Soil Profile Analytical Database of Europe

METADATA

SOIL PROFILE ANALYTICAL DATABASE OF EUROPE

v 2.1.0.0, 29/03/1999

DATA SET IDENTIFICATION

Data set title:

Soil Profile Analytical Database of Europe version 2.1.0.0, 29/03/1999.

Alternative title:

Soil Profile Database of Europe.

Alternative title:

Base de Données Analitique des Profile d'Europe version 2.1.0.0, 29/03/1999.

Alternative title:

Base de Données des Profiles d'Europe.

Abbreviated title:

SPADE.

DATA SET OVERVIEW

Abstract, Purpose of production, and Usage:

The Soil Profile Analytical Database of Europe is an integral part of the European Soil Database. It has been compiled through the collaboration of national experts of the 12 EU member countries and is currently being extended to include data from the eastern European and Scandinavian countries.

The driving force for compilation of the database was the need to model the water balance and map the available water content in the root zone for the MARS Project (Monitoring Agriculture by Remote Sensing, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy). A number of pedotransfer functions or rules for calculating or predicting other soil attributes for use in land use and management was also perceived as important for future interpretation of soil maps.

The idea to develop the Soil Profile Analytical Data Base in different stages (levels) was generally regarded as the most realistic approach. The number of soil types to be computerized would vary according to the time available and the funding provided to establish the database system. It might therefore be necessary to start with data for a few soil types and add more later. That would mean making a first approximation (Level 1) to a comprehensive soil profile database system and then later following up with a second (Level 2), third (Level 3) and even a fourth approximation (Level 4).

Based on discussions in the Soil and GIS Support Group, the MARS Project funded the establishment of a Level 1 Soil Profile Analytical Data Base that could later be extended.

The primary aim was to capture profile data which are representative of the soil types depicted on the EC Soil Map. To make the best use of the soil map for modelling purposes, a complete coverage of data are needed.

Two formats (Proformas) were designed to capture the data:

• Proforma I: for profile data that are recognised as truly representative of specific soil types but not geo-referenced to any particular locality. Preferably, these data should be obtained by measurement according to standard methods of analysis. However, to ensure a complete European data set for modelling purposes, experts were requested to provide estimates where no measured data exist for the particular soil type or where a non-standard method of analysis has been used.
• Proforma II: for measured data from specific points in the landscape where the soil has been examined and analysed. No attempt is made to harmonise the analytical methods but the methods used are specified for each parameter. These data may not be truly representative of soil types shown on the map and some data may be missing for some parameters.

The database includes analytical results for the different soil horizons as follows:

Texture (& particle size grades)Electric conductivity

Organic matter content (C, N)CEC and exchangeable bases

StructureSoil water retention

Total nitrogen contentBulk density

pH Root depth

ESP or SARGroundwater level

Calcium carbonate contentParent material

Calcium sulphate content

Basic concepts:

1. At level 1, the member states are treated as separate regions; in later stages the member states will be divided into sub-regions (i.e. level 4).
2. At level 1, typical soil profile descriptions and associated analytical data are identified for each major soil type present within each member state. The data are compiled for the dominant soil types on agricultural land only (and NOT for all the STUs identified in the SGDBE).
3. At level 2, typical soil profile descriptions and associated analytical data are identified for dominant as well as associated soil types on agricultural land (level 2 = level 1 + associated soil types).
4. At level 3, typical soil profile descriptions and associated analytical data are identified for dominant as well as associated soil types on agricultural and other land uses (level 3 = level 2 + non-agricultural land uses).
5. Level 4 allows for sub-national subdivision. At level 4 there may be more than one profile for each soil type to differentiate some soil types on other criteria such as parent material (pedo-landscapes). Level 4 = level 1 or 2 or 3 + regional sub-division.
6. Proforma I: soil profiles truly representative of soil types, preferably measured but can be estimated (as a ‘theoretical’ profile), exhaustive, harmonised, not geo-referenced, intended for spatial modelling at the 1:1,000,000 scale.
7. Proforma II: soil profiles not necessarily representative of soil types, measured data (from a ‘real’ profile), not necessarily exhaustive, not harmonised but measurement method specified, geo-referenced, intended as the first stage of compilation of a data set of measured data for all Europe.

Spatial sub-schema type:

Spatial reference system type:

No spatial positioning.

Language:

English.

Document reference:

MADSEN, H. Breuning. (1991). The principles for construction of an EC Soil database system. In: Soil Survey – a basis for European soil protection. Soil and Groundwater Report 1. J.M. Hodgson (ed.). EUR 13340 EN, 173-180. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.

MADSEN, H. Breuning and JONES, R.J.A. (1995). Soil profile analytical database for the European Union. Danish Journal of Geography, 95, 49-57.

MADSEN, H. Breuning and JONES, R.J.A. (1996). A Soil Profile Analytical Database for the European Union. In: Soil databases to support sustainable development. C. Le Bas and M. Jamagne (eds). European Soil Bureau Research Report No.2, EUR 16371 EN, 135-144. Service d’Etude des Sols et de la Carte Pedologique de France de l’INRA, Orleans (F) and the Joint Research Centre, Institute for Remote Sensing Applications, Ispra (I).

