Initial situation/scientific issue

By 2020, up to 70% of European soils were considered degraded, underscoring the urgent need for reliable data on soil health. Soil monitoring systems (SMS) are crucial for tracking soil changes, early detection of degradation, and supporting sustainable management and policy evaluation. While most EU countries have their own SMS, differences in methodologies and legal frameworks make data comparison and harmonization difficult.

Project description/methodology

SoilHarmony focuses on standardizing soil sampling protocols and analyzing physical and chemical properties to simplify harmonization. The consortium includes experts in soil monitoring in various land use types and climate zones, many of whom are involved in the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law (SML) and the development of transfer functions (TFs). The project aims to use existing datasets and samples to improve TF development, assess the impact of different sampling methods, and validate TFs using new samples from 21 EU member states. This initiative aims to create synergies and improve the consistency of soil assessments across Europe.

Outcomes

1) TFs take into account not only laboratory methods but also field methods.
2) TFs and PTFs are validated at EU level and are based on a large number of soil types and land use practices.
3) Statistical methods for the development and validation of TFs and PTFs are harmonized.