1 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 A Part of the European Soil portal - A step towards harmonization of Soil Information in Europe Panos Panagos, Luca Montanarella, Marc Van Liedekerke Alpine Soil Information System

2 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 INSPIRE Principle: Accessing, exchanging and delivering spatial data INSPIRE PRINCIPLES HOW WE IMPLEMENT THEM Spatial data should be stored, made available and maintained at the most appropriate level (avoid duplicates). Central EU Access: for Pan- European data relevant for European Policies (framework directives) It must be possible to combine spatial data from different sources across the EU seamlessly and share them between several users and applications. Common WRB classification, common projection system (LAEA/ETRS89), harmonization of SMU limits with agreed base map (EuroGeographics) It must be possible for spatial data collected at one level of public authority to be shared between all levels of public authorities. Bottom-up approach and GRID approach to allow national/regional/local levels to update higher levels by generalization Spatial data needed for good governance should be available under conditions that do not restrict their extensive use. Access to environmental data of interest to citizen (Public Sector Information Directive) through easy download respecting ownership and property rights It should be easy to discover available spatial data, evaluate their fitness for purpose and know the conditions applicable to their use. Metadata about data (ISO 19115) Query tools as the ones available in EU GEO Portal Intends to trigger the creation of a European spatial information infrastructure that delivers to the users integrated spatial information services

3 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Data The European Soil Data Base v2 Raster Archive European Soil Database Documents European Soil Bureau Research Reports-Other Research Reports &Papers European Soil Data Base Map Archive Applications SOMIS (SOil Map Internet Server): Standalone web-based application Map Viewer: Web Mapping Service (WMS) application (OGC compliant) European Soils by theme Soil Erosion Projects Development of a prototype for the update of European soil data (INSPIRE) Events (Conferences, Workshops, Meetings, Summer School) * Mailing list: In order to keep interested persons up to date. Soils Portal: The contribution of the S&W Unit to the building of a thematic spatial data infrastructure on soils

4 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/ k x 10k rasters derived from the 1:1,000,000 ESDB data Free public access to these degraded but usable data (models) Raster data files for 73 attributes: Soil Database Attributes Pedotransfer Database Attributes In 2 co-ordinate systems: GISCO Lambert Azimuth co-ordinate system LAEA_ERTS INSPIRE Reference Grid: Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Initial point for the development of a prototype system for updating data 10x10 Km Grid inherit the most frequent value among the 100 pixel of 1x1 Km Data (1): Raster Archive

5 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Data (2):Distribution of Soil Database Soil Database (distribution version 1) will be available on CD-ROM through the OPOCE (by the end of 2004) Distribution consists of 4 components Soil Geographical Database of Europe Pedotransfer Rules database Soil Profile Analytical database Database of Hydraulic properties Distribution version 2 is under construction Full Database documentation will be available in the Soil Portal: Metadata Database Dictionaries Attributes coding Only the Raw data will not be distributed

6 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 A repository for European Soil Bureau Network Research Reports (19 reports) A common place for other research reports and papers (11 reports) Multilingual versions of Reports (Example: Manual of Procedures Version 1.1) Documents(1): Research Reports - Papers

7 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Collection of maps representing all attributes: Soil Database Attributes Pedotransfer Database Attributes PDF format (A3), sizes typically between 1 and 2 MB Dominant value Maps For each theme, 3 maps available : Thematic Purity: is an indicator of the quality of a thematic map Confident:an indicator of the quality of an attribute value (provided by the contributor) Documents(2): Map Archive Example map : volume of stones

8 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Simple Map operations: Zooming, panning, querying, layering User can view and inspect soil data but cannot download User friendly application – No need for specific S/W(only web browser) Fully documented (Contents of European Soil Database CD-ROM) 2 Map applications : multiple soil related layers (Grouped in 3 categories) single WRB soil layer Built with free web mapping software – Open Source (Minnesota MapServer) Applications (1): SOMIS (SOil Map Internet Server) Standalone web-based application for the navigation of soil related maps

9 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Applications(2) SOMIS:

10 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Applications(3): Map Viewer Web Mapping Service (WMS) application (OGC compliant) Runs as a server to serve maps to WMS clients (e.g. INSPIRE Map Viewer) Combine layers of maps located in different Map servers all around the World Regions Map Soils Map user

11 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 INSPIRE Map Viewer: Integrates maps residing on multiple spatial servers Applications(4): Map Viewer

12 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 European Soils by theme: Soil Erosion Place to make available information about Soil themes CD-ROM: Nature & Extent of Soil Erosion in Europe (PESERA project) Pan European Soil Erosion estimates (t/ha/yr) data (from PESERA project) More data will be available in this section (Organic Carbon)

