pH and texture parameters. Notably, the approach allows for detailed mapping at the pixel level, revealing nuanced variability within 10×10 m field pixels. Considering the accuracy, the method establishes itself as a benchmark for field management guidelines integrating a precision sampling approach, offering actual and high spatial resolution information crucial for sustainable agricultural practices. This holistic approach allows new opportunities to revolutionize soil management practices, facilitating variable rate applications, soil moisture, and fertilization mapping and ultimately enhancing agri-environmental sustainability.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "precision agriculture", "STEROPES", "soil health", "QC801-809", "Geophysics. Cosmic physics", "Machine learning (ML)", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Remote sensing", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "soil mapping", "12. Responsible consumption", "Machine Learning", "Ocean engineering", "remote sensing", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "TC1501-1800", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Y\u00fcz\u00fcg\u00fcll\u00fc, Onur, Fajraoui, Noura, Liebisch, Frank,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1109/jstars.2024.3422494"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/IEEE%20Journal%20of%20Selected%20Topics%20in%20Applied%20Earth%20Observations%20and%20Remote%20Sensing", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1109/jstars.2024.3422494", "name": "item", "description": "10.1109/jstars.2024.3422494", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1109/jstars.2024.3422494"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/ejss.13439", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:19:31Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-11-28", "title": "Sustainable soil management: Soil knowledge use and gaps in Europe", "description": "Abstract

Soils are the foundation of agricultural production, ecosystem functioning and human well\uffe2\uff80\uff90being. Bridging soil knowledge gaps and improving the knowledge system is crucial to meet the growing EU soil policy ambitions in the face of climate change and the ongoing trend in soil degradation. The objective of this article is to assess the current state of knowledge, knowledge use and knowledge gaps concerning sustainable soil management in Europe. This study is based on interviews with 791 stakeholders and 254 researchers and on a comprehensive review of >1800 documents carried out under the European Joint Programme on agricultural soils. Despite differences in stakeholder groups, the conclusions are rather consistent and complementary. We identified major knowledge gaps with respect to (1) soil carbon stocks, (2) soil degradation and fertility and (3) strategies for improved soil management. Transcending these three areas, particularly the loss of soil organic carbon, peatland degradation and soil compaction, are most critical, thus, we stress the urgency of developing more models and monitoring programmes on soils. Stakeholders further report that insufficient transfer of existing soil research findings to practitioners is a hindrance to the adoption of sustainable soil management practices. In addition to knowledge production, soil knowledge gaps may be addressed by considering seven recommendations from the stakeholders: (1) raising awareness, (2) strengthening knowledge brokers, (3) improving relevance of research activities and resource allocation for land users, (4) peer\uffe2\uff80\uff90to\uffe2\uff80\uff90peer communication, (5) targeting advice and information, (6) improving knowledge access, and (7) providing incentives. We argue that filling and bridging knowledge gaps should be a priority for policymakers and the insights provided in the article may help prioritise research and dissemination needs enabling a transition to more sustainable soil management in Europe.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.Soils are key components of our ecosystems and provide 95%\uffe2\uff80\uff9399% of our food. This importance is reflected by an increase in participatory citizen science projects on soils. Citizen science is a participatory research method that actively involves and engages the public in scientific enquiry to generate new knowledge or understanding. Here, we review past and current citizen science projects on agricultural soils across Europe. We conducted a web\uffe2\uff80\uff90based survey and described 24 reviewed European citizen science projects in the light of the 10 principles of citizen science and identified success factors for citizen science. Over 66% of the projects generated soil biodiversity data; 54% and 42% of the projects generated data on vegetation cover and soil organic carbon, respectively. Our findings show that soil citizen science projects aligned with the 10 principles of citizen science offer an unexploited resource for European soil health research. We conclude that promoting co\uffe2\uff80\uff90creation, fostering knowledge\uffe2\uff80\uff90sharing networks and enabling long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term communication and commitment