{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1007/s13593-022-00864-7", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:15:27Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-02-01", "title": "Sustainable soil management measures: a synthesis of stakeholder recommendations", "description": "Abstract

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.Growing sustainability demands on land have a high knowledge requirement across multiple scientific domains. Exploring networks can expose opportunities for targeting. Using mixed-methods combining social network analysis (SNA) and surveys, networks for key soil functions in case studies in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands are explored. We find a diversity of contrasting networks that reflect local conditions, sustainability challenges and governance structure. Farmers were found to occupy a central role in the agri-environmental governance network. A comparison of the SNA and survey results indicate low acceptance of messages from many central actors indicating scope to better harness the network for sustainable land management. The source of the messages was important when it came to the implementation of farm management actions. Two pathways for enhanced farmer uptake of multi-functionality are proposed that have wider application are; to increase trust between farmers and actors that are agents of multi-functional messages and/or to increase the bundling or multi-functionality of messages (mandate) of actors trusted by farmers.In 1991, at the launch of a national symposium devoted to soil structure, the Australian Society of Soil Science invited Professor John Letey to deliver a keynote address, which was later published in the society\uffe2\uff80\uff99s journal. In his lecture, he shared the outcome of his reflexion about what the assessment of soil structure should amount to, in order to produce useful insight into the functioning of soils. His viewpoint was that the focus should be put on the openings present in the structure, rather than on the chunks of material resulting from its mechanical dismantlement. In the present article, we provide some historical background for Letey\uffe2\uff80\uff99s analysis, and try to explain why it took a number of years for the paradigm shift that he advocated to begin to occur. Over the last decade, his perspective that soil structure needs to be characterised via non-destructive methods appears to have gained significant momentum, which is likely to increase further in the near future, as we take advantage of recent technological advances. Other valuable lessons that one can derive from Letey\uffe2\uff80\uff99s pioneering article relate to the extreme value for everyone, even neophytes, to constantly ask questions about where research on given topics is heading, what its goals are, and whether the methods that are used at a certain time are optimal.

", "keywords": ["570", "soil image analysis", "soil microorganisms", "[SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes", "Soil measuring", "earthworms", "micromorphology", "Aggregate stability", "Soil functions", "01 natural sciences", "630", "Soil fauna", "soil organic matter", "Earthworms", "Micromorphology", "Computed tomography", "aggregate stability", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "soil measuring", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "computed tomography", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "[SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes", "Soil image analysis", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "soil fauna", "earthworms; micromorphology", "Soil microorganisms"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1071/sr21268"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1071/sr21268", "name": "item", "description": "10.1071/sr21268", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1071/sr21268"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-01-19T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1038/s41559-023-02071-3", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:18:14Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-05-11", "title": "Water availability creates global thresholds in multidimensional soil biodiversity and functions", "description": "Soils support an immense portion of Earth's biodiversity and maintain multiple ecosystem functions which are essential for human well-being. Environmental thresholds are known to govern global vegetation patterns, but it is still unknown whether they can be used to predict the distribution of soil organisms and functions across global biomes. Using a global field survey of 383 sites across contrasting climatic and vegetation conditions, here we showed that soil biodiversity and functions exhibited pervasive nonlinear patterns worldwide and are mainly governed by water availability (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration). Changes in water availability resulted in drastic shifts in soil biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, protists and invertebrates) and soil functions including plant-microbe interactions, plant productivity, soil biogeochemical cycles and soil carbon sequestration. Our findings highlight that crossing specific water availability thresholds can have critical consequences for the provision of essential ecosystem services needed to sustain our planet.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Ecolog\u00eda (Biolog\u00eda)", "2505.01 Biogeograf\u00eda", "Medio ambiente natural", "Water availability", "2417.13 Ecolog\u00eda Vegetal", "2417.90 Fijaci\u00f3n y Movilizaci\u00f3n Biol\u00f3gica de Nutrientes", "Water", "Edafolog\u00eda (Biolog\u00eda)", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Soil functions", "574", "Soil biodiversity", "Invertebrates", "6. Clean water", "631.4", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "Animals", "Humans", "Thresholds", "502.5", "Ecosystem"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02071-3"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Nature%20Ecology%20%26amp%3B%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1038/s41559-023-02071-3", "name": "item", "description": "10.1038/s41559-023-02071-3", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1038/s41559-023-02071-3"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-05-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.14288/1.0441432", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:18Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-03-15", "title": "Crop Conversion from Annual to Perennials: An Effective Strategy to Affect Soil Multifunctionality", "description": "

Although crop conversion from annual to perennial crops has been considered as one path towards climate-smart and resource-efficient agriculture, the effects of this conversion on soil multifunctionality and biomass yields remain unclear. The objective of the study is to enhance soil multifunctionality while exerting a marginal influence on farmer income. Here, we investigated the effects of annual winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two perennial crops (a grass (Lolium perenne L.), a legume (Medicago sativa L.), and their mixture) on soil multifunctionality and biomass yield on the Yellow River floodplain. Soil multifunctionality was assessed by the capacity of water regulation and the multifunctionality of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles. C cycle multifunctionality index is the average of \u03b2-xylosidase, \u03b2-cellobiosidase, and \u03b2-1, 4-glucosidase. N cycle multifunctionality index is the average of L-leucine aminopeptidase and \u03b2-1, 4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase represented (and dominated) P cycle functions. The results showed that perennial crops enhanced soil multifunctionality by 207% for L. perenne, 311% for M. sativa, and 438% for L. perenne + M. sativa, compared with annual winter wheat (T. aestivum). The effect of perennial crops on soil multifunctionality increased with infiltration rate, dissolved organic C, microbial biomass C, and extracellular enzymatic activities for both C and N acquisition. However, we observed that perennial crops had a lower biomass yield than annual crop. Therefore, the transition of agricultural landscapes to perennials needs to take into account the balance between environmental protection and food security, as well as environmental heterogeneity, to promote sustainable agricultural development.

", "keywords": ["land use change", "2. Zero hunger", "soil extracellular enzymes", "annual and perennial crops", "Yellow River floodplain", "S", "13. Climate action", "Agriculture", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "crop type", "6. Clean water", "12. Responsible consumption"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0441432"}, {"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": "10.14288/1.0441432", "name": "item", "description": "10.14288/1.0441432", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.14288/1.0441432"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-03-15T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15454/fiuwgq", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Compilation of diagnostic horizons data", "description": "Open AccessThis dataset corresponds to a datamart produced by the WP2 team of the Landmark H2020 project. The database was developed by using a decision tree based script which determines the presence or absence of selected WRB diagnostic units (horizons, properties and materials) based on the harmonized soil profile dataset. The python-based code was developed based on the criteria defined by the World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2014 for the selected diagnostic units, by considering the difference in the information content of the input soil profile databases. Besides the presence/absence information, the code returns a percentage of reliability which provides an estimation on the reliability of the prediction of a certain diagnostic unit. The attributes are presented in the 'dh_dictionary' file.", "keywords": ["Earth and Environmental Science", "Soils and soil sciences", "Agricultural Sciences", "Climate", "Life Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "15. Life on land", "Soil functions", "Farming Systems", "soil", "Farming Systems and Practices", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "climate", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Saby, Nicolas P.A., Mich\u00e9li, Erika, Csorba, Adam, Szergi, Tam\u00e1s, Vadnai, Peter, Dobos, Endre, Bertuzzi, Patrick, Toutain, Beno\u00eet, Picaud, Calypso, Gay, Laura, Chenu, Jean-Philippe, Creamer, Rachel,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.15454/fiuwgq"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.15454/fiuwgq", "name": "item", "description": "10.15454/fiuwgq", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.15454/fiuwgq"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15454/gxlrhg", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "European climate indicators datasets", "description": "Open Access

This dataset corresponds to a datamart produced by the WP2 team of the Landmark H2020 project.

A specific request consists in the computation of a limited number of climate indicators for each grid cells and needed to run the dexi models. They are calculated for each year.