13 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Projects(1): Development of Prototype European 10k x 10k raster derived from the 1:1,000,000 ESDB data Question: How those grids can be updated? A proposed 1 st step(methodology): Regional data providers would send data in raster format (participatory approach) to JRC JRC would then integrate the regional data in updated European rasters. Is it according to INSPIRE principles? Example: WRB_LV1 Soil reference group code (WRB)

14 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/ k x 10k raster derived from the Italian Eco- pedological map (scale 1: ) Data are more accurate and detailed The 1k x 1k raster Grid is even more accurate(the images can be compared) JRC identifies Regions in Europe where this prototype can be developed! Example: RIF_S1 Soil reference group code(WRB)? Projects(2): Development of Prototype

15 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 ALPINE CONVENTION France Switzerland Germany Italy Liechtenstein Austria Slovenia European Communities Soil protection is one of the main issues that has been put forward by the Alpine Convention (signed also a Soil Protection Protocol in 1998) The Soil Protection Protocol of the Alpine Convention promotes cooperation among member states, particularly in setting up soil databases

16 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 ECALP Project EC opedological map of ALPs Create a useful network among regional and national institutions which own and manage soil data Exchange of knowledge and experience among different regions, different countries Achieve the setting up and updating of a shared soil database for the Alps Use of participatory approach, according to the principles of the INSPIRE Exchange of harmonised soil information Develop common procedures to allow data exchange, updating and evaluation for some application purposes Give an overview of available information on alpine soils

17 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 ECALP Project ( Activities) Choice of pilot areas, one for each partner, within the territory of the Alpine Convention, according to their relevance with respect to soil related issues AUSTRIA ITALY (Regions: Lombardia, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Veneto, Piemonte) FRANCE (Region: Rhône-Alpes) SLOVENIA SWITZERLAND Definition of a common format for data exchange Testing of the exchange format in sample areas Filling in the exchange format and updating Working out a first draft of Ecopedological Map of the Alps by means of available harmonised data (European Soil Database at scale 1: , Ecopedological Map of Italy 1: scale). State of the art of the project and related documents are available at the net (

18 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 SPATIAL DATA FORMAT Elementary mapping units: pixel format Standard European reference grid is used, according to INSPIRE principles All rasters should be produced according to to the nested grid system proposed for the European reference Grid (1k, 10k, 100k…) Co-ordinate system (ETRS_LAEA) Integrated with other environmental and territorial information Pixel size has been set to 1 km for pilot areas and 10 km for the entire alpine territory Use of unique labelling of grid cells The data values provided by the Italian raster should match classes/instructions imposed by the European level How often the data will be updated?

19 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Regular Grids VS Soil Maps Disadvantages of polygon approach: Higher Complexity of description Many data requirements Harmonization is needed Different semantic definitions Resource Consuming Advantages of pixel approach.Pixel can: easy to be filled and updated useful to support a multi-scale approach (bottom-up) suitable to represent output data for environmental reporting (policy relevant information, indicators) easy to be integrated with other environmental indicators on different layers. 1 km grid 10 km grid

20 SOMIS: Schruns 11/10/2004 Exchange Format Grid based format has been designed for the exchange of alpine region soil data between project partners Each participating area has been assigned a number of pixels from the reference grids in the following Format: CODEDESCRIPTIONTYPESIZEEXAMPRASTER NAME PX-IDPixel identification number (INSPIRE)Character string84525_ AGRI-USE Code for presence/absence of agricultural useInteger number10 AGLIM1Code for dominant limitation to agricultural useInteger number2 AGLIM1 AGLIM2Code for secondary limitation to agriculturalInteger number22AGLIM2 ILDepth class of a presence of an impermeableInteger number12IL ROO Depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU Integer number11ROO TEXT-SUB- DOM Dominant subsoil textural class of the STUInteger number12TXSUBDO TEXT-SUB- SEC Secondary subsoil textural class of the STUInteger number11TXSUBSE WM1Code for normal presence and purposeInteger number11WM1 WM2Code for the type of an existing waterInteger number21WM2 WRDominant annual average soil water regime clInteger number11WR WRB-ADJ1First soil adjective code of the STU (WRB)Character string2dyWRBADJ1 WRB-ADJ2Second soil adjective code of the STU (WRB)Character string2skWRBADJ2 WRB-LEV1Soil Reference Group code of the STU (WRB)sCharacter string2CMWRBLV1 WRB-FULLFull soil code of the STU from the World WRB)Character string6 CMskd y WRBFU