JRC Soil

Securing soil knowledge for sustainability, food security climate change

and natural capital

(arwyn.jones@ec.europa.eu)

• Policy relevance of soil increasing.

• Soil is increasingly recognized as a public good that provides life critical services and resilience to both natural and man-made systems. Soil is a limited natural resource, unequally divided between nations and people.

• Poor waste control, inappropriate land management and poor governance leads to human-induced soil degradation and loss of soil functions. Indirect (cross border) soil use and climate change exacerbate pressures.

• Soil degradation is a key driver of poverty, hunger, conflict, land grabbing, mass migration and desertification – highly evident in

SDGs.

Strategic direction

• Integrated assessments/scenarios of soil functions and contribution to natural capital (indicators and monitoring). Biological condition of soil.

• Increased emphasis on soil in key societal challenges (e.g. climate change, sustainable agriculture, nutrient management, human health, development, etc.).

• Soil cornerstone of global actions and EU development agenda (UN, Africa, Asia).

• Value of soil (natural capital accounting).

Strategic direction

Defining soil condition

• key regulators of numerous ecosystem processes and numerous benefits to society

• ecosystem services

• better quality of human life

• supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural services

What does soil biodiversity do?

Sequester carbon

Greenhouse gasses regulation

Support food, fibre, biofuel production

Control of nutrient cycles

Biodegrade pesticides

Control plant pests

Build soil organic matter

Contribute to biodiversity

Reduce soil erosion

Fix nitrogen

Support plants via mutualism

Breakdown wastes Make compost

Cultural and educational value

Build soil structure

Soil Functions and Ecosystem Services

Life-critical, Multi-functional, ResilienceUnder pressure

Competition for land Degradation processes

Why soil? Rationale

1. Support EU policies addressing soil (ENV, AGRI, CLIMA, ESTAT, SANTE, EEA, EFSA) through the continued development of knowledge base (inventories, policy relevant indicators, best practices) on soil functions and pressures acting on them.

2. Support Commission services through the planning and coordination of LUCAS Soil Module, and subsequent value-added assessments.

3. Support the Global Soil Partnership, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil (ITPS), the European Soil Partnership and soil-related aspects of international agreements to which the EU is a party (SGD, UN Rio+).

4. Support the development of knowledge base in the domain of soil through participation in H2020 research projects – until 2020 (?)

5. To maintain and develop the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) as the primary knowledge hub for soils for the EU and further afield.

Key Objectives

VERIFY

[C5]

Observation-based system for

monitoring and verification of

greenhouse gases

(soil carbon)

WP5840 CIRCASA

Coordination of international

research cooperation on soil C sequestration in

agriculture

(soil carbon sequestration)

WP 899 SOIL-NACA

Securing SOIL as NAturalCapital

EN

V

WP 5037 S4CC

Soil for climate change

CLIM

A

WP 5044 AGSOL

Soil: the foundation of agriculture

AG

RI

Natural Capital Project

WP3706 SOILCARE

Soil care for profitable and

sustainable crop production

(agriculture and soil ecosystem services)

H2020

LUCAS SOIL Survey 2018

Administrative Arrangement ESTAT

Cross Delegation AGRI, CLIMA, ENV & JRC

Soil Thematic Strategy, soil functions & threats indicators, Global Soil Partnership-ITPS, EEA, LUCAS Coordination, soil biodiversity, FAO, IPBES, UNCCD, SDG

2030 Climate & Energy framework, Paris Agreement, Soil Thematic Strategy, '4 pour mille', SDG, carbon sequestration

CAP, Soil Thematic Strategy, Erosion indicators, condition of agricultural soils

WP2204 LANDMARK

Land management assessment,

research, knowledge base

(soil functions assessment)

WP2214 iSQAPER

Interactive Soil Quality Assessment in Europe and China for Agriculture and

Environment

(soil functions assessment)

EU-China/Asia Soil Pollution

FPI / AA?

End of waste criteria for manure

AA ENV

B5 & D2

European Soil

Partnership

AA EMV

Overview: 2019

BIO4A

Biofuel for aviation on

degraded land in MED

LUCAS Africa

Sustainable intensification

in Africa

LANDSUPPORT

Development of Integrated Web-Based Land Decision Support

System Aiming Towards the

Implementation of Policies for Agriculture

Natural Capital Project aiming to brings together JRC activities on

• Soil (environmental focus)• Forest• Ecosystem services• Water (monitoring of pollutants)• Invasive alien species• Natural capital accounting

Natural capital assess stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things, from which ecosystem services make human life possible.

Contribute to projects on agriculture, climate mitigation bioeconomy

Support to development of Land/Soil Mission in Horizon Europe

2019-2020

ESTAT: Agro-Environmental

DG AGRI

ESTAT: Regional stats

ENV-ESTAT: EUROPE 2020

European Parliament -Greens

UNEP

EEA

Soil indicators &

policy supportModus operandai

IA scenarios & Impact indicators

++Climate change: adaptation and mitigation• Increased soil C storage

++Sustainable management of natural resources• Prevent soil erosion• Reduce rate of soil sealing• Improve soil quality

Support to CAP Reform

Improve knowledge on soil condition

LUCAS SOIL

LUCAS Framework

LUCAS Cu in Topsoils

Review of Fertiliser Directive

LUCAS 2009/2012 LUCAS 2015 LUCAS 2018

22,000 samples from 27 EU MS* 1,000 m limit

Physical and chemical parametersCoarse fragmentsParticle-size distributionOrganic carbonN, P, KCarbonatespHCation exchange capacity