with citizens are success factors for further development of citizen science on soils.Sustainable agricultural soil management practices are key to restore, maintain and improve soil health. The European Joint Programme for SOIL (EJP SOIL) has identified twelve main soil challenges in Europe. To assess the potential and eventually increase the adoption of soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90improving management practices, it is necessary to know (i) the current levels of adoption of the practices, (ii) socio\uffe2\uff80\uff90technical barriers influencing their adoption, and (iii) their bio\uffe2\uff80\uff90physical limits. This study compiled an inventory of soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90improving management practices relevant to European conditions, and used a survey among soil scientists to assess the levels of adoption of these practices in Europe. In total, 53 soil management practices were identified that address one or several of the soil challenges. The adoption of most practices was low or spatially heterogeneous across Europe, highlighting region\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific limitations to sustainable soil management. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore the importance of socio\uffe2\uff80\uff90technical aspects of adoption. Using conservation agriculture as an example, factors that can hinder adoption included the availability of knowledge and adequate machinery, financial risks, and farming traditions. Through a modelling approach, 54% of arable land in Europe was found to be suitable for cover cropping, indicating that the adoption of soil management practices is frequently limited by climatic constraints. We propose a region\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific approach that recognizes the importance of identifying and overcoming socio\uffe2\uff80\uff90technical barriers, and by acknowledging bio\uffe2\uff80\uff90physical limits that may be expanded by innovation. High rates of soil organic carbon (SOC) loss from cropland soils are well known, contributing to climate change and compromising soil and ecosystem health. Stabilising and reversing the loss of organic matter from cropland soils is a challenge for all nations to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable land management (SLM) has been promoted as a mechanism of achieving this, but to date, there is no evidence of positive impacts at scale. Here we show the first signs of the reversal of soil carbon loss in cultivated topsoils in Great Britain, following a period of reported SLM uptake, using 40+ years of national soil monitoring from the UKCEH Countryside Survey. Following a prolonged historic decline at rates of \uffe2\uff88\uff920.16\uffe2\uff80\uff89t\uffe2\uff80\uff89ha \uffe2\uff88\uff921 \uffe2\uff80\uff89year \uffe2\uff88\uff921 , there was a significant increase in cropland topsoil SOC stocks (0\uffe2\uff80\uff9315\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm) from 2007 to 2019\uffe2\uff80\uff9322 with an accrual rate of 0.17\uffe2\uff80\uff89t\uffe2\uff80\uff89ha \uffe2\uff88\uff921 \uffe2\uff80\uff89year \uffe2\uff88\uff921 , approximately 0.74\uffe2\uff80\uff89MtC\uffe2\uff80\uff89year \uffe2\uff88\uff921 nationally. We discuss reported management shifts in Great Britain in the corresponding period and identify a reduction in conventional tillage and reduced straw removal as potential drivers, but highlight additional evidence gaps worthy of consideration. This increase in topsoil SOC may represent net carbon sequestration or carbon redistribution (geographic or vertical) but nevertheless demonstrates that topsoil properties can be restored at scale and offers hope that a concerted effort by land managers can halt, and potentially reverse, SOC loss from cropland soils. For a sustainable production of food, research on agricultural soil microbial communities is inevitable. Due to its immense complexity, soil is still some kind of black box. Soil study designs for identifying microbiome members of relevance have various scopes and focus on particular environmental factors. To identify common features of soil microbiomes, data from multiple studies should be compiled and processed. Taxonomic compositions and functional capabilities of microbial communities associated with soils and plants have been identified and characterized in the past few decades. From a fertile Loess\uffe2\uff80\uff93Chernozem-type soil located in Germany, metagenomically assembled genomes (MAGs) classified as members of the phylum Thaumarchaeota/Thermoproteota were obtained. These possibly represent keystone agricultural soil community members encoding functions of relevance for soil fertility and plant health. Their importance for the analyzed microbiomes is corroborated by the fact that they were predicted to contribute to the cycling of nitrogen, feature the genetic potential to fix carbon dioxide and possess genes with predicted functions in plant-growth-promotion (PGP). To expand the knowledge on soil community members belonging to the phylum Thaumarchaeota, we conducted a meta-analysis integrating primary studies on European agricultural soil microbiomes.

