Soil quality and sustainability evaluation : an integrated approach to support soil-related policies in the European Union: a JRC position paper

This report presents an integrated approach of soil quality and sustainability evaluation. Interactions of the soil and land use systems are summarized from the perspective of the implication of soil related policies in the European Union. The approach introduced in this report has been design in support of the EU Thematic Strategy for soil Protection, aiming soil quality preservation by sustainable soil-use practices. Following the methodology explained in this report, soil quality evaluation and sustainability analysis of soil-use systems can be performed for any function and degradation threat. A case study of one function (biomass production) and two major threats (erosion, decline of organic matter) has been presented.