Those indicators was calculated for 2 periods:

", "keywords": ["Earth and Environmental Science", "Soils and soil sciences", "Farming Practices", "Agricultural Sciences", "Climate", "Life Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "soil functions", "soil science", "7. Clean energy", "Farming Systems", "Soil functions; soil; management; climate;", "Soil", "Farming Systems and Practices", "13. Climate action", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Soil functions soil management climate", "soil management", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "climate", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Bertuzzi, Patrick, Saby, Nicolas P.A., Toutain, Beno\u00eet, Picaud, Calypso, Chenu, Jean-Philippe, Creamer, Rachel, Gay, Laura,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.15454/gxlrhg"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.15454/gxlrhg", "name": "item", "description": "10.15454/gxlrhg", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.15454/gxlrhg"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15454/aiq9ws", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "French RMQS soil profile and monitoring dataset with related management practices data", "description": "Open Access

This dataset corresponds to a datamart produced by the WP2 team of the Landmark H2020 project.

2 tables provided by France are available:

Both tables are connected with the same id attribute. To link soil data to management practices, yo", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Earth and Environmental Science", "Soils and soil sciences", "Agricultural Sciences", "Climate", "Life Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "15. Life on land", "Farming Systems", "Soil functions; soil; management; climate;", "Farming Systems and Practices", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Soil functions soil management climate", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Saby, Nicolas P.A., Chenu, Jean-Philippe, Szergi, Tamas, Csorba, Adam, Bertuzzi, Patrick, Toutain, Beno\u00eet, Picaud, Calypso, Gay, Laura, Creamer, R.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.15454/aiq9ws"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.15454/aiq9ws", "name": "item", "description": "10.15454/aiq9ws", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.15454/aiq9ws"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15454/mutd4k", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Landmark H2020 dataset", "description": "Open AccessThis dataset corresponds to a list of attributes with metadata produced by the WP2 team of the Landmark H2020 project. This list was compiled based on the requirements of the diagnostic approach and the preferences of Work Package 3 for soil function modeling procedure.The list contains four categories of attributes: 5. \u201cSoil horizon attributes\u201d required to successfully derive diagnostic horizons/properties/materials and qualifiers;6. \u201cSoil attributes\u201d which contain physical/chemical/biological and other derived attributes;7. \u201cEnvironmental attributes\u201d which contain attributes needed to characterize of the surroundings of the soils (eg.: topography, climatic properties);8. \u201cManagement attributes\u201d which contain attributes regarding to management practices (eg.: irrigation, manuring, fertilization, pest control, weed management, grassland management, mechanization). The LANDMARK proposal builds on the concept that soils are a finite resource that provides a range of ecosystem services known as \u201csoil functions\u201d. Functions relating to agriculture include: primary productivity, water regulation purification, carbon-sequestration regulation, habitat for biodiversity and nutrient provision cycling. Tradeoffs between these functions may occur: for example, management aimed at maximising primary production may inadvertently affect the \u2018water purification\u2019 or \u2018habitat\u2019 functions. This has led to conflicting management recommendations and policy initiatives. There is now an urgent need to develop a coherent scientific and practical framework for the sustainable management of soils. LANDMARK will uniquely respond to the breadth of this challenge by delivering (through multi-actor development): 1. LOCAL SCALE: A toolkit for farmers with cost-effective, practical measures for sustainable (and context specific) soil management.2. REGIONAL SCALE - A blueprint for a soil monitoring scheme, using harmonised indicators: this will facilitate the assessment of soil functions for different soil types and land-uses for all major EU climatic zones.3. EU SCALE \u2013 An assessment of EU policy instruments for incentivising sustainable land management.", "keywords": ["Earth and Environmental Science", "Climate", "6. Clean water", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "Soil functions", "12. Responsible consumption", "soil", "Farming Systems and Practices", "11. Sustainability", "13. Climate action", "climate", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "2. Zero hunger", "Soils and soil sciences", "Agricultural Sciences", "Life Sciences", "15. Life on land", "Farming Systems", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "management", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Saby, Nicolas P.A., Micheli, Erika, Chenu, Jean-Philippe, Szergi, Tamas, Csorba, Adam, Bertuzzi, Patrick, Toutain, Beno\u00eet, Picaud, Calypso, Creamer, R.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.15454/mutd4k"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.15454/mutd4k", "name": "item", "description": "10.15454/mutd4k", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.15454/mutd4k"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15454/hwrhhx", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Replication Data for: Gap assessment in current soil monitoring networks across Europe for measuring soil functions", "description": "Open AccessThis dataset was produced during the Landmark project. We compared in this work a list of attributes to existing national (regional) and EU-wide soil monitoring networks. After establishing the ranked list of attributes we investigated the incorporation of these attributes in existing monitoring schemes throughout Europe. A standard Excel spreadsheet was sent to Landmark consortium members and contacts from 18 European countries requesting detailed information on national SMNs (including long-te", "keywords": ["Earth and Environmental Science", "Soils and soil sciences", "Agricultural Sciences", "Climate", "Life Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "15. Life on land", "Farming Systems", "Soil functions; soil; management; climate;", "Farming Systems and Practices", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Soil functions soil management climate", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Saby, Nicolas P.A., Van Leeuwen, Jeroen P., Creamer, R.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.15454/hwrhhx"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.15454/hwrhhx", "name": "item", "description": "10.15454/hwrhhx", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.15454/hwrhhx"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15454/jtve46", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "French SOERE soil monitoring dataset with related management practices data", "description": "Open AccessThis dataset corresponds to a datamart produced by the WP2 team of the Landmark H2020 project. The SOERE PRO is a French research observatory on organic residues recycling in agriculture. It is a network of long-term field experiments, including QualiAgro and PROspective devices, which has been created to evaluate benefits and risks associated with organic residue (OR) application in agriculture. It has been certified as SOERE PRO (a network of long-term experiments dedicated to the study of imp", "keywords": ["Earth and Environmental Science", "Climate", "6. Clean water", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "Soil functions", "7. Clean energy", "12. Responsible consumption", "soil", "Farming Systems and Practices", "11. Sustainability", "13. Climate action", "climate", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "2. Zero hunger", "Soils and soil sciences", "Agricultural Sciences", "Life Sciences", "15. Life on land", "soil functions", "Farming Systems", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Gay, Laura, Saby, Nicolas P.A., Michaud, Aur\u00e9lia, Montenach, Denis, Resseguier Camille, Houot, Sabine, Szergi, Tamas, Csorba, Adam, Bertuzzi, Patrick, Toutain, Beno\u00eet, Picaud, Calypso, Creamer, Rachel,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.15454/jtve46"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.15454/jtve46", "name": "item", "description": "10.15454/jtve46", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.15454/jtve46"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.15488/15460", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:20:31Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-02-01", "title": "Sustainable soil management measures: a synthesis of stakeholder recommendations", "description": "Abstract

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.

The increased demand for bio based products worldwide provides an opportunity for Eastern European countries to increase their production in agriculture and forestry. At the same time, such economic development must be congruent with the European Union\u2019s long-term climate and biodiversity objectives. As a country that is rich in bioresources, the Latvian case study is highly relevant to many other countries\u2014especially those in Central and Eastern Europe\u2014and faces a choice of transition pathways to meet both economic and environmental objectives. In order to assess the trade-offs between investments in the bioeconomy and the achievement of climate and biodiversity objectives, we used the Functional Land Management (FLM) framework for the quantification of the supply and demand for the primary productivity, carbon regulation and biodiversity functions. We related the supply of these three soil functions to combinations of land use and soil characteristics. The demand for the same functions were derived from European, national and regional policy objectives. Our results showed different spatial scales at which variation in demand and supply is manifested. High demand for biodiversity was associated with areas dominated by agricultural land at the local scale, while regional differences of unemployment rates and the target for GDP increases framed the demand for primary productivity. National demand for carbon regulation focused on areas dominated by forests on organic soils. We subsequently identified mismatches between the supply and demand for soil functions, and we selected spatial locations for specific land use changes and improvements in management practices to promote sustainable development of the bio-economy. Our results offer guidance to policy makers that will help them to form a national policy that will underpin management practices that are effective and tailored toward local climate conditions and national implementation pathways.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "functional land management", "forestry", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "central and Eastern European countries", "climate regulation", "12. Responsible consumption", "Environmental sciences", "primary productivity", "13. Climate action", "8. Economic growth", "11. Sustainability", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "agriculture", "biodiversity"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2020.591695"}, {"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.2020.591695", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fenvs.2020.591695", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fenvs.2020.591695"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-09T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/SU10030794", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:21:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-03-13", "title": "Assessment of Benefits of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Functions in Arable Production Systems in Europe", "description": "