Results

Taxonomic classification of the selected soil metagenomes revealed the shared agricultural soil core microbiome of European soils from 19 locations. Metadata reporting was heterogeneous between the different studies. According to the available metadata, we separated the data into 68 treatments. The phylum Thaumarchaeota is part of the core microbiome and represents a major constituent of the archaeal subcommunities in all European agricultural soils. At a higher taxonomic resolution, 2074 genera constituted the core microbiome. We observed that viral genera strongly contribute to variation in taxonomic profiles. By binning of metagenomically assembled contigs, Thaumarchaeota MAGs could be recovered from several European soil metagenomes. Notably, many of them were classified as members of the family Nitrososphaeraceae, highlighting the importance of this family for agricultural soils. The specific Loess-Chernozem Thaumarchaeota MAGs were most abundant in their original soil, but also seem to be of importance in other agricultural soil microbial communities. Metabolic reconstruction of Switzerland_1_MAG_2 revealed its genetic potential i.a. regarding carbon dioxide (CO$$_2$$ 2 ) fixation, ammonia oxidation, exopolysaccharide production and a beneficial effect on plant growth. Similar genetic features were also present in other reconstructed MAGs. Three Nitrososphaeraceae MAGs are all most likely members of a so far unknown genus.

Conclusions

On a broad view, European agricultural soil microbiomes are similarly structured. Differences in community structure were observable, although analysis was complicated by heterogeneity in metadata recording. Our study highlights the need for standardized metadata reporting and the benefits of networking open data. Future soil sequencing studies should also consider high sequencing depths in order to enable reconstruction of genome bins. Intriguingly, the family Nitrososphaeraceae commonly seems to be of importance in agricultural microbiomes.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "570", "Soil microbial diversity", "Metagenomically assembled genomes", "Research", "European soil", "Open metagenome data analysis", "15. Life on land", "Microbiology", "Thaumarchaeota", "QR1-502", "Environmental sciences", "Agricultural microbiome", "Soil health", "GE1-350"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40793-023-00479-9.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-023-00479-9"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Environmental%20Microbiome", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1186/s40793-023-00479-9", "name": "item", "description": "10.1186/s40793-023-00479-9", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1186/s40793-023-00479-9"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-03-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/sum.13164", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:20:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-12-09", "title": "Advancing nature\u2010based solutions through enhanced soil health monitoring in the United Kingdom", "description": "Abstract

Soil health is a critical component of nature\uffe2\uff80\uff90based solutions (NbS), underpinning ecosystem multifunctionality and resilience by supporting biodiversity, improving carbon sequestration and storage, regulating water flow and enhancing plant productivity. For this reason, NbS often aim to protect soil health and restore degraded soil. Robust monitoring of soil health is needed to adaptively manage NbS projects, identify best practices and minimize trade\uffe2\uff80\uff90offs between goals, but soil assessment is often underrepresented in NbS monitoring programmes. This paper examines challenges and opportunities in selecting suitable soil health metrics. We find that standardization can facilitate widespread monitoring of soil health, with benefits for stakeholders and user groups. However, standardization brings key challenges, including the complexity and local variability of soil systems and the diverse priorities, skills and resources of stakeholders. To address this, we propose a flexible, interdisciplinary approach combining soil science, ecology and socio\uffe2\uff80\uff90economic insights. We introduce an interactive tool to help users select suitable soil and biodiversity metrics, which are context and scale\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific, and suggest avenues for future research. We conclude that integrating soil health into NbS through new and improved monitoring approaches, newly available datasets, supportive policies and stakeholder collaboration can enhance the resilience and effectiveness of NbS, contributing significantly to global sustainability goals.Soil health is crucial for global food production in the context of an ever-growing global population. Microbiomes, a combination of microorganisms and their activities, play a pivotal role by biodegrading contaminants, maintaining soil structure, controlling nutrients\uffe2\uff80\uff99 cycles, and regulating the plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Microbiome-based solutions along the soil-plant continuum, and their scaling up from laboratory experiments to field applications, hold promise for enhancing agricultural sustainability by harnessing the power of microbial consortia. Synthetic microbial communities, i.e., selected microbial consortia, are designed to perform specific functions. In contrast, natural communities leverage indigenous microbial populations that are adapted to local soil conditions, promoting ecosystem resilience, and reducing reliance on external inputs. The identification of microbial indicators requires a holistic approach. It is fundamental for current understanding the soil health status and for providing a comprehensive assessment of sustainable land management practices and conservation efforts. Recent advancements in molecular technologies, such as high-throughput sequencing, revealed the incredible diversity of soil microbiomes. On one hand, metagenomic sequencing allows the characterization of the entire genetic composition of soil microbiomes, and the examination of their functional potential and ecological roles; on the other hand, culturomics-based approaches and metabolic fingerprinting offer complementary information by providing snapshots of microbial diversity and metabolic activities both in and ex-situ. Long-term storage and cryopreservation of mixed culture and whole microbiome are crucial to maintain the originality of the sample in microbiome biobanking and for the development and application of microbiome-based innovation. This review aims to elucidate the available approaches to characterize diversity, function, and resilience of soil microbial communities and to develop microbiome-based solutions that can pave the way for harnessing nature\uffe2\uff80\uff99s untapped resources to cultivate crops in healthy soils, to enhance plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses, and to shape thriving ecosystems unlocking the potential of soil microbiomes is key to sustainable agriculture. Improving management practices by incorporating beneficial microbial consortia, and promoting resilience to climate change by facilitating adaptive strategies with respect to environmental conditions are the global challenges of the future to address the issues of climate change, land degradation and food security.Soil degradation threatens agricultural production and soil multifunctionality. Efforts for private and public governance are increasingly emerging to leverage sustainable soil management. They require consensus across science, policy, and practice about what sustainable soil management entails. Such agreement does not yet exist to a sufficient extent in agronomic terms; what is lacking is a concise list of soil management measures that enjoy broad support among all stakeholders, and evidence on the question what hampers their implementation by farmers. We therefore screened stakeholder documents from public governance institutions, nongovernmental organizations, the agricultural industry, and conventional and organic farmer associations for recommendations related to agricultural soil management in Germany. Out of 46 recommended measures in total, we compiled a shortlist of the seven most consensual ones: (1) structural landscape elements, (2) organic fertilization, (3) diversified crop rotation, (4) permanent soil cover, (5) conservation tillage, (6) reduced soil loads, and (7) optimized timing of wheeling. Together, these measures support all agricultural soil functions, and address all major soil threats except soil contamination. Implementation barriers were identified with the aid of an online survey among farmers (n = 78). Results showed that a vast majority of farmers (> 80%) approved of all measures. Barriers were mostly considered to be economic and in some cases technological, while missing knowledge or other factors were less relevant. Barriers were stronger for those measures that cannot be implemented in isolation, but require a systemic diversification of the production system. This is especially the case for measures that are simultaneously beneficial to many soil functions (measures 2, 3, and 4). Results confirm the need for a diversification of the agricultural system in order to meet challenges of food security and climate change. The shortlist presents the first integrative compilation of sustainable soil management measures supporting the design of effective public or private governance.A Soil Monitoring Law to improve soil health across all land uses has been proposed by the European Commission. As forests soils have different chemical and physical properties as well as biogeochemical dynamics compared to agricultural land, they also face different challenges in maintaining and restoring soil health. Examples are soil acidification, eutrophication by atmospheric deposition, responses to climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Therefore, we propose forest soil specific health descriptors and thresholds based on experience and knowledge from existing long-term monitoring programs.

", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "ICP Forests", "soil health", "tresholds", "Forestry", "ICP forests", "Forest soil monitoring", "SD1-669.5", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "indicators", "630", "forest floor", "forest soil monitoring", "13. Climate action", "Soil health", "11. Sustainability", "Indicators", "Thresholds", "Forest floor", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Annals%20of%20Forest%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7", "name": "item", "description": "10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-06-04T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.20944/preprints202009.0176.v1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:21:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-09-11", "title": "Modelling and Prediction of Organic Carbon Dynamics in Arable Soils Based on a 62-Year Field Experiment in the Voronezh Region, European Russia", "description": "

Organic carbon (OC) accumulation in soil mitigates greenhouse gases emission and improves soil health. We aimed to quantify the dynamics of OC stock in soils and to justify technologies that allow annual increasing OC stock in the arable soil layer by 4‰. We based the study on a field experiment established in 1936 in the 9-field crop rotation with a fallow on Chernozem in European Russia. The RothC version 26.3 was used for the reproducing and forecasting OC dynamics. In all fertilizer applications at FYM background, there was a decrease in the OC stock with preferable loss of active OC, except the period 1964-71 with 2-5‰ annual OC increase. The model estimated the annual C input in the arable soil layer as 1,900 kg·ha-1. For increasing OC stocks by 4‰ per year, one should raise input to 2400 kg·ha-1. Simulation was made for 2016-2090 using climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Crop rotation without fallowing provided an initial increase of 3‰ and 6‰ of stocks in the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios accordingly, followed by a loss in accumulated OC. Simulation demonstrates difficulties to increase OC concentration in Chernozems under intensive farming and potential capacity to rise OC stock through yield management.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "soil health", "S", "Chernozems", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "climatic change scenarios", "agricultural_sciences_agronomy", "13. Climate action", "soil organic matter", "greenhouse gases", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "long-term experiment"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/10/1607/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/10/1607/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202009.0176.v1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agronomy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.20944/preprints202009.0176.v1", "name": "item", "description": "10.20944/preprints202009.0176.v1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.20944/preprints202009.0176.v1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-09-08T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.20944/preprints202012.0208.v1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:21:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-12-09", "title": "Arable Podzols are A Substantial Carbon Sink under Current and Future Climate: Evidence From a Long-Term Experiment in Vladimir Region, Russia", "description": "

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential condition for soil health and a potential sink for greenhouse gases. SOC dynamics in a long-term field experiment with mineral and organic fertilization on loamy sand Podzol in Vladimir Region, Russia, was traced with the dynamic carbon model RothC since 1968 until the present time. During this period, C stock increased 21% compared with the initial level in the treatment with the application of manure in an average annual rate of 10 t·ha-1. The model was also used to forecast SOC changes until 2090 for two contrasting RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios. Until 2090, the steady growth of SOC stocks is expected in all compared treatments for both climate scenarios. This rate of growth was the highest until 2040, decreased in 2040-2070 and increased again in 2070-2090 for RCP4.5. The highest annual gain was within 21-27‰ under RCP4.5 and 16-21‰ in 2020-2040 in 0-20 cm soil layer. The expected accumulation of C allows increasing current C stock 1.6-1.7 times for RCP4.5 and 2.0-2.2 times for RCP8.5 scenario. Modelling demonstrated potentially more favourable conditions for SOC stability in arable Podzols than in Retisols in Central Russia in the 21st century.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "soil health", "S", "podzols", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "RothC model", "soil organic carbon", "long-term experiments", "climate change", "\u201c4 per 1000\u201d initiative", "13. Climate action", "anatomy_morphology", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/90/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/90/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202012.0208.v1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agronomy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.20944/preprints202012.0208.v1", "name": "item", "description": "10.20944/preprints202012.0208.v1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.20944/preprints202012.0208.v1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-08T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.20944/preprints202409.0269.v1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:21:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-10-24", "title": "Investigating How Policies and Other Conditions Contribute to Influencing Agricultural GHG Emissions in the EU", "description": "