Multispectral spectroscopy

Heavy metals

*MT & CY by JRC only

22,325 samples from 28 EU MS 1,122 samples in Balkan countries and

Switzerland

Samples taken at altitudes above 1,000 m

Physical and chemical parameters (2009/2012)

Multispectral spectroscopy

New parametersElectrical conductivity (all samples)Clay mineralogy (400 samples)

26,000 samples from 28 EU MS

Physical and chemical parameters (2009/2012, 2015)

New parametersBulk density (9,000 points)Biodiversity (1,000 points)

Thickness organic horizon(Histosols)

Erosion (all points)

Partial repeat heavy metalsPesticides and antibioticsPlastics…

LUCAS Soil: Evolution

Workshop and Task Force Soil Monitoring

2021?: Baseline for CAP/LULUCF & national involvement

ESTAT / SDG

EU SDG indicator set

• Soil erosion SDG2 and 15

• Soil organic carbon SDG 13 & 15 (2 & 14?)LUCAS 2009 v 2015 (v 2018….)

Draft soil erosion indicator

IRS CC

sink

source

CO2

Net GHG

N2O

RYEGRASS

Climate change mitigation : Scenario Analysis

• Integrated crop residue retention and lower soil disturbance management (IRS)

• Introduction of N- fixing cover crops incorporated before the successive main crop (CC) ‘green manure’

• Introduction of no N-fixing cover crops (RYEGRASS)

Lugato et al., Nature Climate Change February 2018

RCP4.5 - HadGEM2

Understand the impact of climate change on soil erosion

• Direct impact on productivity and soil respiration

Cumulative C budget (Tg C yr-1) over the period 2016-2100, in the accelerated (AE) and current (CE) soil erosion scenarios

• Variation in rainfall erosivity

No erosion = -1.8 Tg C yr-1

Lugato et al., 2018

• Novel approach to quantify effect of climate change on soil

• Publication in Science

Integrated assessments

LANDMARK• Development of a functional land management tool for the

dynamic assessment of the supply of soil functions in response to land-use and management across EU

• MAES-SOIL Report• MAES Report• Soil in EU Biodiversity TS

DEMAND SCENARIOS

• Demand Vs Capacity: 6+ scenariosCarbon sequestration, increased resilience, greening of agricultural policy, manure management, land use change, …

• Excess demand: Demand exceeds maximum capacity – soils unable to provide function: policy failure, land degradation, …

• Demand exceeds optimum capacity: soils unable to deliver consistently

• Demand and supply balanced at optimum capacity: ideal level

• Excess capacity: resources underutilised Available capacity

Demand

Available capacity

Demand

Available capacity

Available capacity

Demand

Soil-based ecosystem services

EIONET NRC Soil Ad-hoc Expert Group – retirement of APP

• Revision of the Land and Soil Indicator LSI003: Progress in the remediation of contaminated sites

• RemTech Europe - European Conference on remediation markets and technologies

China/SE AsiaJRC/CRAES Workshop on soil pollution (Beijing, February 2018)

Pesticides, antibiotics, plastics…

Metals – background / sources / trends

Diffuse pollution – challenge / exposure

Health – SDG3?

Contamination

Land degradation

Raising awareness / outreach

Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas

35,000 downloads

4,400,000 views

Nat Geo tweet to 12,000,000

>1,000 sold

Increased scientific knowledge base

EDD, Soil Atlas of Asia, ESOF 2018…

2017 Scientific excellence Award

Nature

23/06/2017

Examples

Implementation of European Soil Partnership

• Secretariat

• Chair Pillar 2 Working Group

• Study on sustainable soil management

• Summer school (with INRA) on sustainable soil management (Dijon)

• Support to data harmonisation

• European soil data catalogue

• Development of SOTER soil database in Danube

• Soil Atlas Europe (2nd edition)

ESP

• CAP Reform • Development of indicator framework• Support to MS Strategic Plans• Knowledge hub on soil and agriculture

• EU Joint Programme• MS asked to build soil knowledge base and information (c 40M euro + parallel funding)

strong emphasis on links to LUCAS Soil and ESDAC

• End of waste criteria for processed manure Contribution to circular

economy• Comparison with mineral products / efficiency• Impacts on N-cycle (Nitrates Vulnerable Zones) & SOC• Human and environmental ‘health’ implications (veterinary products, metals,

sweeteners,…)

Agriculture

Global framework

a) Support to implementation of Global Soil Partnership • Chair of Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS)• Secretariat of European Soil Partnership (ESP)• Chair of, and contributors to, GSP & ESP Working Groups

b) Input to Council resolution to support UNEP Soil Pollution• Contribution to EU/MS draft objectives and elements for resolution on soil pollution• Nominated co-contact (with ENV)

c) UNCCD • JRC contact point for CST• Policy support, Presentation & Side Event at COP13, China

d) UNFCCC• COP24, Poland• 4/1000

e) Partners and contributors to Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative• UN CBD• Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas - Chinese and Spanish versions

f) Africa • JRC Report• AGRI-LUCAS

g) Soil Atlas of Asia (with FAO & GSP)

Reassess approach soil indicators

Simple questions (e.g. compaction, salinization…)

LUCAS/MAES shows policy interest in ‘non-standard’ soil aspects• pesticides• plastics• biodiversity• soil-related ecosystem services• (diffuse) soil pollution and health

Assess trends (and significance)

Quantify soil degradation – land management drivers

Make better use of Copernicus products?

Application of big data tools

NRC challenges?

“Essentially, all life depends upon the soil ... There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.” -

Charles Kellogg, 1938

Thank you for your attention

The word Homo, the genus that comprises the species Homo sapiens, is derived from the Latin humus, meaning

of the soil.