Conventional farming (CONV) is the norm in European farming, causing adverse effects on some of the five major soil functions, viz. primary productivity, carbon sequestration and regulation, nutrient cycling and provision, water regulation and purification, and habitat for functional and intrinsic biodiversity. Conservation agriculture (CA) is an alternative to enhance soil functions. However, there is no analysis of CA benefits on the five soil functions as most studies addressed individual soil functions. The objective was to compare effects of CA and CONV practices on the five soil functions in four major environmental zones (Atlantic North, Pannonian, Continental and Mediterranean North) in Europe by applying expert scoring based on synthesis of existing literature. In each environmental zone, a team of experts scored the five soil functions due to CA and CONV treatments and median scores indicated the overall effects on five soil functions. Across the environmental zones, CONV had overall negative effects on soil functions with a median score of 0.50 whereas CA had overall positive effects with median score ranging from 0.80 to 0.83. The study proposes the need for field-based investigations, policies and subsidy support to benefit from CA adoption to enhance the five soil functions.

", "keywords": ["environmental zones", "330", "Conservation agriculture", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Soil functions", "01 natural sciences", "630", "conventional farming", "Conventional farming", "zero tillage", "Biology", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "Environmental zones", "Zero tillage", "Chemistry", "conservation agriculture", "13. Climate action", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "soil function", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "soil functions; conservation agriculture; conventional farming; zero tillage; environmental zones", "Engineering sciences. Technology"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/3/794/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/SU10030794"}, {"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/SU10030794", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/SU10030794", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/SU10030794"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-03-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/agronomy14030594", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:21:49Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-03-15", "title": "Crop Conversion from Annual to Perennials: An Effective Strategy to Affect Soil Multifunctionality", "description": "

Although crop conversion from annual to perennial crops has been considered as one path towards climate-smart and resource-efficient agriculture, the effects of this conversion on soil multifunctionality and biomass yields remain unclear. The objective of the study is to enhance soil multifunctionality while exerting a marginal influence on farmer income. Here, we investigated the effects of annual winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two perennial crops (a grass (Lolium perenne L.), a legume (Medicago sativa L.), and their mixture) on soil multifunctionality and biomass yield on the Yellow River floodplain. Soil multifunctionality was assessed by the capacity of water regulation and the multifunctionality of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles. C cycle multifunctionality index is the average of \u03b2-xylosidase, \u03b2-cellobiosidase, and \u03b2-1, 4-glucosidase. N cycle multifunctionality index is the average of L-leucine aminopeptidase and \u03b2-1, 4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase represented (and dominated) P cycle functions. The results showed that perennial crops enhanced soil multifunctionality by 207% for L. perenne, 311% for M. sativa, and 438% for L. perenne + M. sativa, compared with annual winter wheat (T. aestivum). The effect of perennial crops on soil multifunctionality increased with infiltration rate, dissolved organic C, microbial biomass C, and extracellular enzymatic activities for both C and N acquisition. However, we observed that perennial crops had a lower biomass yield than annual crop. Therefore, the transition of agricultural landscapes to perennials needs to take into account the balance between environmental protection and food security, as well as environmental heterogeneity, to promote sustainable agricultural development.

", "keywords": ["land use change", "2. Zero hunger", "soil extracellular enzymes", "annual and perennial crops", "Yellow River floodplain", "S", "13. Climate action", "Agriculture", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "crop type", "6. Clean water", "12. Responsible consumption"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030594"}, {"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/agronomy14030594", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/agronomy14030594", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/agronomy14030594"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-03-15T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/su10082886", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:22:07Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-08-14", "title": "Identifying Gaps between the Legislative Tools of Soil Protection in the EU Member States for a Common European Soil Protection Legislation", "description": "

To ensure an adequate level of protection in the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC) adopted the Soil Thematic Strategy in 2006, including a proposal for a Soil Framework Directive (the Directive). However, a minority of Member States (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, and The Netherlands) could not agree on the text of the proposed Directive. Consequently, the EC decided to withdraw the proposal in 2014. In the more than 10 years that have passed since the initial proposal, a great number of new evidences on soil degradation and its negative consequences, have proved the necessity of a common European soil protection Directive. This study is aimed at specifying the possible obstacles, differences, and gaps in legislature and administration in the countries that formed the blocking minority, which resulted in the refusal of the Directive. The individual legislations of the opposing countries on the matter, were summarized and compared with the goals set by the Directive, in three highlighted aspects: (1) soil-dependent threats, (2) contamination, and (3) sealing. We designed a simple schematic evaluation system to show the basic levels of differences and similarities. We found that the legislative regulations concerning soil-dependent degradation and contamination issues in the above countries were generally well defined, complementary, and thorough. A common European legislation can be based on harmonised approaches between them, focusing on technical implementations. In the aspect of sealing we found recommendations, principles, and good practices rather than binding regulations in the scrutinised countries. Soil sealing is an issue where the proposed Directive\u2019s measures, could have exceeded those of the Member States.

", "keywords": ["0211 other engineering and technologies", "02 engineering and technology", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "soil threats", "01 natural sciences", "soil degradation", "contamination", "13. Climate action", "soil framework directive", "11. Sustainability", "soil policy", "sealing", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2886/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2886/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082886"}, {"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/su10082886", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/su10082886", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/su10082886"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-08-14T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/soilsystems3020039", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:22:07Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-06-12", "title": "Mapping Soil Biodiversity in Europe and the Netherlands", "description": "

Soil is fundamental for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, but our knowledge about soil organisms and the habitat they provide (shortly: Soil biodiversity) is poorly developed. For instance, the European Atlas of Soil Biodiversity and the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas contain maps with rather coarse information on soil biodiversity. This paper presents a methodology to map soil biodiversity with limited data and models. Two issues were addressed. First, the lack of consensus to quantify the soil biodiversity function and second, the limited data to represent large areas. For the later issue, we applied a digital soil mapping (DSM) approach at the scale of the Netherlands and Europe. Data of five groups of soil organisms (earthworms, enchytraeids, micro-arthropods, nematodes, and micro-organisms) in the Netherlands were linked to soil habitat predictors (chemical soil attributes) in a regression analysis. High-resolution maps with soil characteristics were then used together with a model for the soil biodiversity function with equal weights for each group of organisms. To predict soil biodiversity at the scale of Europe, data for soil biological (earthworms and bacteria) and chemical (pH, soil organic matter, and nutrient content) attributes were used in a soil biodiversity model. Differential weights were assigned to the soil attributes after consulting a group of scientists. The issue of reducing uncertainty in soil biodiversity modelling and mapping by the use of data from biological soil attributes is discussed. Considering the importance of soil biodiversity to support the delivery of ecosystem services, the ability to create maps illustrating an aggregate measure of soil biodiversity is a key to future environmental policymaking, optimizing land use, and land management decision support taking into account the loss and gains on soil biodiversity.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Physical geography", "Soil multi-functionality", "soil biodiversity", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "Soil functions", "Soil biodiversity", "GB3-5030", "Chemistry", "Digital soil mapping", "13. Climate action", "soil multi-functionality", "digital soil mapping", "Ecosystem services", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "ecosystem services", "Biology", "QD1-999"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/2/39/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/2/39/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems3020039"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Systems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/soilsystems3020039", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/soilsystems3020039", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/soilsystems3020039"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-06-12T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/su10030794", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:22:07Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-03-13", "title": "Assessment of Benefits of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Functions in Arable Production Systems in Europe", "description": "

Conventional farming (CONV) is the norm in European farming, causing adverse effects on some of the five major soil functions, viz. primary productivity, carbon sequestration and regulation, nutrient cycling and provision, water regulation and purification, and habitat for functional and intrinsic biodiversity. Conservation agriculture (CA) is an alternative to enhance soil functions. However, there is no analysis of CA benefits on the five soil functions as most studies addressed individual soil functions. The objective was to compare effects of CA and CONV practices on the five soil functions in four major environmental zones (Atlantic North, Pannonian, Continental and Mediterranean North) in Europe by applying expert scoring based on synthesis of existing literature. In each environmental zone, a team of experts scored the five soil functions due to CA and CONV treatments and median scores indicated the overall effects on five soil functions. Across the environmental zones, CONV had overall negative effects on soil functions with a median score of 0.50 whereas CA had overall positive effects with median score ranging from 0.80 to 0.83. The study proposes the need for field-based investigations, policies and subsidy support to benefit from CA adoption to enhance the five soil functions.