The present study aims at investigating the potential impacts of agricultural policies on GHG emissions from agriculture across the European Union. The study begins by providing evidence on how the key CAP reforms contributed to the structural changes the European agriculture faced in the past. Based on these facts, we introduce the context of implementation of the 2014\u20132022 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), within which many interventions were designed to improve sustainability and increase competitiveness, and we formulate hypotheses on how CAP instruments can contribute differently to influencing GHG emissions from agriculture. The hypotheses formulated concern the following: (1) the influence of the income support payment on land prices and, consequently, on land distribution between small and large landowners; (2) the influence of the coupled payment on agricultural specialization; (3) the influence of agri-environmental-climate measures on the sustainable management of agricultural lands. These causalities can have direct and indirect effects on GHG emissions from agriculture. The method of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is used to investigate the above-mentioned causalities and to cluster observations based on similar combinations of conditions (i.e., drivers) and outcomes (i.e., positive or negative variations in GHG emissions from agriculture between the end and the beginning of the CAP programming period). The results reveal that the increase in GHG emissions from agriculture over the study period is mainly attributable to the low share of agricultural land under management contracts targeting climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration through the CAP. CAP payments coupled with production were found to contribute to further increasing GHG emissions from agriculture in some eastern and northern EU countries. Livestock concentrations, income support payments and the high price of agricultural land drive the increase in GHG emissions for other central and eastern EU countries. The paper concludes by addressing existing shortcomings due to conflicting interventions in the current CAP strategic plans.

", "keywords": ["qualitative comparative analysis", "soil health", "S", "rural development programs", "Agriculture", "policy evaluation", "climate change mitigation"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/11/1745/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0269.v1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Land", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.20944/preprints202409.0269.v1", "name": "item", "description": "10.20944/preprints202409.0269.v1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.20944/preprints202409.0269.v1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-09-05T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.31428/10317/13594", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:21:56Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-02-29", "title": "Healthy Municipal Soils EU Horizon: a participatory methodology based on the biodistric approach for municipalities.", "description": "Soil degradation reflects a lack of appreciation for the value of healthy soils for people and planet. Within this context the EU Mission \u2018A Soil Deal for Europe\u2019 (Soil Mission) aims to lead the transition to healthy soils via sustainable soil management. This requires knowledge and awareness of the importance and value of soil health and its challenges and drivers across Europe. Municipalities and regions are at the forefront of soil management, regulation, innovation, and community-building and are thus pivotal for promoting soil health. However, engaging and activating municipalities and regions across Europe to pro-tect and restore soil health is vital for a successful Soil Mission deployment. HuMUS is the only project implementing the EU Soil Mission that is targeting public administration at local and regional levels. In particular, the research that we present within the Humus project shows a participatory biodistrict ap-proach that will be applied in 33 pilot cases to support the co-implementation of solutions to protect and restore soil health at municipal and territorial (intermunicipal) scale. According to a deep literature review we have selected 15 best practices to describe successful applications of the proposed participatory method-ology. This biodistrict approach will ensure an increased cooperation between public and private actors, such as municipal stakeholders, policymakers in charge of local and regional strategies, as well as private stakeholders and citizens. Territorial Management Agreements will be reached with key stakeholders by means of participatory diagnosis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats around soil health that will set the basis for the co-creation of solutions for the protection and restoration of soil health will be discussed and agreed by all actors", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Urban\u00edstica", "Soil mission", "Participation", "Territorial management", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "SUPTM 2024", "12. Responsible consumption", "6201.03 Urbanismo", "13. Climate action", "Soil health", "11. Sustainability", "Biodistrict", "3305.37 Planificaci\u00f3n Urbana"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Matar\u00e1n Ruiz, Alberto, S\u00e1nchez Contreras, Josefa, Manzanera, Roser, Torres, Adolfo, Bejarano, Juan Francisco, L\u00f3pez Medina, Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda, Fuentes-Guerra Soldevilla, Rafael, Ruiz, Santiago, Iglesias, Andrea,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.31428/10317/13594"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2nd%20International%20Conference%20on%20Future%20Challenges%20in%20Sustainable%20Urban%20Planning%20%26amp%3B%20Territorial%20Management%3A%20SUPTM%202024", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.31428/10317/13594", "name": "item", "description": "10.31428/10317/13594", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.31428/10317/13594"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-02-29T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fsoil.2025.1549290", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2025-05-23", "title": "Mapping the conceptual and intellectual structure of soil health research (1996\u20132021): a terms co-occurrence and co-cited reference network analysis", "description": "

