Imperial College London
Alternate

Professor Nick Voulvoulis

Faculty of Natural Sciences, Centre for Environmental Policy

Professor of Environmental Technology
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 7459n.voulvoulis Website

 
 
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Location

 

103Weeks BuildingSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Bone:2010:10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.010,
author = {Bone, J and Head, M and Barraclough, D and Archer, M and Scheib, C and Flight, D and Voulvoulis, N},
doi = {10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.010},
journal = {Environment International},
pages = {609--622},
title = {Soil quality assessment under emerging regulatory requirements.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.010},
volume = {36},
year = {2010}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - New and emerging policies that aim to set standards for protection and sustainable use of soil are likely to require identification of geographical risk/priority areas. Soil degradation can be seen as the change or disturbance in soil quality and it is therefore crucial that soil and soil quality are well understood to protect soils and to meet legislative requirements. To increase this understanding a review of the soil quality definition evaluated its development, with a formal scientific approach to assessment beginning in the 1970s, followed by a period of discussion and refinement. A number of reservations about soil quality assessment expressed in the literature are summarised. Taking concerns into account, a definition of soil quality incorporating soil's ability to meet multifunctional requirements, to provide ecosystem services, and the potential for soils to affect other environmental media is described. Assessment using this definition requires a large number of soil function dependent indicators that can be expensive, laborious, prone to error, and problematic in comparison. Findings demonstrate the need for a method that is not function dependent, but uses a number of cross-functional indicators instead. This method to systematically prioritise areas where detailed investigation is required, using a ranking based against a desired level of action, could be relatively quick, easy and cost effective. As such this has potential to fill in gaps and compliment existing monitoring programs and assist in development and implementation of current and future soil protection legislation.
AU  - Bone,J
AU  - Head,M
AU  - Barraclough,D
AU  - Archer,M
AU  - Scheib,C
AU  - Flight,D
AU  - Voulvoulis,N
DO  - 10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.010
EP  - 622
PY  - 2010///
SN  - 0160-4120
SP  - 609
TI  - Soil quality assessment under emerging regulatory requirements.
T2  - Environment International
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.010
UR  - http://www.elsevier.com/locate/envint
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/6190
VL  - 36
ER  -
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