", "keywords": ["environmental zones", "330", "Conservation agriculture", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Soil functions", "01 natural sciences", "630", "conventional farming", "Conventional farming", "zero tillage", "Biology", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "Environmental zones", "Zero tillage", "Chemistry", "conservation agriculture", "13. Climate action", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "soil function", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "soil functions; conservation agriculture; conventional farming; zero tillage; environmental zones", "Engineering sciences. Technology"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/3/794/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030794"}, {"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/su10030794", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/su10030794", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/su10030794"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-03-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10029/623539", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:25:48Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-06-12", "title": "Mapping Soil Biodiversity in Europe and the Netherlands", "description": "

Soil is fundamental for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, but our knowledge about soil organisms and the habitat they provide (shortly: Soil biodiversity) is poorly developed. For instance, the European Atlas of Soil Biodiversity and the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas contain maps with rather coarse information on soil biodiversity. This paper presents a methodology to map soil biodiversity with limited data and models. Two issues were addressed. First, the lack of consensus to quantify the soil biodiversity function and second, the limited data to represent large areas. For the later issue, we applied a digital soil mapping (DSM) approach at the scale of the Netherlands and Europe. Data of five groups of soil organisms (earthworms, enchytraeids, micro-arthropods, nematodes, and micro-organisms) in the Netherlands were linked to soil habitat predictors (chemical soil attributes) in a regression analysis. High-resolution maps with soil characteristics were then used together with a model for the soil biodiversity function with equal weights for each group of organisms. To predict soil biodiversity at the scale of Europe, data for soil biological (earthworms and bacteria) and chemical (pH, soil organic matter, and nutrient content) attributes were used in a soil biodiversity model. Differential weights were assigned to the soil attributes after consulting a group of scientists. The issue of reducing uncertainty in soil biodiversity modelling and mapping by the use of data from biological soil attributes is discussed. Considering the importance of soil biodiversity to support the delivery of ecosystem services, the ability to create maps illustrating an aggregate measure of soil biodiversity is a key to future environmental policymaking, optimizing land use, and land management decision support taking into account the loss and gains on soil biodiversity.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Physical geography", "Soil multi-functionality", "soil biodiversity", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "Soil functions", "Soil biodiversity", "GB3-5030", "Chemistry", "Digital soil mapping", "13. Climate action", "soil multi-functionality", "digital soil mapping", "Ecosystem services", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "ecosystem services", "Biology", "QD1-999"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/2/39/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/3/2/39/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10029/623539"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Systems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10029/623539", "name": "item", "description": "10029/623539", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10029/623539"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-06-12T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2886838728", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:19Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-08-14", "title": "Identifying Gaps between the Legislative Tools of Soil Protection in the EU Member States for a Common European Soil Protection Legislation", "description": "

To ensure an adequate level of protection in the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC) adopted the Soil Thematic Strategy in 2006, including a proposal for a Soil Framework Directive (the Directive). However, a minority of Member States (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, and The Netherlands) could not agree on the text of the proposed Directive. Consequently, the EC decided to withdraw the proposal in 2014. In the more than 10 years that have passed since the initial proposal, a great number of new evidences on soil degradation and its negative consequences, have proved the necessity of a common European soil protection Directive. This study is aimed at specifying the possible obstacles, differences, and gaps in legislature and administration in the countries that formed the blocking minority, which resulted in the refusal of the Directive. The individual legislations of the opposing countries on the matter, were summarized and compared with the goals set by the Directive, in three highlighted aspects: (1) soil-dependent threats, (2) contamination, and (3) sealing. We designed a simple schematic evaluation system to show the basic levels of differences and similarities. We found that the legislative regulations concerning soil-dependent degradation and contamination issues in the above countries were generally well defined, complementary, and thorough. A common European legislation can be based on harmonised approaches between them, focusing on technical implementations. In the aspect of sealing we found recommendations, principles, and good practices rather than binding regulations in the scrutinised countries. Soil sealing is an issue where the proposed Directive\u2019s measures, could have exceeded those of the Member States.

