La progression de la connaissance des sols

Commissariat général au développement durableMay 6, 2019

Fin des années 1990, deux initiatives ont joué un rôle essentiel pour faire progresser la connaissance des sols en France. La première, correspond à un programme lancé en 1998 par le ministère de l’environnement : Gessol - "Fonctions environnementales et gestion du patrimoine sol". Gessol a structuré la recherche sur les sols naturels, agricoles ou urbains, pour fournir des connaissances et des outils opérationnels nécessaires pour évaluer, surveiller, gérer, voire améliorer la qualité des sols. La deuxième initiative correspond à la création du Gis Sol, le Groupement d’intérêt scientifique Sol en 2001. Ce groupement constitue et gère un système d’information sur les sols apte à répondre aux demandes des pouvoirs publics et de la société, tant aux niveaux local, que national ou européen.

In the late 1990s, two initiatives played an essential role in advancing soil knowledge in France. The first corresponded to a program launched in 1998 by the Ministry of Environment: Gessol – "Environmental Functions and Soil Heritage Management". Gessol structured research on natural, agricultural, and urban soils to provide knowledge and operational tools necessary to assess, monitor, manage, and even improve soil quality. The second initiative corresponded to the creation of GIS Sol, the Soil Scientific Interest Group, in 2001. This grouping constitutes and manages an information system on soils capable of responding to the demands of public authorities and society at local, national, and European levels.

4 chapters

Soil Inventories
Regional Soil Framework
By mid-2018, 58 departments completed their regional soil framework at a 1/250,000 scale, established under the soil inventory, management and conservation program (IGCS).
Inventory Purpose
These inventories identify the main soil types in a territory and characterize their properties of agricultural or environmental interest.
Soil Analyses
Database Content
The soil analysis database (BDAT) compiles soil analysis results on fertility (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.), particle size (clay, silt, sand), and metals and metalloids.
Analysis Origin
Analyses are performed primarily at the request of farmers through laboratories approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, to rationalize their fertilization practices.
National Trace Metals Analysis Collection
BDETM Overview
The trace metals database (BDETM) compiles metal analysis results from 1988 to 2009 for nearly 74,000 sites, conducted prior to the application of urban sewage sludge to agricultural soil.
Soil Quality Monitoring
RMQS Measurement Network
• The soil quality measurement network (RMQS) comprises 2,200 observation sites covering all French territory, at one site per 16 km square grid cell. • The first campaign (2000-2009) characterized the presence of 9 metals, certain persistent organic pollutants, and collected data on carbon content. • The second campaign (2015-2026) will focus on climate change and greenhouse gases (GHG). • Collected samples are archived in a European soil sample repository managed by INRA.
GIS Sol Indicators and Publications
• A battery of indicators was established on soil contamination by metals and metalloids or persistent organic pollutants, organic carbon stock, and microbial biomass and diversity. • GIS Sol advanced knowledge over a decade by publishing the first report on the state of France's soils in 2011.
RMT Soils & Territories Enhancement
Since 2010, the RMT Soils & Territories network has leveraged this knowledge for sustainable rural territory development, building on results from GIS Sol's inventory and monitoring programs.

Further reading

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