Soil threats are degradation-causing processes that result from direct human activity or indirect causes such as climate change. They pose a potential risk to soil functions and ecosystem services.

Tn this factsheet we describe the main soil threats to agricultural land identified in the iSQAPER research programme and addressed in SQAPP: the soil quality app:

  • Soil erosion
  • Organic matter depletion
  • Acidification
  • Compaction
  • Salinization
  • Nutrient depletion
  • Soil biodiversity loss
  • Contamination

 


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How are soil threats used in SQAPP?

In order to evaluate soil quality in any location SQAPP first assesses the level of each of these threats before combining the results in an overall soil quality index. For more information about the databases accessed by SQAPP see »SQAPP data and for details of the threat level and final soil quality index caluclations see »Scoring soil quality indicators. Those agricultural management practices that are most effective at addressing the threats are recommended, see »SQAPP architecture.