Protecting the Nation's Soils

Why?

Soil is a key resource for mankind, vital to the environment and for societies across the world. It provides a number of important functions including:

• A substrate in which to grow food and fibre
• Transforming and recycling of wastes and pollutants
• Sustaining biodiversity

The quality of soil – its ability to provide the functions described above – depends on many different processes that reflect biological, physical and chemical interactions.

Understanding how soils carry out its functions is imperative if we are to maintain soil quality to meet the needs of society.

Our understanding of these processes will help inform the development of management techniques capable of maintaining and improving the condition of soil for current and future needs.

Research Information

• Presentation: Protecting the Nation's Soils, Colin Campbell, Macaulay Institute (32 MB pps)
• Posters (1MB pdfs)
• More information on Work Programme 3.2
• More information on Work Programme 3.3

Expected Outcomes

• Status reports on quality and trends in Scotland’s soil resource
• Improved understanding of cycling of greenhouse gases and feedbacks to drivers of climate change
• New tools and methods to assess soil quality, including its biodiversity
• Maps showing which soils are under threat and highlight socio-economic implications

Contact

Dr Colin Campbell, Macaulay Institute.