Soil sealing

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Soil sealing or soil surface sealing is the loss of soil resources due to the covering of land for housing, roads or other construction work. [1] Covering or replacing the topsoil with impervious materials like asphalt and cement as a result of urban development and infrastructure construction paired with compaction of the underlying soil layers results in the mostly irreversible loss of relevant soil ecosystem services. [2] [3] [4] The global rise in population has heightened the need for soil sealing, which in turn leads to the degradation of land [5] . Sealed land is a serious form of land take (use of land specifically for building settlements, roads, and businesses). [6] [7] Soil sealing and land take together leads to the complete loss of soil functions, including its biological, physical and chemical properties. [8]

Contents

Negative impacts of soil sealing

Soil's regulating services

Replacing natural soil with man-made surfaces greatly affects the process of water infiltration. These artificial surfaces don't allow water to seep through as easily as soil does, leading to increased surface runoff. [9] Additionally, sealing the soil for underground construction alters water movement, further diminishing the soil's natural ability to purify water. [9] [10] In cities, having lots of heat-absorbing concrete and asphalt but not enough cooling vegetation creates heat islands effect. [9] [11]

Soil's provisioning services

Using human-made materials to cover soil significantly affects its ability to provide essential services like food production. [12] This occurs when fertile agricultural land is converted into buildings and houses. [13] Countries with rapidly growing populations and economies are experiencing notable loss of agricultural land due to development. [9] [14]

Soil's supporting services

Soil sealing affects the soil's function as a natural habitat. [9] By completely covering the uppermost layer of soil with man-made substances, it creates fragmented habitats for local biodiversity. Consequently, this leads to soil biodiversity loss. [9] [15] [16] Further, these impacts worsen with a decrease in the soil's carbon and nitrogen content, as well as its respiration rate. [17]

Soil's cultural services

Soil's intangible benefits such as spiritual connection, learning, and feeling like we belong to this place, are at risk because land take and soil sealing for urban projects are removing recreational spaces in city centers. [18] [19] The impact on cultural services becomes apparent when people worldwide are willing to invest more money in homes located in areas with natural surroundings. [20] [21]

Assessment of soil sealing

Various methods are employed globally to evaluate soil sealing. Some of the methods are [22] [23]

Soil unsealing

A complete soil unsealing process involves entirely removing any human-made materials like asphalt and cement that obstruct the soil's natural functions, thereby restoring its ability to perform its natural processes. [24] There is very limited research about the process of soil unsealing [9] . Due to mostly irreversible losses, soil unsealing is very difficult. However, by following some steps soil unsealing is feasible.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desertification</span> Process by which fertile areas of land become increasingly arid

Desertification is a type of gradual land degradation of fertile land into arid desert due to a combination of natural processes and human activities. This spread of arid areas is caused by a variety of factors, such as overexploitation of soil as a result of human activity and the effects of climate change. Geographic areas most affected are located in Africa, Asia and parts of South America. Drylands occupy approximately 40–41% of Earth's land area and are home to more than 2 billion people. Effects of desertification include sand and dust storms, food insecurity, and poverty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erosion</span> Natural processes that remove soil and rock

Erosion is the action of surface processes that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distinct from weathering which involves no movement. Removal of rock or soil as clastic sediment is referred to as physical or mechanical erosion; this contrasts with chemical erosion, where soil or rock material is removed from an area by dissolution. Eroded sediment or solutes may be transported just a few millimetres, or for thousands of kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landslide</span> Natural hazard involving ground movement

Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in which case they are called submarine landslides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soil</span> Mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life

Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from soil by restricting the former term specifically to displaced soil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soil erosion</span> Displacement of soil by water, wind, and lifeforms

Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and animals. In accordance with these agents, erosion is sometimes divided into water erosion, glacial erosion, snow erosion, wind (aeolian) erosion, zoogenic erosion and anthropogenic erosion such as tillage erosion. Soil erosion may be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed, or it may occur at an alarming rate causing a serious loss of topsoil. The loss of soil from farmland may be reflected in reduced crop production potential, lower surface water quality and damaged drainage networks. Soil erosion could also cause sinkholes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetland</span> Land area that is permanently, or seasonally saturated with water

