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SOMIS: http://eusoils.jrc.it Schruns 11/10/2004

A Part of the European Soil portal-

A step towards harmonization of Soil Information in Europe

Panos Panagos, Luca Montanarella, Marc Van Liedekerke

“Alpine Soil Information System”

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INSPIRE Principle:Accessing, exchanging and delivering spatial data

INSPIRE PRINCIPLES HOW WE IMPLEMENT THEM Spatial data should be stored, made available

and maintained at the most appropriate level (avoid duplicates).

Central EU Access: http://eusoils.jrc.it for Pan-European data relevant for European Policies (framework directives)

It must be possible to combine spatial data from different sources across the EU seamlessly and share them between several users and applications.

Common WRB classification, common projection system (LAEA/ETRS89), harmonization of SMU limits with agreed base map (EuroGeographics)

It must be possible for spatial data collected at one level of public authority to be shared between all levels of public authorities.

Bottom-up approach and GRID approach to allow national/regional/local levels to update higher levels by generalization

Spatial data needed for good governance should be available under conditions that do not restrict their extensive use.

Access to environmental data of interest to citizen (Public Sector Information Directive) through easy download respecting ownership and property rights

It should be easy to discover available spatial data, evaluate their fitness for purpose and know the conditions applicable to their use.

Metadata about data (ISO 19115)

Query tools as the ones available in EU GEO Portal

Intends to trigger the creation of a European spatial information infrastructure that delivers to the users integrated spatial information services

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Data• The European Soil Data Base v2 Raster Archive• European Soil Database

Documents• European Soil Bureau Research Reports-Other Research Reports &Papers • European Soil Data Base Map Archive

Applications• SOMIS (SOil Map Internet Server): Standalone web-based application• Map Viewer: Web Mapping Service (WMS) application (OGC compliant)

European Soils by theme• Soil Erosion

Projects• Development of a prototype for the update of European soil data (INSPIRE)

Events (Conferences, Workshops, Meetings, Summer School)

*Mailing list: In order to keep interested persons up to date.

Soils Portal: http://eusoils.jrc.itThe contribution of the S&W Unit to the building of a thematic spatial data infrastructure on soils

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10k x 10k rasters derived from the 1:1,000,000 ESDB data

Free public access to these degraded but usable data (models)

Raster data files for 73 attributes:• Soil Database Attributes• Pedotransfer Database Attributes

In 2 co-ordinate systems:• GISCO Lambert Azimuth co-ordinate

system• LAEA_ERTS INSPIRE Reference Grid:

Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Initial point for the development of a

prototype system for updating data 10x10 Km Grid inherit the most

frequent value among the 100 pixel of 1x1 Km

Data (1): Raster Archive

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Data (2):Distribution of Soil Database

Soil Database (distribution version 1) will be available on CD-ROM through the OPOCE (by the end of 2004)

Distribution consists of 4 components• Soil Geographical Database of

Europe• Pedotransfer Rules database• Soil Profile Analytical database• Database of Hydraulic properties

Distribution version 2 is under construction

Full Database documentation will be available in the Soil Portal:

• Metadata• Database Dictionaries• Attributes coding• Only the Raw data will not be

distributed

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A repository for European Soil Bureau Network Research Reports (19 reports)

A common place for other research reports and papers (11 reports)

Multilingual versions of Reports (Example: Manual of Procedures Version 1.1)

Documents(1): Research Reports - Papers

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Collection of maps representing all attributes:

• Soil Database Attributes• Pedotransfer Database Attributes

PDF format (A3), sizes typically between 1 and 2 MB

Dominant value Maps

For each theme, 3 maps available: • Thematic• Purity: is an indicator of the quality of a

thematic map • Confident:an indicator of the quality of

an attribute value (provided by the contributor)

Documents(2): Map Archive

Example map : volume of stones

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Simple Map operations: Zooming, panning, querying, layering

User can view and inspect soil data but cannot download

User friendly application – No need for specific S/W(only web browser)

Fully documented (Contents of European Soil Database CD-ROM)

2 Map applications :• multiple soil related layers (Grouped in 3 categories)• single WRB soil layer

Built with free web mapping software – Open Source (Minnesota MapServer)

Applications (1): SOMIS (SOil Map Internet Server) Standalone web-based application for the navigation of soil related maps

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Applications(2) SOMIS: http://eusoils.jrc.it

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Applications(3): Map Viewer Web Mapping Service (WMS) application (OGC compliant)

Runs as a server to serve maps to WMS clients (e.g. INSPIRE Map Viewer) Combine layers of maps located in different Map servers all around the World

Regions Map

Soils Map

user

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INSPIRE Map Viewer: Integrates maps residing on multiple spatial servers

Applications(4): Map Viewer

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European Soils by theme: Soil Erosion

Place to make available information about Soil themes

CD-ROM: Nature & Extent of Soil Erosion in Europe (PESERA project)

Pan European Soil Erosion estimates (t/ha/yr) data (from PESERA project)

More data will be available in this section (Organic Carbon)

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Projects(1): Development of Prototype

European 10k x 10k raster derived from the 1:1,000,000 ESDB data

Question: How those grids can be updated?