Soil health has emerged as a critical area of research due to its role in sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, ecosystem services and policy frameworks like the EU Soil Strategy. Since the 1990s, research has expanded rapidly, yet unevenly, marked by fragmented thematic priorities and methodological approaches. This study employs bibliometric analyses\u2014term co-occurrence and co-cited reference networks\u2014to map the conceptual and intellectual structure of soil health research from 1996 to 2021. By analyzing 984 peer-reviewed articles, we identified three major research clusters: (1) Agricultural Research & Soil Management, emphasizing agronomic practices such as fertilization and crop yield optimization; (2) Soil Health & Agricultural Sustainability, focusing on carbon dynamics, conservation tillage, and policy alignment; and (3) Microbial Ecology & Soil Health, highlighting soil biota, enzyme activity, and long-term biological impacts. Seminal works by Karlen et al., which established foundational frameworks linking soil quality to ecosystem services, and Mbuthia et al., demonstrating microbial resilience under conservation practices, emerged as pivotal drivers of field evolution. Emerging trends favor sustainable practices, amendments, and biological indicators. The analysis reveals critical gaps, including limited integration of pedological modeling to quantify ecosystem services and insufficient long-term studies on conservation agriculture. These findings advocate interdisciplinary collaboration among agronomists, microbiologists, policymakers, and climate scientists to align soil health metrics with global targets (e.g., SDGs, EU Soil Monitoring Law), providing a roadmap to integrate soil health into climate-smart land-use policies.

", "keywords": ["sustainable agriculture", "Chemistry", "bibliometric analysis", "soil health", "TA703-712", "Engineering geology. Rock mechanics. Soil mechanics. Underground construction", "co-cited network analysis", "soil management", "terms co-occurrence", "QD1-999"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Mohamed Houssemeddine Sellami, Mohamed Houssemeddine Sellami, Mauro Mori, Fabio Terribile,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoil.2025.1549290"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Soil%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fsoil.2025.1549290", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fsoil.2025.1549290", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fsoil.2025.1549290"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-05-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/su17115042", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:29Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2025-06-02", "title": "Citizen Science for Soil Monitoring and Protection in Europe: Insights from the PREPSOIL Project Under the European Soil Mission", "description": "

Citizen science (CS) is increasingly recognized as a complementary approach for addressing soil health challenges\u2014including erosion, pollution, nutrient imbalances, and biodiversity loss\u2014by harnessing public participation to broaden spatial and temporal data collection. This review synthesizes findings from the following: (i) a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature and grey sources, (ii) a database of 96 CS initiatives compiled by the European PREPSOIL project, and (iii) questionnaire surveys and workshops conducted in five Living Labs across Europe. Our analysis indicates that volunteer-driven monitoring can enhance the volume and granularity of soil data, providing critical insights into parameters such as organic carbon content, nutrient levels, and pollutant concentrations. However, persistent challenges remain, including inconsistencies in data validation, volunteer attrition, and concerns regarding digital literacy and data privacy. Despite these challenges, ongoing efforts to standardize protocols, integrate remote sensing and sensor-based validation methods, and employ feedback mechanisms improve data reliability and participant engagement. We conclude that sustained capacity-building, transparent data governance, and stakeholder collaboration, from local communities to governmental bodies, are essential for fully realizing the potential of citizen science in soil conservation. This work is framed within the context of the European Soil Mission, and CS is demonstrated to meaningfully support sustainable land management and evidence-based policymaking by aligning public-generated observations with established scientific frameworks.

", "keywords": ["community stewardship", "remote sensing", "[SDV.EE] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology", " environment", "volunteer engagement", "soil health", "soil monitoring", "citizen science", "open data", "data validation", "policy integration", "biodiversity"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/5042/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115042"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/su17115042", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/su17115042", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/su17115042"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-05-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/agriculture11070583", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-06-24", "title": "Soil Health Evaluation of Farmland Based on Functional Soil Management\u2014A Case Study of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, China", "description": "

Given that farmland serves as a strategic resource to ensure national food security, blind emphasis on the improvement of food production capacity can lead to soil overutilization and impair other soil functions. Hence, the evaluation of soil health (SH) should comprehensively take soil productivity and ecological environmental effects into account. In this study, five functions from the perspective of functional soil management were summarized, including primary productivity, provision and cycling of nutrients, the provision of functional and intrinsic biodiversity, water purification and regulation, and carbon sequestration and regulation. For each soil function, in view of the natural and ameliorable conditions affecting SH, basic indicators were selected from the two aspects of inherent and dynamic properties, and restrictive indicators were chosen considering the external properties or environmental elements, with the minimum limiting factor method coupled with weighted linear model. The new evaluation system was tested and verified in Yixing City, China. The healthy and optimally functional soils were concentrated in the northeast and mid-west of Yixing City, whereas unhealthy soils were predominant in the south and around Taihu Lake. The main limitations to SH improvement included cation exchange capacity, nutrient elements, and soluble carbon. The SH evaluation method was verified using the crop performance validation method, and a positive correlation was noted between food production stability index and soil health index, indicating that the evaluation system is reasonable.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "soil obstacles", "soil health", "Agriculture (General)", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "sustainable soil management", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "soil multifunctionality", "6. Clean water", "S1-972", "soil ecosystem services", "12. Responsible consumption"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/7/583/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11070583"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agriculture", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/agriculture11070583", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/agriculture11070583", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/agriculture11070583"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-06-24T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/agriculture12020137", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:07Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-01-21", "title": "Reconnecting Farmers with Nature through Agroecological Transitions: Interacting Niches and Experimentation and the Role of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems", "description": "