A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently for years or decades or seasonally for a shorter periods. Flooding results in oxygen-free anoxic processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from terrestrial land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique anoxic hydric soils. Wetlands are considered among the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal species. Methods for assessing wetland functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been developed for many regions of the world. These methods have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising public awareness of the functions some wetlands provide. Constructed wetlands are designed and built to treat municipal and industrial wastewater as well as to divert stormwater runoff. Constructed wetlands may also play a role in water-sensitive urban design.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exclosure</span> Area protected from livestock grazing

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecohydrology</span>

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Soil biodiversity refers to the relationship of soil to biodiversity and to aspects of the soil that can be managed in relative to biodiversity. Soil biodiversity relates to some catchment management considerations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental effects of mining</span> Environmental problems from uncontrolled mining

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peatland</span> Wetland terrain without forest cover, dominated by living, peat-forming plants

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody plant encroachment</span> Vegetation cover change

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soil in Kola Tembien</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soil in Dogu'a Tembien</span>

The soils of the Dogu’a Tembien woreda (district) in Tigray (Ethiopia) reflect its longstanding agricultural history, highly seasonal rainfall regime, relatively low temperatures, an extremely great variety in lithology and steep slopes. Outstanding features in the soilscape are the fertile highland Vertisols and Phaeozems in forests.

Land cover maps are tools that provide vital information about the Earth's land use and cover patterns. They aid policy development, urban planning, and forest and agricultural monitoring.