", "keywords": ["0211 other engineering and technologies", "02 engineering and technology", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "soil threats", "01 natural sciences", "soil degradation", "contamination", "13. Climate action", "soil framework directive", "11. Sustainability", "soil policy", "sealing", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Petra Stankovics, Gergely T\u00f3th, Zolt\u00e1n T\u00f3th,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2886/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2886/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2886838728"}, {"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": "2886838728", "name": "item", "description": "2886838728", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2886838728"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-08-14T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.17592271", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:24:26Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Synthesis of meta-analyses reveals global agroforestry's potential for improving soil health", "description": "The dataset.csv file compiles data from 26 meta-analyses that examine the effects of agroforestry on soil-related metrics at a global scale. These effects are reported both qualitatively and quantitatively, using natural log ratios accompanied by corresponding measures of uncertainty. Additionally, the dataset includes a quality assessment of each meta-analysis, based on 16 predefined criteria. It also provides a classification of effect sizes across seven soil outcome categories, various agroforestry systems, and distinct climatic regions. The primaryStudies.csv file compile the list of the primary studies provided by 22 of the 26 meta-analysis reporting on agroforestry and soil outcome that we identified.", "keywords": ["Soil Functions", "Water Regulation", "Soil Organic Carbon", "Soil Physical Quality", "Erosion", "Nutrient Leaching", "Soil Chemical Quality", "Soil Biological Quality"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Rubeaud, Camille Manon, Kay, Sonja, K\u00f6thke, Margret, Schievano, Andrea,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17592271"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.17592271", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.17592271", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.17592271"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-11-12T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3081110786", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:36Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-08-21", "title": "A Decision Support Model for Assessing the Water Regulation and Purification Potential of Agricultural Soils Across Europe", "description": "Water regulation and purification (WR) function is defined as \u201cthe capacity of the soil to remove harmful compounds and the capacity of the soil to receive, store and conduct water for subsequent use and to prevent droughts, flooding and erosion.\u201d It is a crucial function that society expects agricultural soils to deliver, contributing to quality water supply for human needs and in particular for ensuring food security. The complexity of processes involved and the intricate tradeoff with other necessary soil functions requires decision support tools for best management of WR function. However, the effects of farm and soil management practices on the delivery of the WR function has not been fully addressed by decision support tools for farmers. This work aimed to develop a decision support model for the management of the WR function performed by agricultural soils. The specific objectives of this paper were (i) to construct a qualitative decision support model to assess the water regulation and purification capacity of agricultural soils at field level, to (ii) conduct sensitivity analysis of the model; and (iii) to validate the model with independent empirical data. The developed decision support model for WR is a hierarchical qualitative model with 5 levels and has 27 basic attributes describing the soil (S), environment (E), and management (M) attributes of the field site to be assessed. The WR model is composed of 3 sub-models concerning (1) soil water storage, (2) P and sediment loss in runoff, and (3) N leaching in percolating water. The WR decision support model was validated using a representative dataset of 94 field sites from across Europe and had an overall accuracy of 75% when compared to the empirically derived values across these sites. This highly accurate, reliable, and useful decision support model for assessing the capacity of agricultural soils to perform the WR function can be used by farmers and advisors help manage and protect their soil resources for the future. This model has also been incorporated into the Soil Navigator decision support tool which provides simultaneous assessment of the WR function and other important soil functions for agriculture.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "decision support tool", "Nutrition. Foods and food supply", "food security", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "TP368-456", "15. Life on land", "water quality", "01 natural sciences", "INCREASE", "Food processing and manufacture", "6. Clean water", "climate change", "13. Climate action", "EXTREME EVENTS", "water regulation", "11. Sustainability", "MANAGEMENT", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "TX341-641", "water purification", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/3081110786"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Sustainable%20Food%20Systems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3081110786", "name": "item", "description": "3081110786", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3081110786"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-08-21T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.4724779", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:24:36Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Data underlying publication https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-0983-x", "description": "Open AccessThe data files attached are underlying publication doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-0983-x Title: Functional Land Management: Bridging the Think-Do-Gap using a multi-stakeholder science policy interface. Authors: Lilian O'Sullivan (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5333-5758), David Wall (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2365-0335), Rachel Creamer (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3617-1357), Francesca Bampa (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4488-0420) & Rogier P.O. Schulte (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9014-4344) Abstract: Functional Land Management (FLM) is proposed as an integrator for sustainability policies and assesses the functional capacity of the soil and land to deliver primary productivity, water purification and regulation, carbon cycling and storage, habitat for biodiversity and recycling of nutrients. This paper presents the catchment challenge as a method to bridge the gap between science, stakeholders and policy for the effective management of soils to deliver these functions. Two challenges were completed by a wide range of stakeholders focused around a physical catchment model\u2014(1) to design an optimised catchment based on soil function targets, (2) identify gaps to implementation of the proposed design. In challenge 1, a high level of consensus between different stakeholders emerged on soil and management measures to be implemented to achieve soil function targets. Key gaps including knowledge, a mix of market and voluntary incentives and mandatory measures were identified in challenge 2.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Functional Land Management", " Policy Framework", " Soil Functions", " Stakeholder Workshops", " Sustainability", "15. Life on land", "12. Responsible consumption"], "contacts": [{"organization": "O'Sullivan", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4724779"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.4724779", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.4724779", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.4724779"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.4724780", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:24:36Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Data underlying publication https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-0983-x", "description": "Open AccessThe data files attached are underlying publication doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-0983-x Title: Functional Land Management: Bridging the Think-Do-Gap using a multi-stakeholder science policy interface. Authors: Lilian O'Sullivan (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5333-5758), David Wall (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2365-0335), Rachel Creamer (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3617-1357), Francesca Bampa (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4488-0420) & Rogier P.O. Schulte (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9014-4344) Abstract: Functional Land Management (FLM) is proposed as an integrator for sustainability policies and assesses the functional capacity of the soil and land to deliver primary productivity, water purification and regulation, carbon cycling and storage, habitat for biodiversity and recycling of nutrients. This paper presents the catchment challenge as a method to bridge the gap between science, stakeholders and policy for the effective management of soils to deliver these functions. Two challenges were completed by a wide range of stakeholders focused around a physical catchment model\u2014(1) to design an optimised catchment based on soil function targets, (2) identify gaps to implementation of the proposed design. In challenge 1, a high level of consensus between different stakeholders emerged on soil and management measures to be implemented to achieve soil function targets. Key gaps including knowledge, a mix of market and voluntary incentives and mandatory measures were identified in challenge 2.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Functional Land Management", " Policy Framework", " Soil Functions", " Stakeholder Workshops", " Sustainability", "15. Life on land", "12. Responsible consumption"], "contacts": [{"organization": ", O'Sullivan", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4724780"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.4724780", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.4724780", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.4724780"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3087185359", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:37Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Landmark H2020 dataset", "description": "Open AccessThis dataset corresponds to a list of attributes with metadata produced by the WP2 team of the Landmark H2020 project. This list was compiled based on the requirements of the diagnostic approach and the preferences of Work Package 3 for soil function modeling procedure.The list contains four categories of attributes: 5. \u201cSoil horizon attributes\u201d required to successfully derive diagnostic horizons/properties/materials and qualifiers;6. \u201cSoil attributes\u201d which contain physical/chemical/biological and other derived attributes;7. \u201cEnvironmental attributes\u201d which contain attributes needed to characterize of the surroundings of the soils (eg.: topography, climatic properties);8. \u201cManagement attributes\u201d which contain attributes regarding to management practices (eg.: irrigation, manuring, fertilization, pest control, weed management, grassland management, mechanization). The LANDMARK proposal builds on the concept that soils are a finite resource that provides a range of ecosystem services known as \u201csoil functions\u201d. Functions relating to agriculture include: primary productivity, water regulation purification, carbon-sequestration regulation, habitat for biodiversity and nutrient provision cycling. Tradeoffs between these functions may occur: for example, management aimed at maximising primary production may inadvertently affect the \u2018water purification\u2019 or \u2018habitat\u2019 functions. This has led to conflicting management recommendations and policy initiatives. There is now an urgent need to develop a coherent scientific and practical framework for the sustainable management of soils. LANDMARK will uniquely respond to the breadth of this challenge by delivering (through multi-actor development): 1. LOCAL SCALE: A toolkit for farmers with cost-effective, practical measures for sustainable (and context specific) soil management.2. REGIONAL SCALE - A blueprint for a soil monitoring scheme, using harmonised indicators: this will facilitate the assessment of soil functions for different soil types and land-uses for all major EU climatic zones.3. EU SCALE \u2013 An assessment of EU policy instruments for incentivising sustainable land management.", "keywords": ["Earth and Environmental Science", "Climate", "6. Clean water", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture", "Soil functions", "12. Responsible consumption", "soil", "Farming Systems and Practices", "11. Sustainability", "13. Climate action", "climate", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", "2. Zero hunger", "Soils and soil sciences", "Agricultural Sciences", "Life Sciences", "15. Life on land", "Farming Systems", "Earth and Environmental Sciences", "Soil Sciences", "Agriculture", " Forestry", " Horticulture", " Aquaculture and Veterinary Medicine", "Environmental Research", "Natural Sciences", "management", "Geosciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Saby, Nicolas P.A., Micheli, Erika, Chenu, Jean-Philippe, Szergi, Tamas, Csorba, Adam, Bertuzzi, Patrick, Toutain, Beno\u00eet, Picaud, Calypso, Creamer, R.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/3087185359"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3087185359", "name": "item", "description": "3087185359", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3087185359"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "20.500.11850/366480", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:26:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-09-11", "title": "Assessing the Climate Regulation Potential of Agricultural Soils Using a Decision Support Tool Adapted to Stakeholders' Needs and Possibilities", "description": "Open AccessSoils perform many functions that are vital to societies, among which their capability to regulate global climate has received much attention over the past decades. An assessment of the extent to which soils perform a specific function is not only important to appropriately value their current capacity, but also to make well-informed decisions about how and where to change soil management to align the delivered soil functions with societal demands. To obtain an overview of the capacity of soils to perform different functions, accurate and easy-to-use models are necessary. A problem with most currently-available models is that data requirements often exceed data availability, while generally a high level of expert knowledge is necessary to apply these models. Therefore, we developed a qualitative model to assess how agricultural soils function with respect to climate regulation. The model is driven by inputs about agricultural management practices, soil properties and environmental conditions. To reduce data requirements on stakeholders, the 17 input variables are classified into either (1) three classes: low, medium and high or (2) the presence or absence of a management practice. These inputs are combined using a decision tree with internal integration rules to obtain an estimate of the magnitude of N2O emissions and carbon sequestration. These two variables are subsequently combined into an estimate of the capacity of a soil to perform the climate regulation function. The model was tested using data from long-term field experiments across Europe. This showed that the model is generally able to adequately assess this soil function across a range of environments under different management practices. In a next step, this model will be combined with models to assess other soil functions (soil biodiversity, primary productivity, nutrient cycling and water regulation and purification). This will allow the assessment of trade-offs between these soil functions for agricultural land across Europe.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "N2O emissions", "agroecosystems", "qualitative decision modeling", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "climate regulation", "carbon sequestration", "Environmental sciences", "NO emissions", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "soil functions; climate regulation; carbon sequestration; N2O emissions; agroecosystems; qualitative decision modeling"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/20.500.11850/366480"}, {"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": "20.500.11850/366480", "name": "item", "description": "20.500.11850/366480", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/20.500.11850/366480"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-09-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/259704", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:25:56Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-01-18", "title": "Lessons from a landmark 1991 article on soil structure: distinct precedence of non-destructive assessment and benefits of fresh perspectives in soil research", "description": "

In 1991, at the launch of a national symposium devoted to soil structure, the Australian Society of Soil Science invited Professor John Letey to deliver a keynote address, which was later published in the society\u2019s journal. In his lecture, he shared the outcome of his reflexion about what the assessment of soil structure should amount to, in order to produce useful insight into the functioning of soils. His viewpoint was that the focus should be put on the openings present in the structure, rather than on the chunks of material resulting from its mechanical dismantlement. In the present article, we provide some historical background for Letey\u2019s analysis, and try to explain why it took a number of years for the paradigm shift that he advocated to begin to occur. Over the last decade, his perspective that soil structure needs to be characterised via non-destructive methods appears to have gained significant momentum, which is likely to increase further in the near future, as we take advantage of recent technological advances. Other valuable lessons that one can derive from Letey\u2019s pioneering article relate to the extreme value for everyone, even neophytes, to constantly ask questions about where research on given topics is heading, what its goals are, and whether the methods that are used at a certain time are optimal.

