Soil health by 2050: respecting ‘soilscapes’ is the key

The European Commission is proposing to create soil ‘districts’ to improve the evaluation and monitoring of soil health in European Union member states so that all EU soils are in a healthy condition by 2050 (go.nature.com/3ru949t). European scientists are collaborating with land users and national environmental agencies to provide an operational definition of such districts so that they are maximally effective.

These districts of homogeneous soils must be large enough to be managed by a single authority, for soil-health assessment and for implementing policy. Given the diversity of soils in the EU, using homogeneity with respect to soil class or property could lead to an unmanageable number of districts. Spatial units should instead be homogeneous in terms of soil-landscape relationships, or ‘soilscapes’ (P. Lagacherie et al. Geoderma 101, 105–118; 2001). A district would then comprise a limited sequence of soil types amenable to similar management and policy. An effective soil district definition must also consider the national borders of member states and local EU administrative units, ensuring that the spatial contiguity of the districts is maintained.

欧盟委员会提议建立土壤 "区"，以改善欧盟成员国对土壤健康的评估和监测，从而到 2050 年使欧盟所有土壤都处于健康状态 ( go.nature.com/3ru949t)。欧洲科学家正在与土地使用者和国家环境机构合作，为这些地区提供可操作的定义，使其发挥最大效力。