References

  1. ↑ "Soil Sealing - European Commission". ESDAC. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  2. ↑ Mills, Jane. "Soil sealing". Home. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  3. ↑ Prokop, Gundula (2011). Overview of best practices for limiting soil sealing or mitigating its effects in EU-27 : final report. Luxembourg: Publications Office. ISBN   978-92-79-20669-6. OCLC   870622049.
  4. ↑ Arrouays, D (2008). Environmental assessment of soil for monitoring (PDF). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. ISBN   978-92-79-09708-9. OCLC   1111244318.
  5. ↑ Barbero-Sierra, C.; Marques, M.J.; Ruíz-Pérez, M. (2013). "The case of urban sprawl in Spain as an active and irreversible driving force for desertification". Journal of Arid Environments. 90: 95–102. Bibcode:2013JArEn..90...95B. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.10.014.
  6. ↑ European Commission. Directorate General for the Environment. (2011). Overview of best practices for limiting soil sealing or mitigating its effects in EU-27: final report. LU: Publications Office. doi:10.2779/15146. ISBN   978-92-79-20669-6.
  7. ↑ European Environment Agency. (2023). Soil monitoring in Europe: indicators and thresholds for soil quality assessments. LU: Publications Office. doi:10.2800/956606. ISBN   978-92-9480-538-6.
  8. ↑ Hennig, Ernest I.; Schwick, Christian; Soukup, Tomáš; Orlitová, Erika; Kienast, Felix; Jaeger, Jochen A.G. (2015). "Multi-scale analysis of urban sprawl in Europe: Towards a European de-sprawling strategy". Land Use Policy. 49: 483–498. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.08.001. ISSN   0264-8377.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tobias, Silvia; Conen, Franz; Duss, Adrian; Wenzel, Leonore M.; Buser, Christine; Alewell, Christine (2018-04-06). "Soil sealing and unsealing: State of the art and examples". Land Degradation & Development. 29 (6): 2015–2024. Bibcode:2018LDeDe..29.2015T. doi:10.1002/ldr.2919. ISSN   1085-3278.
  10. ↑ Nakayama, Tadanobu; Watanabe, Masataka; Tanji, Kazunori; Morioka, Tohru (2007). "Effect of underground urban structures on eutrophic coastal environment". Science of the Total Environment. 373 (1): 270–288. Bibcode:2007ScTEn.373..270N. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.11.033. PMID   17198724.
  11. ↑ Bolund, Per; Hunhammar, Sven (1999). "Ecosystem services in urban areas". Ecological Economics. 29 (2): 293–301. Bibcode:1999EcoEc..29..293B. doi:10.1016/s0921-8009(99)00013-0. ISSN   0921-8009.
  12. ↑ Artmann, Martina (2014). "Assessment of Soil Sealing Management Responses, Strategies, and Targets Toward Ecologically Sustainable Urban Land Use Management". Ambio. 43 (4): 530–541. Bibcode:2014Ambio..43..530A. doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0511-1. ISSN   0044-7447. PMC   3989517 . PMID   24740623.
  13. ↑ Burghardt, Wolfgang (2006). "Soil sealing and soil properties related to sealing". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 266 (1): 117–124. Bibcode:2006GSLSP.266..117B. doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.2006.266.01.09. ISSN   0305-8719.
  14. ↑ Tóth, Gergely (2012). "Impact of land-take on the land resource base for crop production in the European Union". Science of the Total Environment. 435–436: 202–214. Bibcode:2012ScTEn.435..202T. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.103. PMID   22854091.
  15. ↑ Montanarella, Luca (2007), "Trends in Land Degradation in Europe", Climate and Land Degradation, Environmental Science and Engineering, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 83–104, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72438-4_5, ISBN   978-3-540-72437-7 , retrieved 2024-04-07
  16. ↑ Scalenghe, Riccardo; Marsan, Franco Ajmone (2009). "The anthropogenic sealing of soils in urban areas". Landscape and Urban Planning. 90 (1–2): 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2008.10.011.
  17. ↑ Piotrowska-Długosz, Anna; Charzyński, Przemysław (2015). "The impact of the soil sealing degree on microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and physicochemical properties in the Ekranic Technosols of Toruń (Poland)". Journal of Soils and Sediments. 15 (1): 47–59. Bibcode:2015JSoSe..15...47P. doi:10.1007/s11368-014-0963-8. ISSN   1439-0108.
  18. ↑ Walley, Fran; Krzic, Maja; Diochon, Amanda; Paré, Maxime C.; Farrell, Rich (2021). "Introduction".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. ↑ Niemelä, Jari; Saarela, Sanna-Riikka; Söderman, Tarja; Kopperoinen, Leena; Yli-Pelkonen, Vesa; Väre, Seija; Kotze, D. Johan (2010-07-07). "Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: a Finland case study". Biodiversity and Conservation. 19 (11): 3225–3243. Bibcode:2010BiCon..19.3225N. doi:10.1007/s10531-010-9888-8. ISSN   0960-3115.
  20. ↑ Tyrväinen, Liisa (1997). "The amenity value of the urban forest: an application of the hedonic pricing method". Landscape and Urban Planning. 37 (3–4): 211–222. doi:10.1016/s0169-2046(97)80005-9. ISSN   0169-2046.
  21. ↑ Waltert, Fabian; Schläpfer, Felix (2010). "Landscape amenities and local development: A review of migration, regional economic and hedonic pricing studies". Ecological Economics. 70 (2): 141–152. Bibcode:2010EcoEc..70..141W. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.09.031.
  22. ↑ Pulido Moncada, Mansonia; Gabriels, Donald; Lobo, Deyanira; De Beuf, Kristof; Figueroa, Rosana; Cornelis, Wim M. (2014). "A comparison of methods to assess susceptibility to soil sealing". Geoderma. 226–227: 397–404. Bibcode:2014Geode.226..397P. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.03.014. ISSN   0016-7061.
  23. ↑ García, Pilar; Pérez, Eugenia (2016). "Mapping of soil sealing by vegetation indexes and built-up index: A case study in Madrid (Spain)". Geoderma. 268: 100–107. Bibcode:2016Geode.268..100G. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.01.012.
  24. ↑ Pannicke-Prochnow, Nadine; Albrecht, Juliane (2024), Ginzky, Harald; De Andrade Corrêa, Fabiano; Dooley, Elizabeth; Heuser, Irene L. (eds.), "Unsealing: Benefits, Potentials, Legal Provisions and Funding: The German Experience", International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy 2022, vol. 2022, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 83–106, doi:10.1007/978-3-031-40609-6_4, ISBN   978-3-031-40608-9 , retrieved 2024-04-08
  25. ↑ Ferber, Uwe (2011). "Circular flow land use management". International Conference Virtual City and Territory (7è: 2011: Lisboa). Coimbra: Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Coimbra and e-GEO, Research Center in Geography and Regional Planning of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Nova University of Lisbon. pp. 775–778. doi:10.5821/ctv.7829.
  26. ↑ Nicolau, Rita; Condessa, Beatriz (2022-07-01). "Monitoring Net Land Take: Is Mainland Portugal on Track to Meet the 2050 Target?". Land. 11 (7): 1005. doi: 10.3390/land11071005 . ISSN   2073-445X.
  27. ↑ Adobati, Fulvio; Garda, Emanuele (2020). "Soil releasing as key to rethink water spaces in urban planning". City, Territory and Architecture. 7 (1). doi: 10.1186/s40410-020-00117-8 . ISSN   2195-2701.

See also

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