Eckelmann, W., R. Baritz, S. Bialousz, P. Bielek, F. Carrι, B. Houskovα, R. J. A. Jones, 
M. Kibblewhite, J. Kozak, C. Le Bas, G. Tσth, T. Tσth, Gy. Vαrallyay, M. Yli Halla, and 
M. Zupan. 2006. Common criteria for risk area identification according to soil threats. 
EUR 22185 EN. European Communities. European Soil Bureau. Research Report 20.


The report presents an overview of common criteria and approaches to identify risk areas 
for the threats Soil Organic Matter (SOM) Decline, Soil Erosion, Soil Compaction, 
Salinization and Landslides. Soil inventory experts within the European Soil Bureau 
Network, joined the Soil Information Working Group (SIWG) to provide scientific and 
technical support to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC Ispra) for the 
identification of areas at risk from these threats. For each threat, definitions, methods 
of inventory and data requirements are provided. Most of the criteria and approaches 
presented are put forward for open debate to aid national decision-making and to 
establish what is regionally valid depending on data availability. This report should 
provide a basis for cross-border comparisons and be a catalyst for the development of 
more detailed definitions and procedures for elaboration and testing of risk area 
delineation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................I
LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................................................. VI
LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................ VI
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................1
I. Background........................................................................................................................................... 1
II. Soil Organic Matter decline................................................................................................................... 1
III. Erosion .................................................................................................................................................. 2
IV. Compaction ........................................................................................................................................... 3
V. Salinisation............................................................................................................................................ 3
VI. Landslides............................................................................................................................................. 4
I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................5
1. Terms of Reference for the SIWG......................................................................................................... 5
2. Risk Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 6
3. Methodological aspects in risk area identification ............................................................................. 6
3.1 Approaches to the identification of soil area at risk ............................................................................ 6
3.2 Method and quality hierarchy – “Tiers”............................................................................................... 7
3.3 Structure of the subgroup reports....................................................................................................... 8
3.4 Bibliography Chapter I........................................................................................................................ 9
II. SOIL ORGANIC MATTER (SOM) DECLINE ..............................................................11
1. Definition of threat.............................................................................................................................. 12
1.1 Concept........................................................................................................................................... 12
1.2 Practical Conventions ...................................................................................................................... 12
2. Identification of factors related to the threat SOM Decline .............................................................. 13
3. Characterization of the receptor soil.................................................................................................. 14
4. Decision on performance specification / selection of model / validation of results...................... 14
4.1. Qualitative approach ........................................................................................................................ 14
4.2 Quantitative approach ...................................................................................................................... 15
4.3 Model approach ............................................................................................................................... 16
4.4 Spatial and temporal resolution of model input and monitoring data................................................ 18
4.5 Conclusions..................................................................................................................................... 18
5. Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 19
5.1 Criteria for risk area selection/Threat SOM Decline ......................................................................... 19
5.2 Risk categories................................................................................................................................ 20
6. Bibliography Chapter II ....................................................................................................................... 20
III. SOIL EROSION ...........................................................................................................23
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 24
2. Definition of Soil Erosion.................................................................................................................... 24
3. Factors (or Hazards) related to the threat of soil erosion ................................................................ 25
4. Characterisation of the receptor ........................................................................................................ 25
5. Model selection, input data and performance specification............................................................ 26
6. Identification of areas at risk of erosion ............................................................................................ 27
7. Validation of model results ................................................................................................................. 28
8. Common criteria for identification of areas at risk ........................................................................... 29
9. Proposed approach ............................................................................................................................. 29
10. Future opportunities........................................................................................................................... 29
11. Bibliography Chapter III ...................................................................................................................... 30
12. Annex I: Definitions of the Threats: Erosion..................................................................................... 33
IV. SOIL COMPACTION ...................................................................................................35
1. Definition of threat.............................................................................................................................. 36
2. Risk assessment of soil degradation by compaction....................................................................... 36
3. Identification of factors related to soil compaction.......................................................................... 36
4. Characterisation of sensitivity of soil to compaction....................................................................... 38
5. Exposure assessment ......................................................................................................................... 39
6. Risk assessment at Member State level: common criteria .............................................................. 39
6.1 Stress characterisation.................................................................................................................... 39
6.2 Soil sensitivity.................................................................................................................................. 40
6.3 Period of critical soil wetness ........................................................................................................... 40