A proposed 1st step(methodology): • Regional data providers would

send data in raster format (participatory approach) to JRC

• JRC would then integrate the regional data in updated European rasters.

Is it according to INSPIRE principles? Example: WRB_LV1

Soil reference group code (WRB)

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10k x 10k raster derived from the Italian Eco-pedological map (scale 1:250.000)

Data are more accurate and detailed

The 1k x 1k raster Grid is even more accurate(the images can be compared)

JRC identifies Regions in Europe where this prototype can be developed! Example: RIF_S1

Soil reference group code(WRB)?

Projects(2): Development of Prototype

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ALPINE CONVENTION

FranceSwitzerlandGermanyItalyLiechtensteinAustriaSloveniaEuropean Communities

Soil protection is one of the main issues that has been put forward by the Alpine Convention (signed also a Soil Protection Protocol in 1998)The Soil Protection Protocol of the Alpine Convention promotes cooperation among member states, particularly in setting up soil databases

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ECALP Project ECopedological map of ALPs

Create a useful network among regional and national institutions which own and manage soil data

Exchange of knowledge and experience among different regions, different countries

Achieve the setting up and updating of a shared soil database for the Alps

Use of participatory approach, according to the principles of the INSPIRE

Exchange of harmonised soil informationDevelop common procedures to allow data exchange, updating

and evaluation for some application purposesGive an overview of available information on alpine soils

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ECALP Project (Activities)

Choice of pilot areas, one for each partner, within the territory of the Alpine Convention, according to their relevance with respect to soil related issues

AUSTRIAITALY (Regions: Lombardia, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Veneto, Piemonte)FRANCE (Region: Rhône-Alpes)SLOVENIASWITZERLAND

Definition of a common format for data exchange

Testing of the exchange format in sample areas

Filling in the exchange format and updating

Working out a first draft of “Ecopedological Map of the Alps” by means of available harmonised data (European Soil Database at scale 1:1.000.000, Ecopedological Map of Italy 1:250.000 scale).

State of the art of the project and related documents are available at the net (http://eusoils.jrc.it/projects/alpsis/MainAlpine.html).

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SPATIAL DATA FORMAT Elementary mapping units: pixel format

Standard European reference grid is used, according to INSPIRE principles • All rasters should be produced according to to the nested grid

system proposed for the European reference Grid (1k, 10k, 100k…)

• Co-ordinate system (ETRS_LAEA)

Integrated with other environmental and territorial information

Pixel size has been set to 1 km for pilot areas and 10 km for the entire alpine territory

Use of unique labelling of grid cells

The data values provided by the Italian raster should match classes/instructions imposed by the European level

How often the data will be updated?

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Regular Grids VS Soil Maps

Disadvantages of polygon approach:• Higher Complexity of description• Many data requirements • Harmonization is needed• Different semantic definitions• Resource Consuming

Advantages of pixel approach.Pixel can:• easy to be filled and updated• useful to support a multi-scale approach

(bottom-up)• suitable to represent output data for

environmental reporting (policy relevant information, indicators)

• easy to be integrated with other environmental indicators on different layers.

1 km grid

10 km grid

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Exchange Format Grid based format has been designed for the exchange of

alpine region soil data between project partners Each participating area has been assigned a number of pixels

from the reference grids in the following Format:

CODE DESCRIPTION TYPE SIZE EXAMP RASTER NAME

PX-ID Pixel identification number (INSPIRE) Character string 8 4525_  

AGRI-USE Code for presence/absence of agricultural use Integer number 1 0  

AGLIM1 Code for dominant limitation to agricultural use Integer number 2   AGLIM1

AGLIM2 Code for secondary limitation to agricultural Integer number 2 2 AGLIM2

IL Depth class of a presence of an impermeable Integer number 1 2 IL

ROODepth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU

Integer number 1 1 ROO

TEXT-SUB-DOM

Dominant subsoil textural class of the STU Integer number 1 2 TXSUBDO

TEXT-SUB-SEC

Secondary subsoil textural class of the STU Integer number 1 1 TXSUBSE

WM1 Code for normal presence and purpose Integer number 1 1 WM1

WM2 Code for the type of an existing water Integer number 2 1 WM2

WR Dominant annual average soil water regime cl Integer number 1 1 WR

WRB-ADJ1 First soil adjective code of the STU (WRB) Character string 2 dy WRBADJ1

WRB-ADJ2 Second soil adjective code of the STU (WRB) Character string 2 sk WRBADJ2

WRB-LEV1 Soil Reference Group code of the STU (WRB)s Character string 2 CM WRBLV1

WRB-FULL Full soil code of the STU from the World WRB) Character string 6CMskd

yWRBFU