Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Topsoil Organic Carbon Map of Europe

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Soil Carbon

Part of the book series: Progress in Soil Science ((PROSOIL))

Abstract

In 2009, within the framework of the European Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey (LUCAS), a soil sampling campaign was implemented in 25 countries. About 22,000 composite topsoil samples were collected following a standardized sampling methodology and analysed in one laboratory. In this study, we present the first map of topsoil organic carbon (OC) content estimates for part of the European Union based on that comprehensive sampling programme. A digital soil mapping (DSM) by regression kriging (RK) approach was followed, and the covariates selected by the model were: land cover, elevation and slope, accumulated annual average temperature and the precipitation over potential evapotranspiration ratio, lithology, net primary productivity, and sand content. The results show high OC contents in northern latitudes and low contents in southern European countries which corroborates current expert knowledge. The overall model-fitting performance (R2) is 0.52 and the root mean squared error of the RK predictions equals 77 g C kg−1. Kriging of the regression residuals create hot-spots of OC content predictions on the map which are not believed to be realistic. It was concluded that different DSM techniques should be tested on the OC measurements data from the LUCAS database to try and improve the predictions and that validation against national datasets should be performed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Akaike H (1974) A new look at the statistical model identification. IEEE Trans Autom Control 19:716–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arrouays D, Deslais W, Badeau V (2001) The carbon content of topsoil and its geographical distribution in France. Soil Use Manag 17:7–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asch K (2003) The 1:5 million international geological map of Europe and adjacent areas: development and implementation of a GIS-enabled concept. E. Schweizerbart, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Baritz R, Zirlewagen D, Jones R, Arrouays D, Hiederer R, Schrumpf M, Riek W (2011) Carbon in European soils. In: Jandal R, Rodeghiero M, Olsson M (eds) Soil carbon in sensitive European ecosystems. Wiley, Chichester, UK, pp 49–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Batjes NH (1996) Total carbon and nitrogen in the soils of the world. Eur J Soil Sci 47:151–163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bui E, Henderson B, Viergever K (2009) Using knowledge discovery with data mining from the Australian Soil Resource Information System database to inform soil carbon mapping in Australia. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 23:GB4033

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen F, Kissel DE, West LT, Adkins W, Rickman D, Luvall JC (2008) Mapping soil organic carbon concentrations for multiple fields with image similarity analysis. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:186–193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheshire MV, Dumat C, Fraser AR, Hillier S, Staunton S (2000) The interaction between soil organic matter and soil clay minerals by selective removal and controlled addition of organic matter. Eur J Soil Sci 51:497–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA, Janssens IA (2006) Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change. Nature 440:165–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EEA – European Environment Agency (2012) EIONET: Corine Land Cover 2006. Available at http://sia.eionet.europa.eu/CLC2006. Verified 23 Jan 2013

  • European Commission (2006) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the protection of soil and amending Directive 2004/35/EC (No. COM(2006) 232 final). European Commission, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • Garten CTJ, Hanson PJ (2006) Measured forest soil C stocks and estimated turnover times along an elevation gradient. Geoderma 136:342–352

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grimm R, Behrens T, Märker M, Elsenbeer H (2008) Soil organic carbon concentrations and stocks on Barro Colorado Island – digital soil mapping using Random Forests analysis. Geoderma 146:102–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hastie T, Tibshirani R, Friedman J (2009) The elements of statistical learning: data mining, inference, and prediction, 2nd edn, Springer series in statistics. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Howard PJA, Loveland PJ, Bradley RI, Dry FT, Howard DM, Howard DC (1995) The carbon content of soil and its geographical distribution in Great Britain. Soil Use Manag 11:9–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones RJA, Hiederer R, Rusco E, Montanarella L (2005) Estimating organic carbon in the soils of Europe for policy support. Eur J Soil Sci 56:655–671