7. Updating of the risk assessment: .......................................................................................................41
8. Validation of results .............................................................................................................................41
9. Bibliography Chapter IV.......................................................................................................................41
9.1 Additional references not quoted here ..............................................................................................42
V. SALINISATION/SODIFICATION................................................................................. 43
1. Definition of threat salinisation/sodification......................................................................................44
1.1 Definitions ........................................................................................................................................44
1.2 Risk elements ..................................................................................................................................44
2. Identification of factors/ hazards related to threat of salinisation / sodification ............................45
3. Characterization of ‘receptor’ (soil) ....................................................................................................45
4. Decision on performance specification/ selection of model/ input data (availability) and data
quality requirements ............................................................................................................................46
4.1. Spatial resolution of salinisation/sodification risk assessment ..........................................................46
4.2 Temporal resolution of salinisation/sodification risk assessment ......................................................47
5. Definition of common criteria for risk area identification .................................................................47
6. Grading and presentation...................................................................................................................47
7 Bibliography Chapter V........................................................................................................................49
VI. LANDSLIDES.............................................................................................................. 51
1. Basic Terminology ...............................................................................................................................52
2. Common Driving Factors.....................................................................................................................52
3. Characterisation of receptor (soil)......................................................................................................53
4. Performance specification; selection of model input data and data quality requirements ...........53
4.1 Tier II Approach ...............................................................................................................................53
4.2 Tier I Approach ................................................................................................................................53
5. Definition of common criteria for risk area identification .................................................................54
6. General comments on Technical Annex of the draft Soil Framework Directive related to
Landslides............................................................................................................................................54
7. Bibliography Chapter VI.......................................................................................................................54
APPENDIX I: DEFINITIONS AND TERMS IN RISK ASSESSMENT............................ 55
1 Hazard ..................................................................................................................................................55
2 Risk.......................................................................................................................................................55
3 Risk Assessment.................................................................................................................................55
3.1 Hazard Identification .........................................................................................................................55
3.2 Hazard Characterization ...................................................................................................................55
3.3 Exposure Assessment ......................................................................................................................55
3.4 Risk Characterization.......................................................................................................................56
4. Bibliography Appendix I ......................................................................................................................56
APPENDIX II: SUMMARY TABLE: COMMON CRITERIA ........................................... 57
SOM Decline ...............................................................................................................................................57
Erosion........................................................................................................................................................57
Compaction ................................................................................................................................................58
Salinisation/Sodification............................................................................................................................58
Landslides ..................................................................................................................................................59
APPENDIX III: AUXILIARY DATA FOR RISK AREA ASSESSMENT IN SOIL
PROTECTION ............................................................................................................. 61
1. European Soil Geographical Data Base 1:1,000,000 .........................................................................61
2. Regional Soil Data Base 1:250,000 .....................................................................................................62
Bibliography Sections 1 and 2................................................................................................................63
3. Digital Terrain Elevation Data..............................................................................................................64
3.1 DTED data.......................................................................................................................................64
3.3 SRTM/DEM applications.................................................................................................................66
3.4 Other radar images.........................................................................................................................66
3.5 GTOPO30........................................................................................................................................67
Bibliography Section 3............................................................................................................................67
4. Land Cover Data Bases .......................................................................................................................68
4.1 CORINE Land Cover (CLC 90) .......................................................................................................68
4.2 CORINE Land Cover 2000 (CLC2000) ...........................................................................................68
4.3 Image 2000 & CORINE Land Cover 2000 Project .........................................................................69
4.4 PELCOM land cover .......................................................................................................................70
4.5 Land Use/Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) .............................................................................72
Bibliography Section 4............................................................................................................................73
5. Topographical Database......................................................................................................................74
5.1 VMap databases.............................................................................................................................74

5.2 GISCO reference database............................................................................................................ 76
Bibliography Section 5 ........................................................................................................................... 76
6. Statistical Data on Land use ............................................................................................................... 77
6.1 EUROSTATS NUTS REGIONS........................................................................................................... 77
6.2 FARM STRUCTURE SURVEY (FSS) ....................................................................................................... 77
6.4 Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN).................................................................................... 79
Bibliography Section 6 ........................................................................................................................... 79
7. Climatic Data ....................................................................................................................................... 80
7.1 MARS Meteorological data ............................................................................................................ 80
7.2 Tyndall East Anglia climatic data ................................................................................................. 81
Bibliography Section 7 ........................................................................................................................... 81
8. Parent Material/Geology...................................................................................................................... 82
8.1 Parent material associations in the Map of European Soil Regions 1:5,000,000 ..................... 82
8.2 IGME 5000 (Geology 1:5,000,000) ................................................................................................. 83
8.3 IHME 1500 (Hydro-Geology 1:1,500,000) ...................................................................................... 83
Bibliography Section 8 ........................................................................................................................... 85
9. Biogeographic Regions/Climate Regions.......................................................................................... 86
9.1 EEA .............................................................................................................................................. 86
9.2 Climate areas in the Map of European Soil Regions 1:5,000,000............................................... 86
Bibliography Section 9……………………………………………………………………………………………88
10. River basins/watershed in Europe ..................................................................................................... 90
10.1 Catchment Information System …………………………………………………………………………...91
Bibliography Section 10 ......................................................................................................................... 92