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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
12:03
Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil
Published on: September 1, 2020
Soil quality assessment under emerging regulatory requirements
James Bone1, Martin Head, Declan Barraclough
1Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Environment International
|May 21, 2010
Summary
Identifying soil risk areas is crucial for new protection policies. A new, cost-effective method using cross-functional indicators can prioritize areas for soil quality assessment and legislation development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Ecology
Background:
- Soil degradation necessitates understanding soil quality for protection and legislative compliance.
- Existing soil quality assessment methods have limitations and require refinement.
- New policies require identification of geographical risk/priority areas for soil protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of soil quality definition and assessment.
- To propose a new definition of soil quality addressing multifunctionality and ecosystem services.
- To develop a cost-effective, non-function-dependent method for prioritizing soil investigation areas.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of soil quality definition and assessment approaches.
- Development of a novel definition for soil quality.
- Proposal of a systematic method using cross-functional indicators for area prioritization.
Main Results:
- A comprehensive definition of soil quality was established, considering multifunctional requirements and ecosystem services.
- Existing assessment methods using function-dependent indicators are identified as costly and problematic.
- A new method using cross-functional indicators offers a quicker, easier, and cost-effective approach to prioritize areas.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method using cross-functional indicators can effectively identify soil risk areas.
- This approach complements existing monitoring programs and aids in developing soil protection legislation.
- The method has the potential to streamline soil quality assessment and support sustainable soil management.
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