The need for harmonizing methodologies for assessing soil threats in Europe

Beek, C.L.; Tóth, Tibor; Hagyó, Andrea; Tóth, Gergely; Boix, Luis Recatalá; Vidal, Claude; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Maquaire, Olivier; Akker, J.J.H. van den; Zee, S.E.A.T.M. van der; Verzandvoort, S.J.E.; Simota, C.; Kuikman, P.J.; Oenema, O.

doi:10.1111/j.1475-2743.2010.00280.x

Cited by 20 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…This understanding as such is not new. For instance, in Hungary, the depth of the groundwater level is a major factor in assessing the risk of root zone salinity and sodicity [ Szabolcs , 1989; Toth , 2008; Toth and Szendrei , 2006; Van Beek et al , 2010; Varrallyay , 1989]. The awareness that salts need to be leached to avoid soil salinity is expressed in the concept of leaching fraction as given in the famous work by Richards et al [1954].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stochastic modeling of salt accumulation in the root zone due to capillary flux from brackish groundwater

Shah

Vervoort

Suweis

et al. 2011

Water Resources Research

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Groundwater can be a source of both water and salts in semiarid areas, and therefore, capillary pressure–induced upward water flow may cause root zone salinization. To identify which conditions result in hazardous salt concentrations in the root zone, we combined the mass balance equations for salt and water, further assuming a Poisson‐distributed daily rainfall and brackish groundwater quality. For the water fluxes (leaching, capillary upflow, and evapotranspiration), we account for osmotic effects of the dissolved salt mass using Van‘t Hoff's law. Root zone salinity depends on salt transport via capillary flux and on evapotranspiration, which concentrates salt in the root zone. Both a wet climate and shallow groundwater lead to wetter root zone conditions, which in combination with periodic rainfall enhances salt removal by leaching. For wet climates, root zone salinity (concentrations) increases as groundwater is more shallow (larger groundwater influence). For dry climates, salinity increases as groundwater is deeper because of a drier root zone and less leaching. For intermediate climates, opposing effects can push the salt balance either way. Root zone salinity increases almost linearly with groundwater salinity. With a simple analytical approximation, maximum concentrations can be related to the mean capillary flow rate, leaching rate, water saturation, and groundwater salinity for different soils, climates, and groundwater depths.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stochastic modeling of salt accumulation in the root zone due to capillary flux from brackish groundwater

Shah

Vervoort

Suweis

et al. 2011

Water Resources Research

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“…The definition of risk‐based priority areas requires quantitative estimation of risk from erosion by water. Van Beek et al. (2010) identified several models in use for estimating soil loss by rill, inter‐rill and sheet erosion, which were mainly modifications of the well‐established Universal Soil Loss Equation (Wischmeir & Smith, 1978).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The definition of risk-based priority areas requires quantitative estimation of risk from erosion by water. Van Beek et al (2010) identified several models in use for estimating soil loss by rill, inter-rill and sheet erosion, which were mainly modifications of the well-established Universal Soil Loss Equation (Wischmeir & Smith, 1978). The ENVASSO project also evaluated soil threat models and selected the PESERA model (Kirby et al, 2004) for quantitative estimation of soil loss by rill, inter-rill and sheet erosion.…”

Section: Estimation Of Soil Degradation and Its Effect On Soil Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Definition of priority areas for soil protection at a continental scale

Kibblewhite

2011

Soil Use and Management

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Resources for achieving better soil protection are limited and need to be effectively targeted. Spatial variability is high for soil types and related quality and for the risk of degradation because of the threats of organic matter decline, erosion, compaction and salinization. A framework is presented for mapping priority areas for soil protection based on assessing where there is greater risk of degradation and evaluating its acceptability. A conceptual model is proposed which links anthropogenic hazards, threats and the risk of degradation with soil functions. It is recommended that a set of test areas is defined according to dominant soil types, and the probabilities of changes to soil properties relevant to soil functions are then estimated. The risk of exceeding a particular degradation threshold within these test areas can then be assessed and assigned to risk categories to provide the basis for the identification of priority areas.

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“…For developing the evaluation functions many data is required, which is a major challenge (Wienhold et al, 2009). Also, when collecting data, it is important that data are collected and analysed using the same methods, to allow comparison of data (Van Beek et al, 2010). Currently many VSEs have been collected worldwide (e.g.…”

Section: Development Of Universal Visual Soil Evaluationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reading soils : using easily obtainable soil information to assess soil functioning

Leeuwen¹,

Johanna²

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Soil function indicator Easily obtainable soil information Chapter Crop production Crop yield gap under wet and dry conditions VSE 1 4 Storing, filtering, and transforming nutrients and water Crop sensitivity to dry and wet periods: oxygen and drought stress VSE 1 4 Maintaining biodiversity Plant available water VSE 1 4 Serving as carbon pool Water storage capacity VSE 1 4 Serving as archive for geological and cultural heritage Nitrate and phosphate concentrations in drain water and groundwater Soil series 2 VSE 1 4 Soil nutrient balance Soil series 2 Chapter 1 14 This thesis focusses on easily obtainable soil information, because only basic soil knowledge or training is required to use or obtain this soil information. It is expected that easily obtainable soil information is available to many users, such as farmers or scientists, in many countries worldwide. The use of easily obtainable soil information to eventually increase soil quality and the sustainability of agricultural land management is thus available to many people, which increases the importance to test how this information can be used to assess soil functions. 1.3.1 The use of soil series to improve nutrient balance calculations Currently, most nutrient balances that are used in practice are at farm level or at a coarser scale. For policy makers this level of detail is sufficient to have an indicator of overall farm sustainability, and to evaluate the environmental pressure of agriculture in a region (Van Beek et al., 2003). Farmers and land managers, however, also make land management decisions at field level, and therefore farm-level sustainability indicators are not informative for decision-making at field level (Van Beek et al., 2003). Nutrient balances at field level, instead, could help farmers in making correct decisions with regards to environmental sustainability. Highlights  Large variations in N and P balances were found between fields at five dairy farms.  The variation was likely caused by management factors and soil types.  This calls for the use of field-level rather than farm-level nutrient balances.

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The need for harmonizing methodologies for assessing soil threats in Europe

Cited by 20 publications

References 23 publications

Stochastic modeling of salt accumulation in the root zone due to capillary flux from brackish groundwater

Stochastic modeling of salt accumulation in the root zone due to capillary flux from brackish groundwater

Definition of priority areas for soil protection at a continental scale

Reading soils : using easily obtainable soil information to assess soil functioning

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