The European Commission has published an atlas of all the world's soils above 50° N, which for the first time brings together data for an area that stores half of the world's carbon.
The 144 page Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region is the result of a three-year collaborative project between the EC's Commission Joint Research Centre for Environment and Sustainability (IES) and partners from northern EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA and Russia.
Describing the origin and major characteristics of soil in this region, it gives a detailed overview of circumpolar soil resources relevant to agriculture, forest management, water management, land use planning, infrastructure and housing and energy transport networks.
The atlas aims to:
Support EU policies such as the ERA, the Soil Thematic Strategy, the Northern Dimension and Climate Change;
Promote the soil related activities and global dimension of the JRC,
Bring circumpolar soils into policy focus by identifying needs for policy and research strategies aimed at soil protection and mitigating climate change with specific emphasis on soils.
Although representing only 15% of global land surface, the northernmost regions of our planet store 1700 billion tons of organic carbon, more than half of the total carbon present in the Earth's soils.
Thawing of soils in the northern permafrost region could therefore lead to substantial release of green house gases into the atmosphere and would further increase global warming.
By providing all the information on this carbon pool for the first time, the will provide a valuable scientific input to climate change and sustainable development models.
Launching the atlas at the European Parliament, EU research, science and innovation commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said:
"This Atlas is a unique source of information for researchers, policy makers, teachers and the general public on the characteristics of northern soil and raises awareness of its environmental importance and global significance.
"It shows the possible impacts of climate change on permafrost-affected soils and explains the critical role they play in the global climate and carbon cycles."
Given the importance of the world's soils, it is vital that they are protected and Environmental Protection UK is calling for government recognition that soil protection is not a domestic issue, but one with transboundary effects.
Environmental Protection UK chief executive Phillip Mulligan said: "The issue of soil carbon, along with biodiversity and food security, demonstrates that soil protection is paramount to mitigating and adapting to climate change and in tackling global environmental issues.
"Whilst we support the UK governments' calls for the Soils Framework Directive to contain proportionate land contamination provisions, we believe it is essential that agreement is reached under the directive to stimulate wide scale, effective and prompt protection of this essential, non renewable resource across Europe."