Delimitation of Soil Districts in mainland Portugal

Abstract

The EU Soil Monitoring Directive promotes sustainable soil management in Member States, proposing Soil Units (SU) within designated Soil Districts for effective monitoring and governance. Addressing soil and land-use heterogeneity requires advanced statistical techniques, including machine learning, geostatistics, and GIS. The methodology assesses soil quality using climatological, land-use, soil properties, and lithological data to map multi-purpose SU. Harmonising monitoring systems nationally and creating a comprehensive soil observatory improve data reliability and decision-making. The national soil monitoring project, funded by FCT, emphasises stakeholder engagement through workshops, participatory planning, and training to support sustainable soil management and agriculture sustainability within the EU.