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Assessing Impacts of Soil Management Measures on Ecosystem Services

Author

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  • Gudrun Schwilch

    (Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Soil Section, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Tatenda Lemann

    (Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Örjan Berglund

    (Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Carlo Camarotto

    (Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy)

  • Artemi Cerdà

    (Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group, Department of Geography, University of Valencia. Blasco Ibáñez 28, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

  • Ioannis N. Daliakopoulos

    (School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece)

  • Silvia Kohnová

    (Department of Land and Water Resources Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 11, 810 05 Bratislava, Slovakia)

  • Dominika Krzeminska

    (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Frederik A. Dahls vei 20, 1430 Aas, Norway)

  • Teodoro Marañón

    (IRNAS, CSIC, Av. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Seville, Spain)

  • René Rietra

    (Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands)

  • Grzegorz Siebielec

    (Department of Soil Science Erosion and Land Protection, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation—State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland)

  • Johann Thorsson

    (Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, 851 Hella, Iceland)

  • Mark Tibbett

    (Centre for Agri-Environmental Research and Soil Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK)

  • Sandra Valente

    (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal)

  • Hedwig Van Delden

    (Research Institute for Knowledge Systems (RIKS), Hertogsingel 11B, 6211 NC Maastricht, The Netherlands
    School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia)

  • Jan Van den Akker

    (Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands)

  • Simone Verzandvoort

    (Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands)

  • Nicoleta Olimpia Vrînceanu

    (National Research and Development Institute for Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Environment, Bd. Marasti 61, Sector 1, 011464 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Christos Zoumides

    (The Cyprus Institute, Energy, Environment and Water Research Center, 20 Konstantinou Kavafi Street, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus)

  • Rudi Hessel

    (Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Only a few studies have quantified and measured ecosystem services (ES) specifically related to soil. To address this gap, we have developed and applied a methodology to assess changes in ecosystem services, based on measured or estimated soil property changes that were stimulated by soil management measures (e.g., mulching, terracing, no-till). We applied the ES assessment methodology in 16 case study sites across Europe representing a high diversity of soil threats and land use systems. Various prevention and remediation measures were trialled, and the changes in manageable soil and other natural capital properties were measured and quantified. An Excel tool facilitated data collection, calculation of changes in ecosystem services, and visualization of measured short-term changes and estimated long-term changes at plot level and for the wider area. With this methodology, we were able to successfully collect and compare data on the impact of land management on 15 different ecosystem services from 26 different measures. Overall, the results are positive in terms of the impacts of the trialled measures on ecosystem services, with 18 out of 26 measures having no decrease in any service at the plot level. Although methodological challenges remain, the ES assessment was shown to be a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the trialled measures, and also served as an input to a stakeholder valuation of ecosystem services at local and sub-national levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Gudrun Schwilch & Tatenda Lemann & Örjan Berglund & Carlo Camarotto & Artemi Cerdà & Ioannis N. Daliakopoulos & Silvia Kohnová & Dominika Krzeminska & Teodoro Marañón & René Rietra & Grzegorz Siebiele, 2018. "Assessing Impacts of Soil Management Measures on Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-26, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:12:p:4416-:d:185603
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    6. Lingyan Li & Lujiao Feng & Xiaotong Guo & Haiyan Xie & Wei Shi, 2020. "Complex Network Analysis of Transmission Mechanism for Sustainable Incentive Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-25, January.
    7. Ourania Tzoraki, 2020. "Operating Small Hydropower Plants in Greece under Intermittent Flow Uncertainty: The Case of Tsiknias River (Lesvos)," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-15, August.
    8. Silva-Olaya, Adriana M. & Ortíz-Morea, Fausto A. & España-Cetina, Gina P. & Olaya-Montes, Andrés & Grados, Daniel & Gasparatos, Alexandros & Cherubin, Mauricio Roberto, 2022. "Composite index for soil-related ecosystem services assessment: Insights from rainforest-pasture transitions in the Colombian Amazon," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    9. Nicola Dal Ferro & Carlo Camarotto & Ilaria Piccoli & Antonio Berti & Jane Mills & Francesco Morari, 2020. "Stakeholder Perspectives to Prevent Soil Organic Matter Decline in Northeastern Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Ara Jeong & Ronald I. Dorn & Yeong-Bae Seong & Byung-Yong Yu, 2021. "Acceleration of Soil Erosion by Different Land Uses in Arid Lands above 10 Be Natural Background Rates: Case Study in the Sonoran Desert, USA," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-28, August.
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