Global Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC) Map | Global Soil Partnership | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

: (Launched on World Soil Day | 5 December 2017)

The GSOCmap, a stepping stone in our knowledge of soils

The Global Soil Organic Carbon Map (GSOCmap) is not just a map! It is also a consultative and participatory process involving 110 countries, which makes this map totally new and unique!

The GSOCmap provides users with very useful information to monitor the soil condition, identify degraded areas, set restoration targets, explore SOC sequestration potentials, support the greenhouse gas emission reporting under the UNFCCC and make evidence based decisions to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate.

The Global Soil Organic carbon Map V1.0

The Global Soil Organic Carbon map V1.0 is an important stepping stone to better know the current Soil Organic Carbon stock stored beneath our feet and soils’ potential for further sequestration.

English

National soil carbon mapping around the globe, a country-driven process

The Global Soil Partnership, its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) launched a global endeavor to develop a Global Soil Organic Carbon map (GSOCMap) by the end of 2017, in support of the Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 15.3.1. The quality of soil carbon information at global level is still limited because much existing national information has not yet been shared. A precise and reliable global view on soil organic carbon (SOC) is needed under different UN conventions, such as the UN Convention on Climate Change and Desertification (UNCCD), but especially as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). At national level, such data can be used as reference soil carbon stocks, with the aim to refine national greenhouse gas inventories, and to assess the sensitivity of soils to degradation and climate change.

The global soil carbon map consists of national SOC maps, developed as 1 km soil grids, covering a depth of 0-30 cm. A generic GSOC mapping guideline has been developed, which provides definitions and methodological options. The formulae to calculate national soil carbon stocks follow the good practice guidance by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2006). Digital soil mapping is recommended for the spatial mapping of soil properties (see Pillar 4 Implementation Plan); This includes the national SOC maps.

: Digital soil mapping Training for the Eurasian Soil Partnership, Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 31 October to 4 November 2016 ©FAO/Liesl Wiese

GSOC mapping Guideline

The GSOC mapping guideline contains definitions which are intended to ensure that national maps become comparable globally. GSOC map is the first global soil property map, produced among a series of other soil properties according to GSP Pillar 4, which will follow in the mid-term future.

In order to develop technical support, a cookbook for soil carbon mapping was produced. This cookbook is also used for workshops and e-learning.

: Digitalization of satellite image ©FAO/Jon Spaull

GSOC mapping programme

The global soil carbon mapping programme was initiated during the preparations of the second meeting of the International Network of Soil Information Institutions (INSII), 24 and 24 December 2016, and discussed there in detail. In front of that meeting, a special technical session about soil carbon mapping was held 23 November 2016. During this session, the mapping specifications and the detailed methodologies were discussed, and examples of national SOC maps presented. Since these meetings, GSP partners have shared details about their mapping approaches and the national contact partners. An intermediate progress assessment of GSOCmap was presented during GSOC17 (link to the presentation). Developing the GSOCmap has been a challenge which required intensive collaboration among soil information institutions globally. Besides guideline and cookbook, various specific training events support GSP partners to engage in the GSOCmap programme.

: Regional on-the-job training on Digital Soil Mapping

E-learning materials on DSM (soon available)

Regional Workshops

The aim of this capacity development program is to introduce recent concepts and techniques of DSM to soil scientists/staff who work at national soil science institutes in soil mapping related activities. This should reflect on developing and updating national and regional soil information.

In order to support national capacities, a first workshop on soil carbon mapping was organized for the Near East, Norther African and Eurasian Regional Soil Partnership.

Digital Soil Mapping training for Eastern and Southern Africa representatives, Nairobi, Kenya, from 23 to 27 February 2015;
Digital Soil Mapping training for Western and Central African countries, Accra, Ghana from 16 to 27 March 2015;
The first Digital Soil Mapping training for the Near East was conducted in Amman, Jordan from 29 November to 07 December 2015;
The first Digital Soil Mapping training for North Africa was held in Rabat, Morocco, from 10 to 14 October 2016;
The first Digital Soil Mapping training for the Eurasian Soil Partnership was held from 31 October to 4 November 2016 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

By the end of the trainings, participants became able to compile and harmonize legacy data and other input data for DSM applications, implementing DSM, and develop accurate digital soil maps for updating their national soil information systems.

For the Asian Soil Partnership, a workshop took place in April 2017. Other workshops are foreseen in other regional soil partnership.