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Project title

Mapping Understanding and Current Knowledge: Irish Soils

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Cork (UCC)

Lead Applicant

Maria McNamara

Project Abstract

Soil is a critical resource that regulates fundamental water- and geochemical cycles that maintain key components of biodiversity and global climate. From a human socioeconomic perspective, soils represent essential natural capital that underpin the security of the global food chain for people and animals, the production of fibre and the provision of environments that facilitate health and wellbeing. Soils are also essential to discourse regarding major topical issues such as climate change, carbon sequestration, nutrient availability, pollution and remediation and equitable economic development. Soils, however, face major stressors and threats, relating to shifting biomes, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, erosion, fertiliser application, overintensification of agriculture and contamination by metals, VOCs and other organics. Soil quality (the characteristics and dynamics of its physical and chemical properties and biology) and soil health (the functional ability of soil to provide ecosystem services and management outcomes) are therefore of critical concern and should be key elements of any framework relating to soils and soil management. In sum, soil is essential to discourse on biodiversity, food security and climate change, which therefore requires effective frameworks for assessing soil quality, health and threats, in addition to remediation practices. In Ireland, soil has historically featured as an element of various research and policy strands and themes but has not yet achieved prominence as a dedicated policy or strategy. This is essential to consolidate knowledge on the status of, and threats to, Irish soils and to protect, maintain, and remediate soil quality and health for future generations. The production of a National Soils Strategy is a welcome commitment in the Programme for Government 2020 to effectively and responsibly balance the competing demands, functions and impacts of soil and soil use. This strategy is imperative to the formation of holistic legislative framework for soil in Ireland, not least as a mechanism for responding to the EU Roadmap New Soil Strategy healthy soil for a healthy life due for adoption in 2022 and the forthcoming EU Soil Strategy. The current project will systematically review the existing scientific literature on Irish soils and will summarise the key findings in an accessible format via the production of an Evidence Report and associated visuals. The report will span key thematic areas relating to soil quality, health, damage, management, remediation, biodiversity and climate change, and will encompass soils in urban, agricultural and other rural settings. The project will develop appropriate strategies for literature search and evaluation plus data collation and interrogation, and will produce the first holistic overview of Irish soil research. The Report will identify key threats and risks to Irish soils and strategy and critical knowledge gaps, and will frame this in the context of research and policy relating to soils in other European states. Finally the Report will provide a new roadmap for future research on Irish soils by identifying national priority areas relating to the findings above and relating to new emerging EU policy.

Grant Approved

�29,991.07

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

29/11/2021

Initial Projected Completion Date

29/03/2022