This document discusses the Global Soil Partnership and its goals of promoting sustainable soil management. It focuses on Pillar 4 of the partnership which aims to improve soil data and information through monitoring networks and collaborations. Specifically for Europe, it proposes that the European Soil Bureau Network take a lead role in coordinating regional soil data collection and mapping efforts. Key activities would include developing harmonized methodologies and databases to integrate national soil data and facilitate monitoring of soil conditions across Europe.

1. Global Soil Partnership, European
Soil Partnership
Dr Allan Lilly, F.I.Soil Sci.
Principal Soil Scientist
Chair, European Soil Bureau Network

2.  To support and facilitate joint efforts towards
sustainable management of soil resources for food
security and climate change adaptation and
mitigation.
 Endorsed by 193 UN nations at Rio+20,
 Currently there is an Intergovernmental Technical
Panel on Soils
 Encourages formation of Regional Partnerships

3. Pillar 1:
Sustainable soil
Management
Pillar 4:
Soil data and Information
Pillar 3:
Research
Pillar 2:
Investment,
awareness, extension
Pillar 5:
Harmonize, standardize,
facilitate, manage
Relationship between Pillars:
Global Earth Observing
System of Systems
eg Land cover, climate
IUSS
WG SIS

4. Pillar 4: GSP Action Plan
Initial 23 Recommendations from ITPS reduced to 4 high-level:
1. An enduring system for monitoring and forecasting the condition
of soil resources
2. This system to use national and regional soil data though a
collaborative network and include facilities to incorporate new data
– distributed design, IP remains with data providers
3. Soil information should integrate with ‘Earth Observation System’
4. There should be a training programme for new monitoring,
mapping and forecasting specialists

5. Pillar 4: Why do we need a Soil
Information System?
Is there enough land with good soil to feed the population?
Are we managing soil, nutrients and water to maximise yields,
maintain other functions and minimise degradation/GHG
emissions?
The quality of
global soil datasets
compares poorly
with other on
eg geology, land
cover, climate

6. Pillar 4:
Current position:
FAO-appointed consultant /WG to turn Action Plan
into an Implementation Plan:
• Governance
• Global datasets
o Grid
o Profile
• Monitoring , forecasting and reporting
• Integrate with GEOSS
• Training
GEOSS -Global Earth Observation System of Systems

7. Pillar 4: European Soil Partnership
Proposed lead organisation: European Soil Bureau
Network (ESBN): >50 experts
from >35 European countries
(Voluntary)
• 1:1 M soil map Europe
• Supporting profile datasets
o SPADE
o HYPRES
o EU-HYDI
• Monitoring
o ENVASSO
o LUCAS
Land Use/Cover Area frame Statistical Survey

8. Links to other Groups
European Soil Bureau Network (ESBN):
• >50 experts from >35 European countries
• Voluntary Network
• 1:1 M soil map Europe
• Supporting profile datasets
o SPADE
o HYPRES
o EU-HYDI
• Monitoring
o ENVASSO

9. European Soil Partnership
• FAO Global Soil Partnership sees establishment of Regional
elements.
• Build on existing regional networks or collaborative processes (e.g.
Danube, ESBN) by linking national and local networks, partners,
projects and activities.
• Address regional goals / priorities through implementation of Action
Plan to strengthen work on soils and to develop synergies with other
relevant initiatives and activities.
Pillar 4: Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information:
data collection (generation), analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring
and integration with other disciplines.

10. Mapping Europe using Digital Methods
UK
Ireland
France
Danube Basin
Denmark
16 countries
Czech Republic

11. Methodology for Danube Basin – a
model for Europe?
• Agree on a common database structure to support soil and land policy
development.
• Attribute tables linked to the structures and standards outlined in the
documentation of the INSPIRE, SGDBE and e-SOTER schemes.
• Develop a coherent physiographic polygon base derived from SOTER
principles based on high resolution DEM coverage.
• Soil information to be extracted from relevant national sources (e.g. legacy
data, profile archives, remote sensing, etc.) to populate the physiographic
polygons.
• This approach has a strong subsidiarity status as there is no obligation for
the transfer of primary datasets from Member States as the generation
/assignment of soil data are carried out by the relevant
national organizations.
• Data will be INSPIRE compliment.

12. SOTER
Underpinning SOTER is the identification of areas of land with a distinctive,
often repetitive, pattern of landform, lithology, surface form, slope, parent
material and soil. Tracts of land distinguished in this manner are named
SOTER units. Each SOTER unit thus represents one unique combination of
terrain and soil characteristics (i.e. a SMU and STU).

13. Harmonised data collection and
monitoring
Current assessments of the state and trends of soil characteristics
across Europe are difficult due to a lack of current and harmonised
data and monitoring systems. Policy makers require up-to-date
information for effective decision-making.
• Development of harmonised soil sampling programme for non-EU
counties in the Danube river basin based on the JRC's LUCAS-Soil
methodology;
• Development of benchmark soil sites to assess changes in soil
conditions;
• Focused collection of land and soil data through EIONET-SOIL
network.

14. Potential next steps – ESBN
co-ordination
• Confirm status as national data holders and willingness to
collaborate – Coalition of the Willing
• establish current status of national soil data holdings with
attributes proposed by new methodology.
• Confirmation of methodology
• Define eventual database structure, spatial infrastructure,
road map and timeline.
• Establishment of regional development groups (based on
Soil Regions model, proximity, climate zones,…?).
• Advisory panel to assist in implementation of project.
• Work closely with JRC initiatives

15. "The nation that destroys its soil
destroys itself.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Consider what each soil will bear,
and what each refuses.”
Virgil