40 - Soil monitoring

Programme manager:

Programme director:

Objective

To recognise and quantify changes to the soil status in Switzerland at an early stage. To identify environmental and anthropogenic stress factors affecting the diversity of soils in Switzerland.

• Specific objectives

  • Identify the influences of land use and management on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil
  • Increase the representativity of monitoring programmes by taking into account different pedoclimatic conditions and land use types in Switzerland
  • Develop and provide land use-specific comparison and reference values for soil quality indicators for enforcement purposes
  • Identify and monitor newly arising (emergent) soil pollutants and the impact of climate change
  • Identify the extent and spatial distribution of soil risks (e.g. soil compaction risk)
  • Strengthen the monitoring of particularly vulnerable soils (e.g. organic or very clayey soils)
  • Gain a better understanding of the long-term behaviour of pollutants (e.g. plant protection products) in the soil and their impacts on soil fertility
  • Develop a monitoring plan to record soil compaction

Expected outcomes

The quality of Swiss soils is preserved in the long term. Findings from monitoring and evaluating the soil status allow adequate measures to taken for the chemical, physical and biological protection of the soil, the success of the measures to be verified, and soil degradation to be recognised at an early stage.

Projects

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