Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
space mainly due to the scattered distribution of soil types. On average a Seamzone
consists of 162 individual areas.
A representative and complete soil profile, and not only a topsoil organic carbon
class, is attached to a Seamzone. A representative soil profile is selected using the
ESDB dataset, which means the STU that is most present in the Seamzone and that
has at the same time the most dominant combination of the soil variables topsoil
texture and rooting depth. On average the soil information from a STU is used to
describe 4.2 Seamzones. However, this distribution is uneven as 50% of the STUs
is used to describe one to two Seamzones.
All selected soil profiles per Seamzone do not reflect the heterogeneity of soils
across Europe. This originates from the fact that the original data of the ESDB do
not fully describe the heterogeneity of the soils (categorical data, level of detail).
Furthermore, the selection of dominating soils further homogenize the picture of
soils across Europe. This is in contrast with the OCTOP data (soil types) in the AEnZ
which show a more detailed/fragmented pattern due to the higher spatial detail and
character of the soil variable (dependent among other things on land cover).
Applications
The sample regions, which is a NUTS2 region, are selected by stratified sampling to
represent the heterogeneity of farming systems, climate and soil conditions across
EU25. The AEnZ provides a very important element of the spatial framework for
the selection of sample regions within SEAMLESS.
The allocated farm type information in combination with the spatial framework
of the AEnZ facilitate the modelling within SEAMLESS. Besides the modelling of
environmental effects of changes in agriculture, it is a basis for linking different
models at different levels of detail and/or domains.
References
Andersen, E., Baldock, D., Bennett, H., Beaufoy, G., Bignal, E., Brouwer, F., Elbersen, B., Eiden,
G., Godeschalk, F., Jones, G., McCracken, D., Nieuwenhuizen, W., van Eupen, M., Hennekens,
S., & Zervas, G. (2003).
Developing a high nature value farming area indicator
. Internal
report for the European Environment Agency.
Anger, M., Malcharek, A., & Kuhbach, W. (2002). An evaluation of the fodder values of
extensively utilised grasslands in upland areas of Western Germany. I. Botanical composition
of the sward and DM yield.
Journal of Applied Ecology, 76
(1-2), 41-46.
Baldock, D., Beaufoy, G., Brouwer, F., & Godeschalk, F. (1996).
Farming at the margins;
abandonment or redeployment of agricultural land in Europe
. London/The Hague: Institute for
European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI).
