Annex II · Soil Monitoring Law

Contents

Part A: methodology for determining the number and location of sampling points and for the sampling survey
Part B: methodology for determining or estimating the values of soil descriptors
Part C: minimum methodological criteria for determining the values of the soil sealing and soil removal indicators

Activity | Minimum criteria for methodology1.Determination of sampling points (sampling survey) for soil health assessment | The sampling survey shall be designed from a complete sample frame containing the best available information on the distribution of soil properties, such as information resulting from relevant measurements pursuant to Article 9(3) and (4)The sampling scheme shall be a stratified random sampling optimised on the best available information on the variability of soil descriptors, and the stratification shall be based on the soil units established in accordance with Article 4(2). Sampling points related to measurements referred to in Article 9(4) may be taken into account partly or completely in the sampling scheme, regardless of their designThe number and location of the sampling points shall represent the variability of the chosen soil descriptors within the soil units, with a maximum error percentage (or coefficient of variation) of 5 %The allocation and size of the sample shall be determined by applying appropriate procedures (e.g. the Bethel algorithm – Bethel, 1989) which are able to account for the required maximum estimation errorThe sampling survey designed by the Member States for each monitoring cycle may change or remain the sameFurther details on determining the number and location of sampling points are to be provided pursuant to Article 24(1), point (a)2.Field sampling survey | Exact sampling locations shall be sampled unless duly justified circumstances, such as soil saturated with water or a high level of rock content, prevent the sampling of the locationsWhen soil composite samples are taken, they shall be a mixture of at least 5 subsamplesWhen sampling soil in non-forested areas, residues and organic debris shall be removed from the surfaceWhen sampling soil in forested areas, the forest floor, if relevant subdivided into litter and organic layers, shall be sampled separately and the thickness and weight shall be recordedSamples or subsamples for the composite sample shall, where possible, be taken to a depth of at least 30 cm of soil. Information such as soil type and if possible genetic soil horizons shall be recorded. Subsamples shall be mixed together in order to get a homogeneous composite sample. Sampling may be done by fixed depth or by horizon, but data shall be reported by fixed depthBulk density samples shall be undisturbed samples taken at the relevant depth, including below 30 cm for subsoil. Samples related to soil compaction (saturated hydraulic conductivity and air capacity) may be the same undisturbed samples as those taken for bulk density. Where high content of coarse fragments in soil prevents sample taking, sampling may be excluded in that location for measuring bulk densityFurther details on the field sampling survey are to be provided pursuant to Article 24(1), point (a), including on how to handle specific situations such as shallow soils and different sampling depths

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Defined terms · 33

Show every defined term

contaminant
means a substance liable to cause soil contamination or contamination of bedrock or parent material;
contaminated site
means a delineated area with confirmed soil contamination or contamination of bedrock or parent material caused by anthropogenic point-source activities;
de-sealing
means the conversion of sealed soil into soil that is not sealed soil;
ecosystem
means a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment, interacting as a functional unit;
ecosystem services
means the direct or indirect contributions of ecosystems to the environmental, economic, social, cultural and other benefits that people derive from those ecosystems;
land
means the surface of the Earth that is not regularly covered by water bodies;
land cover
means the physical and biological cover of the surface of the Earth;
managed soils
means soils where soil management practices are carried out.
mineral soils
means mineral soils within the meaning of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories;
natural land
means an area of land on which the natural processes are dominant and human intervention is minimal or non-existent, and on which the primary ecological functions and species composition have not been substantially modified;
net sealing
means the result of soil sealing minus de-sealing;
organic soils
means organic soils within the meaning of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories;
potentially contaminated site
means a delineated area where soil contamination or contamination of bedrock or parent material caused by anthropogenic point-source activities is suspected based on relevant evidence;
public concerned
means the public affected or likely to be affected by soil degradation, or having an interest in the decision-making procedures related to the implementation of the obligations under this Directive, including landowners, land managers and land users, as well as non-governmental organisations promoting the protection of human health or the environment and meeting any requirements under national law;
risk
means the likelihood of harmful effects to human health or the environment resulting from exposure to soil contamination or to contamination of bedrock or parent material;
sealed soil
means an area of soil that underwent soil sealing;
settlement area
means a settlement area within the meaning of the 2006 Guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories;
soil
means the top layer of the Earth’s crust, situated between the bedrock or the parent material and the land surface, and which is composed of mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and living organisms;
soil biodiversity
means the variation in soil life, from genes to communities of organisms, and the ecological complexes of which they are part, that is complexes ranging from soil micro-habitats to landscapes;
soil contamination
means the presence of a substance in soil at a level that may be, directly or indirectly, harmful to human health or the environment;
soil descriptor
means a parameter describing a physical, chemical or biological characteristic of soil health;
soil district
means a part of the territory of a Member State, which has been delineated by that Member State in accordance with this Directive;
soil health
means the physical, chemical and biological condition of soil, determining its capacity to function as a vital living system and to provide ecosystem services;
soil health assessment
means the evaluation of the health of soil based on the measurement or estimation of the values of soil descriptors;
soil investigation
means a process that can be performed in multiple and iterative phases to assess the presence and levels of contaminants in soil, bedrock or parent material and, if relevant, to characterise and determine the extent of a contaminated site;
soil management practices
means practices that impact the physical, chemical or biological properties of soil;
soil regeneration
means an intentional activity aimed at changing the condition of soil from degraded to healthy;
soil remediation
means a set of actions that reduce, isolate or immobilise contaminants in soil, bedrock or parent material;
soil removal
means the temporary or long-term total or partial removal of soil in an area;
soil resilience
means the ability of soil to preserve its functions and maintain its capacity to provide ecosystem services, and to withstand and recover from disturbances;
soil sealing
means the covering of soil with completely or partially impermeable material;
soil unit
means a spatially discrete area within a soil district resulting from the intersection of sets of spatial data used as factors for statistical homogeneity within that soil district;
transfer function
means a mathematical rule that enables the value of a measurement performed using a methodology different from a reference methodology to be converted into the value that would be obtained by performing the soil measurement using the reference methodology;