Implications of the proposed Soil Framework Directive on agricultural systems in Atlantic Europe - a review

The main threats to soils outlined in the pending Soil Framework Directive (SFD) are: contamination, loss of organic matter, erosion, compaction, sealing, salinization and desertification. The first four threats are pertinent to agricultural systems in Atlantic Europe, but vary in their extent between countries depending on the spatial soil distribution. Loss of soil biodiversity has not been included as a potential threat in the SFD due to lack of information that is currently available both spatially and temporally to facilitate any legislation to protect it. This paper gives emphasis to the four main threats outlined above associated with Agricultural systems in Atlantic Europe. Each soil threat is discussed in relation to the agricultural management calendar for cultivated and grazed grassland soils. The paper discusses current soil protection policies and possible changes to such legislation with the adoption of the SFD by member states.