Risk Matrix

Why?

Identifying soils that may be ‘at risk’ from different drivers and pressures is important for streamlining of future monitoring and regulatory efforts.

Development of a soils risk matrix requires:

• Better information on how different soils may respond to different pressures
• Data indicating whether key measurements made in soils have changed over time, and how quickly they have changed.
• Improved quantification of uncertainties in soils data

The draft EU Soils Framework Directive requires member states to identify areas at risk from a number of pressures that may erode soil resources, and to manage these risks in order to reduce impacts. The development of risk-based methodologies and mapping techniques will enable a targeted approach to future monitoring and management.

Outcomes

• Soil/land use matrix for Scotland determining the functions performed by soils.
• Identification and prediction of the threats, pressures and risks to soils under different land uses.
• Linkage of pressures back to soil functions, processes and properties.
• Tools for policy makers such as risk maps.

Contacts

Mr. Willie Towers, Macaulay Institute.