Indicators for preserving soil quality

Name: Indicators for preserving soil quality
Brand: Éditions Quae
SKU: 9782759243389
Price: 35.0 EUR
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 978-2-7592-4338-9

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Indicators for preserving soil quality

by Isabelle Cousin (editorial coordination), Maylis Desrousseaux (editorial coordination), Sophie Leenhardt (editorial coordination)

Collection: Matière à débattre et décider

august 2026

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Summary

Soils play an essential role in ecosystems, food security and health. In order to inform public policies concerning their proper functioning and preservation, a group of 19 experts from a variety of disciplines and public research organizations, coordinated by INRAE, analysed the scientific literature on soil quality and health. They gathered the main available resources and identified the key considerations for conducting an assessment based on the ecological functions performed by soils. Around 50 physical, chemical or biological indicators are thus associated with an interpretative framework that specifies the method of measurement or calculation and the reference values to which the result should be compared.

The choice of indicators depends on the objectives of the assessment (development of an urban planning document, zoning of agricultural plots for land consolidation, etc.). The indicators need to be explained in order to select them, choose the interpretative framework and monitoring grid (spatial and temporal), and decide whether to aggregate some of them.

This assessment promotes dialogue between users from different social and political backgrounds, encouraging them to reflect together on what soils are and what they are expected to be.

This book is intended for non-experts with some knowledge on the subject: decision-makers, professional or associative actors, public services in charge of environmental and urban planning policies, etc. More broadly, it is aimed at anyone interested in the public debate on soil quality and health.

Foreword

1. Basis of the study

Context and handling of the study commissioning

Expert group involved

Literature analysed

Reading guide and terminology used in this condensed report

2. Implementation frameworks for soil quality assessment

Actors and mechanisms involved in soil quality assessment

Diversity of perceptions of soils and their qualities

Co-production of information on soil quality

3. Governance frameworks and soil quality

Private property and public intervention

Measures and economic values of soil quality

Criteria used in the field of law

Regulating soil de-artificialisation and ecological restoration

Territoriality of public intervention on soil quality

4. The dimensions of soil quality and health

and the choice of functions

Historical developments in terminology and concepts

A not-yet-stabilised distinction between soil quality and soil health

From soil quality to its ecological functions

Approaches to assess soil multifunctionality

Limitations of a function-based approach

5. Assessment process

Purpose of the assessment

Choice of the indicandum and of the relevant indicators

Measuring parameter and indicator values

Reference framework and interpretation framework

Scoring or normalising indicators

Multi-criteria aggregation forming a soil quality index

Monitoring soil quality over time and space

6. Generic list of soil function indicators and assessment trial in a given area

Main categories of indicators

Selected generic indicators

Operationality of indicators

Assessing soil quality in France

7. Lessons learned and avenues for research

Summary of key lessons

Areas for research

Large public

Scientists and professionals

Indicators for preserving soil quality

Indicators for preserving soil quality

Summary

Table of contents

Foreword

1. Basis of the study

Context and handling of the study commissioning

Expert group involved

Literature analysed

Reading guide and terminology used in this condensed report

2. Implementation frameworks for soil quality assessment

Actors and mechanisms involved in soil quality assessment

Diversity of perceptions of soils and their qualities

Co-production of information on soil quality

3. Governance frameworks and soil quality

Private property and public intervention

Measures and economic values of soil quality

Criteria used in the field of law

Regulating soil de-artificialisation and ecological restoration

Territoriality of public intervention on soil quality

4. The dimensions of soil quality and health

and the choice of functions

Historical developments in terminology and concepts

A not-yet-stabilised distinction between soil quality and soil health

From soil quality to its ecological functions

Approaches to assess soil multifunctionality

Limitations of a function-based approach

5. Assessment process

Purpose of the assessment

Choice of the indicandum and of the relevant indicators

Measuring parameter and indicator values

Reference framework and interpretation framework

Scoring or normalising indicators

Multi-criteria aggregation forming a soil quality index

Monitoring soil quality over time and space

6. Generic list of soil function indicators and assessment trial in a given area

Main categories of indicators

Selected generic indicators

Operationality of indicators

Assessing soil quality in France

7. Lessons learned and avenues for research

Summary of key lessons

Areas for research

Appendices

Bibliographic sources cited

Acronyms and abbreviations

Working group

Press

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