Sustainability transitions in agriculture are explored through an analysis of niche initiatives within a common production system, relying on sustainable transitions, multi-level perspectives, and agroecological frameworks, and involving multi-actor, agricultural knowledge, and innovation systems (AKIS). The article focuses on how experimental niches and sustainable activities affect farmers\u2019 relationships with nature, and the reconceptualisation of the production system in which they operate, particularly where this system is embedded in less sustainable conventional or dominant regimes and landscapes. The need for fundamental changes, in the way that humans interact with nature, is widely argued for in order to achieve sustainable development, and farmers occupy a central role through participation in complex networks of agri-food systems. They have also found themselves disconnected from nature through conventional agri-industrial production practices. Four niches (biological control, ecological restoration, soil health, and ecological pond management) within the greenhouse sector of Almeria (SE Spain) are explored in a case study. Our results indicate that a farmer\u2019s interaction with nature is functional, but through agroecological practices, a deeper understanding of the ecosystems in which greenhouse landscapes are embedded may be gained. As they become more connected to nature and benefit from ecosystem services, they can transition to more sustainable agricultural systems.

", "keywords": ["agroecology", "collective action", "Agriculture (General)", "pond naturalisation", "biological control", "sustainability transitions", "agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS)", "01 natural sciences", "S1-972", "12. Responsible consumption", "human nature connectedness; sustainability transitions; agricultural innovations; multi-level perspective; agroecology; agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS); conservative agriculture practices; knowledge co-production; mediterranean horticulture; integrated pest management; greenhouses; soil health; biological control; pond naturalisation; collective action; socio-ecological systems", "mediterranean horticulture", "greenhouses", "socio-ecological systems", "11. Sustainability", "multi-level perspective", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "agricultural innovations", "2. Zero hunger", "integrated pest management", "soil health", "9. Industry and infrastructure", "knowledge co-production", "multilevel perspective", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "conservative agriculture practices", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "human nature connectedness"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/137/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/137/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020137"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agriculture", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/agriculture12020137", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/agriculture12020137", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/agriculture12020137"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-01-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/agronomy10101607", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-09-11", "title": "Modelling and Prediction of Organic Carbon Dynamics in Arable Soils Based on a 62-Year Field Experiment in the Voronezh Region, European Russia", "description": "

Organic carbon (OC) accumulation in soil mitigates greenhouse gases emission and improves soil health. We aimed to quantify the dynamics of OC stock in soils and to justify technologies that allow annual increasing OC stock in the arable soil layer by 4‰. We based the study on a field experiment established in 1936 in the 9-field crop rotation with a fallow on Chernozem in European Russia. The RothC version 26.3 was used for the reproducing and forecasting OC dynamics. In all fertilizer applications at FYM background, there was a decrease in the OC stock with preferable loss of active OC, except the period 1964-71 with 2-5‰ annual OC increase. The model estimated the annual C input in the arable soil layer as 1,900 kg·ha-1. For increasing OC stocks by 4‰ per year, one should raise input to 2400 kg·ha-1. Simulation was made for 2016-2090 using climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Crop rotation without fallowing provided an initial increase of 3‰ and 6‰ of stocks in the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios accordingly, followed by a loss in accumulated OC. Simulation demonstrates difficulties to increase OC concentration in Chernozems under intensive farming and potential capacity to rise OC stock through yield management.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "soil health", "S", "Chernozems", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "climatic change scenarios", "agricultural_sciences_agronomy", "13. Climate action", "soil organic matter", "greenhouse gases", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "long-term experiment"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/10/1607/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/10/1607/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101607"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agronomy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/agronomy10101607", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/agronomy10101607", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/agronomy10101607"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-09-08T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/agronomy11010090", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-12-09", "title": "Arable Podzols Are a Substantial Carbon Sink under Current and Future Climates: Evidence from a Long-Term Experiment in the Vladimir Region, Russia", "description": "