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkby MJ, Irvine BJ, Jones RJA, Govers G, Team P (2008) The PESERA coarse scale erosion model for Europe. I. – model rationale and implementation. Eur J Soil Sci 59:1293–1306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lagacherie P, McBratney AB (2007) Chapter 1 spatial soil information systems and spatial soil inference systems: perspectives for digital soil mapping. In: Lagacherie P, McBratney AB, Voltz M (eds) Digital soil mapping an introductory perspective. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp 3–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Lettens S, Van Orshoven J, Van Wesemael B, Muys B (2004) Soil organic and inorganic carbon contents of landscape units in Belgium derived using data from 1950 to 1970. Soil Use Manag 20:40–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Q, Yue T, Wang C, Zhang W, Yu Y, Li B, Yang J, Bai G (2013) Spatially distributed modeling of soil organic matter across China: an application of artificial neural network approach. Catena 104:210–218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lützow MV, Kögel-Knabner I, Ekschmitt K, Matzner E, Guggenberger G, Marschner B, Flessa H (2006) Stabilization of organic matter in temperate soils: mechanisms and their relevance under different soil conditions – a review. Eur J Soil Sci 57:426–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin MP, Wattenbach M, Smith P, Meersmans J, Jolivet C, Boulonne L, Arrouays D (2011) Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon stocks in France. Biogeosciences 8:1053–1065

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matheron G (1969) Le krigage universel. Volume 1. Cahiers du Centre de Morphologie Mathématique. Ecoles des Mines de Paris, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Meersmans J, Van Wesemael B, Goidts E, Van Molle M, De Baets S, De Ridder F (2011) Spatial analysis of soil organic carbon evolution in Belgian croplands and grasslands, 1960–2006. Glob Change Biol 17:466–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minasny B, McBratney AB, Malone BP, Wheeler I (2013) Chapter one – digital mapping of soil carbon. In: Sparks DL (ed) Advances in agronomy. Academic, Burlington, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp 1–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Montanarella L, Tóth G, Jones A (2011) Soil components in the 2009 LUCAS survey. In: Tóth G, Németh T (eds) Land quality and land use information – in the European Union. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, pp 209–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Oades JM (1988) The retention of organic matter in soils. Biogeochemistry 5:35–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Post WM, Emanuel WR, Zinke PJ, Stangenberger AG (1982) Soil carbon pools and world life zones. Nature 298:156–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raich JW, Schlesinger WH (1992) The global carbon dioxide flux in soil respiration and its relationship to vegetation and climate. Tellus B 44:81–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rawlins BG, Marchant BP, Smyth D, Scheib C, Lark RM, Jordan C (2009) Airborne radiometric survey data and a DTM as covariates for regional scale mapping of soil organic carbon across Northern Ireland. Eur J Soil Sci 60:44–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Running SW, Nemani R, Glassy JM, Thornton PE (1999) MODIS daily photosynthesis (PSN) and annual net primary production (NPP) product (MOD17) Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez PA, Ahamed S, Carré F, Hartemink AE, Hempel J, Huising J et al (2009) Digital soil map of the world. Science 325:680–681

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vågen T-G, Winowiecki LA, Abegaz A, Hadgu KM (2013) Landsat-based approaches for mapping of land degradation prevalence and soil functional properties in Ethiopia. Remote Sens Environ 134:266–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasques GM, Grunwald S, Comerford NB, Sickman JO (2010) Regional modelling of soil carbon at multiple depths within a subtropical watershed. Geoderma 156:326–336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, via E. Fermi 2749, 21027, Ispra, VA, Italy

    Delphine de Brogniez, Cristiano Ballabio & Luca Montanarella

  2. Georges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Delphine de Brogniez, Bas van Wesemael & Antoine Stevens

  3. National Soil Resource Institute (NSRI), Department of Natural Resources, School of Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, Building 53, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK

    Robert J. A. Jones

Authors
  1. Delphine de Brogniez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cristiano Ballabio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bas van Wesemael
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert J. A. Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Antoine Stevens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Luca Montanarella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Delphine de Brogniez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Alfred E. Hartemink

  2. Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Kevin McSweeney

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

de Brogniez, D., Ballabio, C., van Wesemael, B., Jones, R.J.A., Stevens, A., Montanarella, L. (2014). Topsoil Organic Carbon Map of Europe. In: Hartemink, A., McSweeney, K. (eds) Soil Carbon. Progress in Soil Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04084-4_39

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation