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Two new pan-European soil maps have been released to the
general public through the EU Soil Portal - the Saline and
Sodic Soil Map of Europe and the Soil Compaction Map of Europe.
The first map shows the area distribution of naturally saline
or sodic soils and potentially salt affected areas within
the European Union. Salinisation is the accumulation of soluble
salts of sodium, magnesium and calcium in soil to the extent
that soil fertility is severely reduced.
The Soil Compaction Map of Europe shows the natural susceptibility
of agricultural soils to compaction when the weight of livestock
or heavy machinery compresses the soil, causing it to lose
pore space. Affected soils become less able to absorb rainfall,
thus increasing runoff and erosion. Plants have difficulty
growing in compacted soil because the mineral grains are pressed
together, leaving little space for air and water, which are
essential for root growth.
The European Soil Data Centre - established by an agreement
in 2005 and finalised in 2009 - is hosted by the JRC's Institute
for Environment and Sustainability (IES).
It is the thematic centre for soil related data and information
in Europe and provides a wide array of soil related, freely
accessible products - including datasets, documents, maps
and graphs.
For more Information, see -
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