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential condition for soil health and a potential sink for greenhouse gases. SOC dynamics in a long-term field experiment with mineral and organic fertilization on loamy sand Podzol in Vladimir Region, Russia, was traced with the dynamic carbon model RothC since 1968 until the present time. During this period, C stock increased 21% compared with the initial level in the treatment with the application of manure in an average annual rate of 10 t·ha-1. The model was also used to forecast SOC changes until 2090 for two contrasting RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios. Until 2090, the steady growth of SOC stocks is expected in all compared treatments for both climate scenarios. This rate of growth was the highest until 2040, decreased in 2040-2070 and increased again in 2070-2090 for RCP4.5. The highest annual gain was within 21-27‰ under RCP4.5 and 16-21‰ in 2020-2040 in 0-20 cm soil layer. The expected accumulation of C allows increasing current C stock 1.6-1.7 times for RCP4.5 and 2.0-2.2 times for RCP8.5 scenario. Modelling demonstrated potentially more favourable conditions for SOC stability in arable Podzols than in Retisols in Central Russia in the 21st century.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "soil health", "S", "podzols", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "RothC model", "soil organic carbon", "long-term experiments", "climate change", "\u201c4 per 1000\u201d initiative", "13. Climate action", "anatomy_morphology", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/90/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/90/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010090"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agronomy", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/agronomy11010090", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/agronomy11010090", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/agronomy11010090"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-08T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/land11050599", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-04-20", "title": "Do Agricultural Advisory Services in Europe Have the Capacity to Support the Transition to Healthy Soils?", "description": "

The need to provide appropriate information, technical advice and facilitation to support farmers in transitioning towards healthy soils is increasingly clear, and the role of the Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) in this is critical. However, the transformation of AAS (plurality, commercialisation, fragmentation, decentralisation) brings new challenges for delivering advice to support soil health management. This paper asks: To what extent do agricultural advisory services have the capacity to support the transition to healthy soils across Europe? Using the \u2018best fit\u2019 framework, analytical characteristics of the AAS relevant to the research question (governance structures, management, organisational and individual capacities) were identified. Analysis of 18 semi-structured expert interviews across 6 case study countries in Europe, selected to represent a range of contexts, was undertaken. Capacities to provide soil health management (SHM) advice are constrained by funding arrangements, limited adviser training and professional development, adviser motivations and professional cultures, all determined by institutional conditions. This has resulted in a narrowing down of access and content of soil advice and a reduced capacity to support the transition in farming to healthy soils. The extent to which emerging policy and market drivers incentivise enhanced capacities in AAS is an important area for future research.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "S1", "soil health", "agricultural advisers", "agricultural advisory services; soil health; governance; agricultural advisers; sustainable soil management; soil policy; advice", "S", "0211 other engineering and technologies", "Agriculture", "sustainable soil management", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "governance", "advice", "agricultural advisory services", "S589.7_Agricultural", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "soil policy"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/10944/3/10944-Ingram-et-al-%282022%29-Do-Agricultural-Advisory-Services.pdf"}, {"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/599/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050599"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Land", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/land11050599", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/land11050599", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/land11050599"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-04-19T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/land11060943", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-07T16:22:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-06-19", "title": "The Effects of Soil Improving Cropping Systems (SICS) on Soil Erosion and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks across Europe: A Simulation Study", "description": "

Healthy soils are fundamental for sustainable agriculture. Soil Improving Cropping Systems (SICS) aim to make land use and food production more sustainable. To evaluate the effect of SICS at EU scale, a modelling approach was taken. This study simulated the effects of SICS on two principal indicators of soil health (Soil Organic Carbon stocks) and land degradation (soil erosion) across Europe using the spatially explicit PESERA model. Four scenarios with varying levels and combinations of cover crops, mulching, soil compaction alleviation and minimum tillage were implemented and simulated until 2050. Results showed that while in the scenario without SICS, erosion slightly increased on average across Europe, it significantly decreased in the scenario with the highest level of SICS applied, especially in the cropping areas in the central European Loess Belt. Regarding SOC stocks, the simulations show a substantial decrease for the scenario without SICS and a slight overall decrease for the medium level scenario and the scenario with a mix of high, medium and no SICS. The scenario with a high level of SICS implementation showed an overall increase in SOC stocks across Europe. Potential future improvements include incorporating dynamic land use, climate change and an optimal spatial allocation of SICS.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "soil erosion", "soil health", "S", "scenarios", "0211 other engineering and technologies", "large-scale modelling; Europe; soil health; SOC stocks; soil erosion; scenarios; sustainable soil management", "Agriculture", "sustainable soil management", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "large-scale modelling", "SOC stocks", "01 natural sciences", "7. Clean energy", "12. Responsible consumption", "Europe", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/943/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060943"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Land", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/land11060943", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/land11060943", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/land11060943"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-06-19T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+Health&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+Health&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "first", "title": "items (first)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+Health&", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "next", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (next)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Soil+Health&offset=50", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 144, "numberReturned": 50, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-05-08T11:18:16.091359Z"}