Scenario modelling for assessing impacts of policy changes and socio-economic effects on ecosystem services of soils (SIMPLE)
Agricultural soils provide numerous ecosystem services, including the storage of carbon as humus. A new EU strategy to reduce nutrient losses (“Farm to Fork”) could have a negative impact on carbon storage. To examine possible unintended side effects of such policy requirements, a model system for Europe is created and applied.
This project looks at productivity, soil carbon storage and greenhouse gas reduction. The study focuses on the assessment of a 20% reduction in nitrogen fertilisation, which is part of a new EU policy. It could have both positive and negative impacts on soil ecosystem services. Data from statistics (yields, fertiliser quantities) are collected for Switzerland, the EU Member States and other European partner countries. The results are used to calculate possible yield losses, effects on soil carbon storage and the loss of nitrogen in the form of nitrous oxide.
For the analysis described above, different data sets and models will be linked for the first time. This requires the development of new interfaces and the harmonisation of different data sets. The model system should then be applicable for further studies.
Case studies for individual countries will be used to assess additional aspects related to reduced fertilisation (changes in nutrition, land use changes).