", "keywords": ["570", "soil image analysis", "soil microorganisms", "[SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes", "Soil measuring", "earthworms", "micromorphology", "Aggregate stability", "Soil functions", "01 natural sciences", "630", "Soil fauna", "soil organic matter", "Earthworms", "Micromorphology", "Computed tomography", "aggregate stability", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "soil measuring", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "computed tomography", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "[SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes", "Soil image analysis", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "soil fauna", "earthworms; micromorphology", "Soil microorganisms"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10261/259704"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/259704", "name": "item", "description": "10261/259704", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/259704"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-01-19T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "11019/2295", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:26:14Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2017-11-24", "title": "Functional Land Management: Bridging the Think-Do-Gap using a multi-stakeholder science policy interface", "description": "Functional Land Management (FLM) is proposed as an integrator for sustainability policies and assesses the functional capacity of the soil and land to deliver primary productivity, water purification and regulation, carbon cycling and storage, habitat for biodiversity and recycling of nutrients. This paper presents the catchment challenge as a method to bridge the gap between science, stakeholders and policy for the effective management of soils to deliver these functions. Two challenges were completed by a wide range of stakeholders focused around a physical catchment model-(1) to design an optimised catchment based on soil function targets, (2) identify gaps to implementation of the proposed design. In challenge 1, a high level of consensus between different stakeholders emerged on soil and management measures to be implemented to achieve soil function targets. Key gaps including knowledge, a mix of market and voluntary incentives and mandatory measures were identified in challenge 2.", "keywords": ["Conservation of Natural Resources", "functional land management", "Soil functions", "01 natural sciences", "12. Responsible consumption", "Soil", "11. Sustainability", "Functional Land Management", "Policy framework", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Think-Do-Gap", "Biodiversity", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "Models", " Theoretical", "15. Life on land", "sustainability", "6. Clean water", "Sustainability", "13. Climate action", "think-do-gap", "Perspective", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "policy framework", "stakeholder workshops", "Stakeholder workshops"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13280-017-0983-x.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/11019/2295"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ambio", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "11019/2295", "name": "item", "description": "11019/2295", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/11019/2295"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2017-11-24T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "11381/2841109", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:26:19Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-03-13", "title": "Assessment of Benefits of Conservation Agriculture on Soil Functions in Arable Production Systems in Europe", "description": "

Conventional farming (CONV) is the norm in European farming, causing adverse effects on some of the five major soil functions, viz. primary productivity, carbon sequestration and regulation, nutrient cycling and provision, water regulation and purification, and habitat for functional and intrinsic biodiversity. Conservation agriculture (CA) is an alternative to enhance soil functions. However, there is no analysis of CA benefits on the five soil functions as most studies addressed individual soil functions. The objective was to compare effects of CA and CONV practices on the five soil functions in four major environmental zones (Atlantic North, Pannonian, Continental and Mediterranean North) in Europe by applying expert scoring based on synthesis of existing literature. In each environmental zone, a team of experts scored the five soil functions due to CA and CONV treatments and median scores indicated the overall effects on five soil functions. Across the environmental zones, CONV had overall negative effects on soil functions with a median score of 0.50 whereas CA had overall positive effects with median score ranging from 0.80 to 0.83. The study proposes the need for field-based investigations, policies and subsidy support to benefit from CA adoption to enhance the five soil functions.