MADSEN, H. Breuning and JONES, R.J.A. (1998). Towards a European Soil Profile Analytical Database. In: Land Information Systems: Developments for planning the sustainable use of land resources. H.J. Heineke, W. Eckelmann, A.J. Thomasson, R.J.A. Jones, L. Montanarella and B. Buckley (eds). European Soil Bureau Research Report No.4, EUR 17729 EN, (1998), 43-50. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.

Sample:

No sample data set provided.

Related data sets:

Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe at Scale 1:1,000,000.

DATA SET QUALITY INDICATORS

Rationale

The quality and reliability of the information held in the European Soil Database (ver 1.0) are important considerations for users. At present it is not possible to express the accuracy or precision of the data in the various data sets according to any quantified standard procedure. The ultimate aim of the Scientific Committee of the ESB is to correct this deficiency.

In practice, the responsibility for the accuracy of the spatial and attribute data rests with the Contributor organisations. It has not been possible to make thorough internal checks on the consistency and reliability of the data. This will be done in the future as an ongoing process but the ESB Scientific Committee takes the view that it is now time to distribute the data and to request user feedback as a part of the validation process. In the long-term, this is likely to reveal more errors than a series of ‘artificial’ checks.

The current version of the soil profile analytical database comprises estimated profiles and measured profiles. It is the estimated profiles that have been selected to be representative of the STUs. The measured profiles are a first stage only in the compilation of a soil profile database of Europe in which all the profiles are geo-referenced. This data set is not large enough for the profiles to be linked to SMUs by geo-referencing in any meaningful way.

The medium-term aim is to obtain at least one representative profile for each soil typological unit (STU) – currently there are some STUs for which there are no representative profiles. Furthermore, the current linking of the estimated soil profile data to STUs needs thoroughly reviewing as many of the current links are not explicit or are simply incorrect. There is also a need for internal consistency checks on the various parameter values. For example, very acid soils (with pH<5.0) cannot have a very high base saturation (BS > 60%).

In summary, it is important for users of the soil profile data to understand the following:

1. The collection of soil profile analytical data began in 1993, before the legend for the version of the Soil Geographical Database (current at that time) had been finalised. Therefore the national experts had to use their judgement and experience in selecting the profiles that ought to be representative of their nation’s soils. There was no complete list of soil mapping units available at European level to guide the national experts at the time.
2. Since the compilation of the Soil Profile Analytical Database for the EU–12 countries began, the Soil Geographical Database has been continuously extended such that it now covers 28 countries. In this respect, the process of compiling profile data has lagged behind (and still lags behind) the extension of the geographical database.
3. The soil data in the national archives of the member states are aggregated on the basis of soil units or classes belonging to national soil classifications. In most countries, these classifications differ significantly from the FAO system (used for the EU Soil Map). This has lead to gaps in the database for some soil mapping units that are identified at European level but are not recognised or delineated at national level.
4. Financial resources were made available through the Commission for the extraction and reformatting of data from national archives. These funds were limited such that the ‘target population’ of soil data was reduced to only collated or published information that could be easily extracted. There was no opportunity to take new samples or make additional analyses.
5. The accuracy of the data and the degree to which they are representative of the STUs (and the soil mapping units - SMU) in any country, remain the sole responsibility of the national contributor. There was no opportunity within the project for further checks on the data supplied.
6. A brief survey of the data supplied for the EU-12 countries was made and this identified missing data items as well as missing profiles.
7. There are more comprehensive and fully validated profile data in many of the member states. The profile data included here must be accepted as the best soil profile data that are available at European level but used in the knowledge that, to date, no internal consistency, compatibility or range checks have been made.
8. Later versions of the European Soil Database (later than 2.1.0.0) will include more data that have been checked in the manner described above.
9. Users are referred to the ‘Document Reference’ section of the Metadata file for the soil profile analytical database for more information on the compilation process.

Process history:

1986:The concept of a soil profile database for the EC countries was originally proposed by Madsen, following discussion of the subject at a series of annual meetings of the Computerization of Land Data Group (EC DGVI) which began in 1982 (at Montpellier [F]). A methodology for compiling a soil profile database was agreed by a sub-committee in Brussels.

1988:The approach was approved at the last full meeting of the Computerization of Land Data Group, in Wageningen (Van Lanen and Bregt, 1989). The database would be compiled in phases, firstly at Level 1, secondly at Level 2 and so on.

1989:The concept and procedures were endorsed by the Heads of Soil Surveys of the European Community countries, at a meeting in Silsoe (Hodgson, 1991). The lack of compatibility between the soil profile data collected across Europe would be overcome by defining standard Proformas for recording the data.

1992:Under contract to the MARS Project (JRC), proformas were constructed as spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel for the collection of standard data (Proforma I for estimated data where necessary) and measured data (Proforma II); guidelines for completing the proformas were also prepared (Madsen and Jones 1995). The proformas and guidelines were then tested by members of the Soil and GIS Support Group of the MARS Project.

