Scientists update Estonia’s soil map after 40 years

Scientists are preparing a new digital soil map of Estonia, the first update in about 40 years, ERR reports. The map is being developed by the Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge Centre, the University of Tartu and the Estonian University of Life Sciences to help national and local authorities make land-use decisions.

The previous map was last updated in the 1980s. Researchers say a new version is needed because climate and land use have changed, affecting soil conditions. The biggest changes have been in peat soils: intensive drainage between 1960 and 1970 has left much of the forest land on peat soils drained. The share of very thin peat soils has fallen by nearly 14 percent, said Ain Kull, a soil monitoring researcher at the Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge Centre.

Cities have been among the least studied places. The current map shows little soil information for urban areas, despite their parks and green spaces. The new project is expected to fill that gap, said Priit Penu, the centre’s soil adviser.

Updated soil data could benefit landowners and farmers, as well as the state. Soil information contributes to the calculation of taxable land values, and a more precise map could help assess fertiliser costs and greenhouse gas emissions included in national accounting. Kull said that if the mapping identifies less peat soil, decomposition there would now be significantly slower.

The map is one part of a research and development project run by the Environment Agency and due to end next year. Its broader aim is to create a tool that national and local governments can use to guide land-use decisions, said Janika Laht, head of the agency’s forest department.