", "keywords": ["environmental zones", "330", "Conservation agriculture", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Soil functions", "01 natural sciences", "630", "conventional farming", "Conventional farming", "zero tillage", "Biology", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "Environmental zones", "Zero tillage", "Chemistry", "conservation agriculture", "13. Climate action", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "soil function", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "soil functions; conservation agriculture; conventional farming; zero tillage; environmental zones", "Engineering sciences. Technology"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/3/794/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/11381/2841109"}, {"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": "11381/2841109", "name": "item", "description": "11381/2841109", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/11381/2841109"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-03-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "1959.7/uws:73410", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:26:39Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-05-11", "title": "Water availability creates global thresholds in multidimensional soil biodiversity and functions", "description": "Soils support an immense portion of Earth's biodiversity and maintain multiple ecosystem functions which are essential for human well-being. Environmental thresholds are known to govern global vegetation patterns, but it is still unknown whether they can be used to predict the distribution of soil organisms and functions across global biomes. Using a global field survey of 383 sites across contrasting climatic and vegetation conditions, here we showed that soil biodiversity and functions exhibited pervasive nonlinear patterns worldwide and are mainly governed by water availability (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration). Changes in water availability resulted in drastic shifts in soil biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, protists and invertebrates) and soil functions including plant-microbe interactions, plant productivity, soil biogeochemical cycles and soil carbon sequestration. Our findings highlight that crossing specific water availability thresholds can have critical consequences for the provision of essential ecosystem services needed to sustain our planet.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Ecolog\u00eda (Biolog\u00eda)", "2505.01 Biogeograf\u00eda", "Medio ambiente natural", "Water availability", "2417.13 Ecolog\u00eda Vegetal", "2417.90 Fijaci\u00f3n y Movilizaci\u00f3n Biol\u00f3gica de Nutrientes", "Water", "Edafolog\u00eda (Biolog\u00eda)", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Soil functions", "574", "Soil biodiversity", "Invertebrates", "6. Clean water", "631.4", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "Animals", "Humans", "Thresholds", "502.5", "Ecosystem"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02071-3.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/1959.7/uws:73410"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Nature%20Ecology%20%26amp%3B%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "1959.7/uws:73410", "name": "item", "description": "1959.7/uws:73410", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/1959.7/uws:73410"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-05-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "20.500.11850/108588", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:26:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-12-22", "title": "Making the Most of Our Land: Managing Soil Functions from Local to Continental Scale", "description": "Open AccessThe challenges of achieving both food security and environmental sustainability have resulted in a confluence of demands on land within the European Union (EU): we expect our land to provide food, fiber and fuel, to purify water, to sequester carbon, and provide a home to biodiversity as well as external nutrients in the form of waste from humans and intensive livestock enterprises. All soils can perform all of these five functions, but some soils are better at supplying selective functions. Functional Land Management is a framework for policy-making aimed at meeting these demands by incentivizing land use and soil management practices that selectively augment specific soil functions, where required. Here, we explore how the demands for contrasting soil functions, as framed by EU policies, may apply to very different spatial scales, from local to continental scales. At the same time, using Ireland as a national case study, we show that the supply of each soil function is largely determined by local soil and land use conditions, with large variations at both local and regional scales. These discrepancies between the scales at which the demands and supply of soil functions are manifested, have implications for soil and land management: while some soil functions must be managed at local (e.g., farm or field) scale, others may be offset between regions with a view to solely meeting national or continental demands. In order to facilitate the optimization of the delivery of soil functions at national level, to meet the demands that are framed at continental scale, we identify and categorize 14 policy and market instruments that are available in the EU. The results from this inventory imply that there may be no need for the introduction of new specific instruments to aid the governance of Functional Land Management. We conclude that there may be more merit in adapting existing governance instruments by facilitating differentiation between soils and landscapes.", "keywords": ["550", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Soil functions", "intensification culturale", "01 natural sciences", "12. Responsible consumption", "sciences du sol", "scale", "11. Sustainability", "Functional Land Management", "GE1-350", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Functional Land Management;ecosystem services;policy;soil functions;sustainable intensification", "sustainable intensification", "Sustainable intensification", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Functional Land Management; ecosystem services; policy; soil functions; sustainable intensification", "durabilit\u00e9 du sol", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Environmental sciences", "13. Climate action", "Environmental Science", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "ecosystem services", "policy"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/20.500.11850/108588"}, {"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": "20.500.11850/108588", "name": "item", "description": "20.500.11850/108588", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/20.500.11850/108588"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2015-12-22T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "20.500.11850/368522", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:26:47Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-08-05", "title": "A Field-Scale Decision Support System for Assessment and Management of Soil Functions", "description": "Open AccessAgricultural decision support systems (DSSs) are mostly focused on increasing the supply of individual soil functions such as, e.g., primary productivity or nutrient cycling, while neglecting other important soil functions, such as, e.g., water purification and regulation, climate regulation and carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity, and habitat provision. Making right management decisions for long-term sustainability is therefore challenging, and farmers and farm advisors would greatly benefit from an evidence-based DSS targeted for assessing and improving the supply of several soil functions simultaneously. To address this need, we designed the Soil Navigator DSS by applying a qualitative approach to multi-criteria decision modeling using Decision Expert (DEX) integrative methodology. Multi-criteria decision models for the five main soil functions were developed, calibrated, and validated using knowledge of involved domain experts and knowledge extracted from existing datasets by data mining. Subsequently, the five DEX models were integrated into a DSS to assess the soil functions simultaneously and to provide management advices for improving the performance of prioritized soil functions. To enable communication between the users and the DSS, we developed a user-friendly computer-based graphical user interface, which enables users to provide the required data regarding their field to the DSS and to get textual and graphical results about the performance of each of the five soil functions in a qualitative way. The final output from the DSS is a list of soil mitigation measures that the end-users could easily apply in the field in order to achieve the desired soil function performance. The Soil Navigator DSS has a great potential to complement the Farm Sustainability Tools for Nutrients included in the Common Agricultural Policy 2021\u20132027 proposal adopted by the European Commission. The Soil Navigator has also a potential to be spatially upgraded to assist decisions on which soil functions to prioritize in a specific region or member state. Furthermore, the Soil Navigator DSS could be used as an educational tool for farmers, farm advisors, and students, and its potential should be further exploited for the benefit of farmers and the society as a whole.", "keywords": ["Soil management", "decision support system", "method DEX", "Assessment", "Soil functions", "Agricultural decision support systems", "01 natural sciences", "12. Responsible consumption", "Multi-criteria decision models", "11. Sustainability", "GE1-350", "multi-criteria decision models", "Soil functions; Field scale; Decision support system; Multi-criteria decision models; Method DEX; Soil management", "Decision support system", "DSS", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil Functions", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "Management", "Environmental sciences", "Field scale", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "field scale", "Soil Navigator DSS", "soil management", "Method DEX"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/20.500.11850/368522"}, {"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": "20.500.11850/368522", "name": "item", "description": "20.500.11850/368522", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/20.500.11850/368522"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-08-05T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "234db5cc29f77296115d5719fbb6a5b6", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:07Z", "type": "Other", "title": "Sustainable soil management measures: a synthesis of stakeholder recommendations", "description": "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.", "keywords": ["Diversification in agriculture", "Soil health", "ddc:640", "ddc:630", "Sustainable soil management", "ddc:580", "Soil functions", "Agriculture in transition", "Stakeholder recommendations"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Strauss, Veronika, Paul, Carsten, D\u00f6nmez, Cenk, L\u00f6bmann, Michael, Helming, Katharina,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/234db5cc29f77296115d5719fbb6a5b6"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "234db5cc29f77296115d5719fbb6a5b6", "name": "item", "description": "234db5cc29f77296115d5719fbb6a5b6", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/234db5cc29f77296115d5719fbb6a5b6"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2768294139", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:15Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2017-11-22", "title": "Gap assessment in current soil monitoring networks across Europe for measuring soil functions", "description": "Soil is the most important natural resource for life on Earth after water. Given its fundamental role in sustaining the human population, both the availability and quality of soil must be managed sustainably and protected. To ensure sustainable management we need to understand the intrinsic functional capacity of different soils across Europe and how it changes over time. Soil monitoring is needed to support evidence-based policies to incentivise sustainable soil management. To this aim, we assessed which soil attributes can be used as potential indicators of five soil functions; (1) primary production, (2) water purification and regulation, (3) carbon sequestration and climate regulation, (4) soil biodiversity and habitat provisioning and (5) recycling of nutrients. We compared this list of attributes to existing national (regional) and EU-wide soil monitoring networks. The overall picture highlighted a clearly unbalanced dataset, in which predominantly chemical soil parameters were included, and soil biological and physical attributes were severely under represented. Methods applied across countries for indicators also varied. At a European scale, the LUCAS-soil survey was evaluated and again confirmed a lack of important soil biological parameters, such as C mineralisation rate, microbial biomass and earthworm community, and soil physical measures such as bulk density. In summary, no current national or European monitoring system exists which has the capacity to quantify the five soil functions and therefore evaluate multi-functional capacity of a soil and in many countries no data exists at all. This paper calls for the addition of soil biological and some physical parameters within the LUCAS-soil survey at European scale and for further development of national soil monitoring schemes.", "keywords": ["[SDE] Environmental Sciences", "570", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Science", "QC1-999", "soil functions;soil monitoring networks;soil attributes;Europe", "Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering", "630", "12. Responsible consumption", "GE1-350", "TD1-1066", "2. Zero hunger", "Physics", "Q", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "S590 Soill / Talajtan", "soil monitoring networks", "6. Clean water", "[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Europe", "Environmental sciences", "soil attributes", "13. Climate action", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02622332/file/2017_Leeuwen_Environmental%20Research%20Letters_1.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2768294139"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Environmental%20Research%20Letters", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2768294139", "name": "item", "description": "2768294139", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2768294139"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2017-12-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2807198630", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-05-27", "title": "Using data mining techniques to model primary productivity from international long-term ecological research (ILTER) agricultural experiments in Austria", "description": "Primary productivity is in the foundation of farming communities. Therefore, much effort is invested in understanding the factors that influence the primary productivity potential of different soils. The International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) is a network that enables valuable comparisons of data in understanding environmental change. In this study, we investigate three ILTER cropland sites and one long-term field experiment (LTE) outside of the ILTER network. The focus is on the influence of different management practices (tillage, crop residue incorporation, and compost amendments) on primary productivity. Data mining analyses of the experimental data were carried out in order to investigate trends in the productivity data. We generated predictive models that identify the influential factors that govern primary productivity. The data mining models achieved very high predictive performance (r\u2009>\u20090.80) for each of the sites. Preceding crop and crop of the current year were crucial for primary productivity in the tillage LTE and compost LTE, respectively. For both crop residue incorporation LTEs, plant-available Mg affected productivity the most, followed by properties such as soil pH, SOM, and the crop residue management. The results obtained by data mining are in line with previous studies and enhance our knowledge about the driving forces of primary productivity in arable systems. Hence, the models are considered very suitable and reliable for predicting the primary productivity at these ILTER sites in the future. They may also encourage researcher-farmer-advisor-stakeholder interaction, and thus create enabling environment for cooperation for further research around these ILTER sites.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Soil functions", " Crop yield", " Plant-available Mg", " Tillage", " Compost amendments", " Crop residue incorporation", "01 natural sciences", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10113-018-1361-3.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2807198630"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Regional%20Environmental%20Change", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2807198630", "name": "item", "description": "2807198630", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2807198630"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-05-28T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2946389500", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:22Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-05-17", "title": "Development of an Agricultural Primary Productivity Decision Support Model: A Case Study in France", "description": "Agricultural soils provide society with several functions, one of which is primary productivity. This function is defined as the capacity of a soil to supply nutrients and water and to produce plant biomass for human use, providing food, feed, fiber, and fuel. For farmers, the productivity function delivers an economic basis and is a prerequisite for agricultural sustainability. Our study was designed to develop an agricultural primary productivity decision support model. To obtain a highly accurate decision support model that helps farmers and advisors to assess and manage the provision of the primary productivity soil function on their agricultural fields, we addressed the following specific objectives: (i) to construct a qualitative decision support model to assess the primary productivity soil function at the agricultural field level; (ii) to carry out verification, calibration, and sensitivity analysis of this model; and (iii) to validate the model based on empirical data. The result is a hierarchical qualitative model consisting of 25 input attributes describing soil properties, environmental conditions, cropping specifications, and management practices on each respective field. An extensive dataset from France containing data from 399 sites was used to calibrate and validate the model. The large amount of data enabled data mining to support model calibration. The accuracy of the decision support model prior to calibration supported by data mining was similar to 40%. The data mining approach improved the accuracy to 77%. The proposed methodology of combining decision modeling and data mining proved to be an important step forward. This iterative approach yielded an accurate, reliable, and useful decision support model for the assessment of the primary productivity soil function at the field level. This can assist farmers and advisors in selecting the most appropriate crop management practices. Embedding this decision support model in a set of complementary models for four adjacent soil functions, as endeavored in the H2020 LANDMARK project, will help take the integrated sustainability of arable cropping systems to a new level.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "agricultural decision-making", "006", "data mining", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "[SHS.ECO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Economics and Finance", "yield", "12. Responsible consumption", "Environmental sciences", "expert knowledge", "decision support model", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "[SHS.ECO] Humanities and Social Sciences/Economics and Finance"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/2946389500"}, {"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": "2946389500", "name": "item", "description": "2946389500", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2946389500"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-05-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2954315845", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-06-26", "title": "Soil multifunctionality is affected by the soil environment and by microbial community composition and diversity", "description": "Microorganisms are critical in mediating carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes in soils. Yet, it has long been debated whether the processes underlying biogeochemical cycles are affected by the composition and diversity of the soil microbial community or not. The composition and diversity of soil microbial communities can be influenced by various environmental factors, which in turn are known to impact biogeochemical processes. The objectives of this study were to test effects of multiple edaphic drivers individually and represented as the multivariate soil environment interacting with microbial community composition and diversity, and concomitantly on multiple soil functions (i.e. soil enzyme activities, soil C and N processes). We employed high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) to analyze bacterial/archaeal and fungal community composition by targeting the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS1 region of soils collected from three land uses (cropland, grassland and forest) deriving from two bedrock forms (silicate and limestone). Based on this data set we explored single and combined effects of edaphic variables on soil microbial community structure and diversity, as well as on soil enzyme activities and several soil C and N processes. We found that both bacterial/archaeal and fungal communities were shaped by the same edaphic factors, with most single edaphic variables and the combined soil environment representation exerting stronger effects on bacterial/archaeal communities than on fungal communities, as demonstrated by (partial) Mantel tests. We also found similar edaphic controls on the bacterial/archaeal/fungal richness and diversity. Soil C processes were only directly affected by the soil environment but not affected by microbial community composition. In contrast, soil N processes were significantly related to bacterial/archaeal community composition and bacterial/archaeal/fungal richness/diversity but not directly affected by the soil environment. This indicates direct control of the soil environment on soil C processes and indirect control of the soil environment on soil N processes by structuring the microbial communities. The study further highlights the importance of edaphic drivers and microbial communities (i.e. composition and diversity) on important soil C and N processes.", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "570", "550", "ECOSYSTEM MULTIFUNCTIONALITY", "BACTERIAL COMMUNITY", "106027 \u00d6kotoxikologie", "FUNGAL COMMUNITIES", "Soil functions", "Article", "03 medical and health sciences", "Microbial community composition and diversity", "CARBON-USE EFFICIENCY", "106027 Ecotoxicology", "ENZYME-ACTIVITIES", "14. Life underwater", "SDG 15 \u2013 Leben an Land", "Life Below Water", "SDG 15 - Life on Land", "2. Zero hunger", "106022 Mikrobiologie", "0303 health sciences", "Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences", "LAND-USE", "SUBSTRATE USE EFFICIENCY", "Agronomy & Agriculture", "Biological Sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "TEMPERATE FOREST", "13. Climate action", "LONG-TERM N", "106022 Microbiology", "Edaphic drivers", "BAYESIAN CLASSIFIER", "Environmental Sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://escholarship.org/content/qt83b3006k/qt83b3006k.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2954315845"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Biology%20and%20Biochemistry", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2954315845", "name": "item", "description": "2954315845", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2954315845"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-09-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3111673561", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:39Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-12-09", "title": "Assessment of Soil Functions: An Example of Meeting Competing National and International Obligations by Harnessing Regional Differences", "description": "

