Monitoring Soil Degradation and Organic Carbon Dynamics: Adapting European Experience and Developing a Roadmap for Ukraine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31073/acss100-01Keywords:
Soil degradation; SOC; soil monitoring; European standards; agricultural land; harmonization of legislationAbstract
Soil degradation represents one of the most critical environmental challenges threatening agricultural sustainability and food security both in Europe and globally. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, the European Union has established comprehensive frameworks for soil monitoring and protection, culminating in recent legislative initiatives such as the Soil Monitoring Law. However, the implementation of effective soil monitoring systems presents significant obstacles for developing economies due to substantial financial and technical resource requirements. The primary objective of this review is to provide recommendations for establishing a functional soil monitoring system in Ukraine that balances scientific precision with economic feasibility while ensuring compatibility with European standards. Special attention given to degradation prevention methods and the preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in agricultural lands. Despite being a leading global agricultural producer, Ukraine faces increasing production pressures exacerbated by soil degradation processes. Ukraine's European integration plans necessitate alignment with EU soil protection standards, creating the dual challenge of meeting EU requirements while managing stringent budgetary constraints. This situation underscores the urgent need to critically evaluate European experience and identify cost-effective monitoring approaches adapted to the Ukrainian context. A comprehensive analysis of European experience in soil degradation monitoring and SOC management conducted through systematic evaluation of peer-reviewed literature. This review synthesizes a decade of European research on soil degradation assessment, organic carbon dynamics, and monitoring methodologies, with specific focus on agricultural landscapes. The analysis encompasses 54 peer-reviewed publications categorized into three methodological clusters: (1) soil degradation in Europe; (2) soil monitoring and mapping; and (3) the relevance of European experience for Ukraine. Key findings indicate that the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) and the LUCAS database (approximately 20,000 sampling points across 4.2 million km²) provide standardized platforms for continental-scale soil health monitoring. Evidence demonstrates that SOC losses on European arable lands have averaged 0.3–0.5 % annually over the last decade, posing a tangible threat to agroecosystem productivity. Analysis of economic costs associated with soil degradation in England and Wales (£0.9–1.4 billion annually) underscores the economic urgency of preventive measures—a consideration of even greater importance for Ukraine given its substantial dependence on agricultural output. For the Ukrainian context, a stepwise implementation of a soil monitoring system is proposed, comprising four main components: (1) Establishment of a reference plot network with minimum coverage of 650–700 baseline points, expanding to approximately 2,000 points by 2026 to ensure full territorial coverage for long-term SOC observation; (2) Creation of a national soil database aligned with DSTU ISO 28258, supported by terminological and methodological standards (ISO 11074, ISO 25177) and geographic information system protocols; (3) Integration of Sentinel-2 satellite data for mapping soil degradation with emphasis on erosion assessment; and (4) Application of machine learning techniques for digital soil mapping to maximize accuracy under resource constraints. The proposed recommendations will facilitate preservation of soil fertility and ensure harmonization of the Ukrainian soil monitoring system with EU requirements, in alignment with the Soil Monitoring Law.
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