1993:Following receipt of some completed proformas, final versions were produced and distributed to all the proposed contributors (EU-12) to the database.

1995:Completed proformas (I and II) for approximately 350 soil profiles for EU-10 countries were received, some on paper, others as digital files.

1996:The process of extending the profile database to Eastern Europe and Scandinavian countries has commenced. Staff at INRA (Orleans) converted the Proforma I data from spreadsheet to relational database format. This revealed a number of structural problems with the data that have still to be fully resolved.

1997:The compilation of a Level 1 database for the EU-12 countries was completed (with the inclusion of data for Ireland [from the WISE database] and Portugal). Data for only a few eastern European countries (e.g. Bulgaria) have been received (to date).

1998:Version 1.0 of the Soil Profile Analytical Database released to the ESB Scientific Committee.

Overall positional accuracy:

Not applicable.

Overall thematic accuracy:

It should be borne in mind that the Soil Profile Analytical Database was compiled BEFORE the list of soil map units (SMU) for the SGDBE was finalised. Thus the contributors to the level 1 database could only select profile data according to their best judgement that these data would be representative of all important soil types on the map of their respective countries. It was fully appreciated at the time that compilation of the profile data was not sufficiently coordinated with the updating of the soil geographic database and that this would eventually lead to problems of linking the soil profile data to the SGDBE. However, the availability of funds from the JRC and the existence of an active expert group (Soil and GIS Support Group) to commence the work of compiling the soil profile data were deemed to be of overriding importance.

The use of expert judgement for estimation of soil profile data (Proforma I) is a pragmatic approach at this stage of the development of the European Soil Database. The excavation of soil profiles and the laboratory analysis of the samples are both time consuming and expensive processes. Even if sufficient funds were made available, it would take a long time to fill in the current gaps in European soil profile data. However, this should remain the ultimate aim in the medium to long term.

Overall temporal accuracy:

The data derive from the analysis of soil samples taken over a long period, mostly 1950-1990, and the expert judgement of scientists with at least 25 years field experience of soils.

Overall logical accuracy:

Overall completeness:

Estimated 80% for EU-12 country Proforma I at Level 1. For eastern European and Scandinavian countries, completeness for Proforma I at mid 1998 is much less (< 35%). For Proforma II data (measured), values are missing for many prarameters.

SPATIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM

INDIRECT SPATIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM:

Type of indirect spatial reference system:

By country.

Reference date:

DIRECT SPATIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM:

Datum:

Ellipsoid:

Map projection:

Height reference system:

Mean sea level.

EXTENT

CURRENCY OF EXTENT DATA AND COMPLETENESS OF DATA SET:

Extent date:

Extent status:

PLANAR EXTENT:

Bounding XY:

Bounding Area:

Geographic area:

VERTICAL EXTENT:

Min elevation value:

Max elevation value:

TEMPORAL EXTENT:

From date:

To date:

DATA DEFINITION

APPLICATION SCHEMA DESCRIPTION:

Application schema id:

SOIL.

Application schema text:

Soil profiles in Europe.

OBJECT TYPE:
Object type name:
Object type definition:
Geometric primitive type:
Structure primitive type:
Object type code:
Occurrences:
Positional accuracy:
Thematic accuracy:
Completeness:
ATTRIBUTE TYPE:
Attribute type name: / See DICTIONARY
Attribute type definition:
Attribute type code:
Attribute type domain:
Thematic accuracy:
Temporal accuracy:
ASSOCIATION TYPE:
Association type name:
Association type definition:
From object type:
To object type:
Cardinality:
Constraints:
Thematic accuracy:
Logical consistency:

CLASSIFICATION

THESAURUS:

Name of thesaurus:

Thesaurus administrator:

THESAURUS ELEMENT:
Term:
Definition:
Synonyms: / See Attricod
Related term:
Broader term:
Narrower term:
Picture:

ADMINISTRATIVE META DATA

See metadata for the Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe.

ORGANISATION AND ORGANISATION ROLE:

Organisation name:

Abbreviated organisation name:

Organisation address:

Organisation role:

Alternative organisation name:

Function of organisation:

POINT OF CONTACT AND POINT OF CONTACT ROLE:

Point of contact name:

Point of contact address:

Point of contact role:

DISTRIBUTION:

The Soil Profile Analytical Data Base of Europe is distributed only together with the Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe. See metadata for the last.

Restrictions on use:

Copyright owners:

Pricing policy:

Unit of distribution:

Media:

Formats:

On-line access:

Order:

Support services:

META DATA REFERENCE

Entry date:

25/05/1998

Last check date:

25/05/1998

Last update date:

20/04/1998

Future review date:

Spatial reference system of metadata:

ANNEX

CONTENT OF ANNEX

Definition of Proforma I

Definition of Proforma II

Definition of the levels

Profile-to-STU linking process

Typology of profile-to-STU links

Examples for one country

Data model for the profile database

DEFINITION OF PROFORMA I

• Used to describe estimated profiles.
• Profiles are not georeferenced.
• The key for linkage of the profile to a Soil Typological Unit (STU) is made of the following three attributes:

Soil name (SOIL),