An analysis of the extent and severity of soil degradation in Wales
Read the full reportThe report highlights critical knowledge gaps in Welsh soil health, particularly in understanding the impacts of climate change on water balance, soil organic matter, and biodiversity. It calls for in-depth analysis of carbon changes across soil types, detailed monitoring of microbial communities, and improved erosion prediction models. The report also stresses the need for focused assessments of soil structural degradation and the impacts of land development, with recommendations for systematic data collection and targeted research to safeguard Wales's valuable soil resources.
The report identifies several key knowledge gaps and recommendations across various aspects of soil health in Wales, focusing on climate change, organic matter, biodiversity, erosion, compaction, and development impacts:
- Further investigation is needed into the seasonal shifts in water balance and saturation periods, especially in areas with slowly permeable soils, to better understand surface water flood risks and the potential shifts in Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) grades due to climate-induced summer droughts.
- Analysis of topsoil monitoring data is essential to understand carbon changes by soil type and land use, with a particular focus on the entire soil profile’s carbon stock and differences between improved and unimproved grasslands. Defining critical thresholds for soil organic matter loss regionally and by soil type is also crucial.
- Building on initial surveys, there’s a need to further characterise microbial communities across key soil types and habitats, with continued monitoring to track biodiversity changes over time, especially in areas undergoing land use changes.
- Understanding the severity and spatial extent of soil erosion by various forces in Wales is necessary, requiring field validation of model estimates and improved erosion prediction models for local scale predictions.
- Focused assessment of soil structural degradation in Welsh arable and grassland soils is required, along with a review of forestry compaction mitigation measures and a deeper understanding of soil resilience to compaction across different soil and land use types.
- Systematic collection of data on soil loss due to development is needed at the national level, alongside assessments of the loss of high-grade agricultural land and soils supporting significant habitats.
Recommendations for policy implementation
These points highlight the need for targeted research, monitoring, and management strategies to address the identified gaps in understanding soil health and its responses to various pressures in Wales.
Read the full report
An analysis of the extent and severity of soil degradation in Wales