Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Background Soil health degradation is a major threat to European food security, biodiversity, and climate stability. While scientists have debated how to define soil health during recent decades, a quantifiable framework for monitoring, management, and policy remains lacking. Aim We introduce SHERPA (Soil Health Evaluation, Rating Protocol, and Assessment) as a framework for discussion and present a first quantitative soil health assessment across Europe. Methods All major soil degradation processes (with the exception of organic contamination) were scored, averaged, and subtracted from the intrinsic soil health resulting in quantitative final scores. Results As reported before, cropland soils throughout Europe are highly degraded. Surprisingly, soil health of grasslands is also very negatively impacted. Soil erosion, nutrient surplus, and pesticide risk are largely driving poor soil health aligning with reported high biodiversity loss in agricultural land. Forest soils are also surprisingly low in health, mainly because of nitrogen surplus, reflecting documented widespread forest decline from nutrient imbalances. Interactive maps highlight specific threats to soil health across Europe, offering valuable insights for targeted action. Conclusions SHERPA is able to quantify soil health across Europe. However, at the current state of data availability, soil health is likely to be overestimated. Monitoring data of soil structure, compaction, pesticide spread and, in forest ecosystems, disturbance of humus layer are urgently needed for final assessment of soil health.
DOI: 10.1002/jpln.70034
Institutions: University of Basel, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de Montagne, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, United Nations University, Hamburg University of Technology, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, University of Aberdeen, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Freiburg, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Roma Tre University
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,030
Awards: G1252549640, THE SOIL BIODIVERSITY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF MEDITERRANEAN OLIVE GROVES: A HOLISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF LAND MANAGEMENT ON OLIVE OIL QUALITY AND SAFETY, G2540216909, G5544882307, AI4SoilHealth: Accelerating collection and use of soil health information using AI technology to support the Soil Deal for Europe and EU Soil Observatory
OpenAlex ID: W4415620329