The increased demand for bio based products worldwide provides an opportunity for Eastern European countries to increase their production in agriculture and forestry. At the same time, such economic development must be congruent with the European Union\u2019s long-term climate and biodiversity objectives. As a country that is rich in bioresources, the Latvian case study is highly relevant to many other countries\u2014especially those in Central and Eastern Europe\u2014and faces a choice of transition pathways to meet both economic and environmental objectives. In order to assess the trade-offs between investments in the bioeconomy and the achievement of climate and biodiversity objectives, we used the Functional Land Management (FLM) framework for the quantification of the supply and demand for the primary productivity, carbon regulation and biodiversity functions. We related the supply of these three soil functions to combinations of land use and soil characteristics. The demand for the same functions were derived from European, national and regional policy objectives. Our results showed different spatial scales at which variation in demand and supply is manifested. High demand for biodiversity was associated with areas dominated by agricultural land at the local scale, while regional differences of unemployment rates and the target for GDP increases framed the demand for primary productivity. National demand for carbon regulation focused on areas dominated by forests on organic soils. We subsequently identified mismatches between the supply and demand for soil functions, and we selected spatial locations for specific land use changes and improvements in management practices to promote sustainable development of the bio-economy. Our results offer guidance to policy makers that will help them to form a national policy that will underpin management practices that are effective and tailored toward local climate conditions and national implementation pathways.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "functional land management", "forestry", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "soil functions", "15. Life on land", "central and Eastern European countries", "climate regulation", "12. Responsible consumption", "Environmental sciences", "primary productivity", "13. Climate action", "8. Economic growth", "11. Sustainability", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "agriculture", "biodiversity"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/3111673561"}, {"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": "3111673561", "name": "item", "description": "3111673561", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3111673561"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-09T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3185781792", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-04-13T16:27:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-07-27", "title": "A holistic perspective on soil architecture is needed as a key to soil functions", "description": "Abstract

Soil functions, including climate regulation and the cycling of water and nutrients, are of central importance for a number of environmental issues of great societal concern. To understand and manage these functions, it is crucial to be able to quantify the structure of soils, now increasingly referred to as their \uffe2\uff80\uff9carchitecture,\uffe2\uff80\uff9d as it constraints the physical, chemical and biological processes in soils. This quantification was traditionally approached from two different angles, one focused on aggregates of the solid phase, and the other on the pore space. The recent development of sophisticated, non\uffe2\uff80\uff90disturbing imaging techniques has led to significant progress in the description of soil architecture, in terms of both the pore space and the spatial configuration of mineral and organic materials. We now have direct access to virtually all aspects of soil architecture. In the present article, we review how this affects the perception of soil architecture specifically when trying to describe the functions of soils. A key conclusion of our analysis is that soil architecture, in that context, imperatively needs to be explored in its natural state, with as little disturbance as possible. The same requirement applies to the key processes taking place in the hierarchical soil pore network, including those contributing to the emergence of a heterogeneous organo\uffe2\uff80\uff90mineral soil matrix by various mixing processes, such as bioturbation, diffusion, microbial metabolism and organo\uffe2\uff80\uff90mineral interactions. Artificially isolated aggregates are fundamentally inappropriate for deriving conclusions about the functioning of an intact soil. To fully account for soil functions, we argue that a holistic approach that centres on the pore space is mandatory while the dismantlement of soils into chunks may still be carried out to study the binding of soil solid components. In the future, significant progress is expected along this holistic direction, as new, advanced technologies become available.

Highlights

We highlight the crucial importance of the temporal dynamics of soil architecture for biological activity and carbon turnover.

We reconcile controversial concepts relative to how soil architecture is formed and reshaped with time.

Soil is demonstrated to be a heterogeneous porous matrix and not an assembly of aggregates.

Biological and physical mixing processes are key for the formation and dynamics of soil architecture.