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UID:pretalx-soil-health-now-2026-GSW97R@pretalx.earthmonitor.org
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Athens:20261209T164500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Athens:20261209T170000
DESCRIPTION:Soil pH indicates the level of acidity or alkalinity in the soi
 l environment\, influencing various biogeochemical and physical processes.
  Additionally\, soil pH levels are\ncrucial in determining the bioavailabi
 lity of elements such as iron\, aluminium\, and heavy metals which can be 
 harmful. As such\, pH is an important soil health and\ndegradation indicat
 or. Although there is a well-established understanding of soil pH at local
 ized levels\, the spatial and temporal variations\, as well as significant
 \nthresholds at national and continental scales\, are not sufficiently doc
 umented. Here we analyse the European topsoil pH data (LUCAS) in combinati
 on with other soil\nproperties from the LUCAS survey\, to identify thresho
 lds and spatial patterns of soil pH across Europe in relation to soil heal
 th and degradation. At the European scale\nwe found: 1) the water balance\
 , calculated as mean annual precipitation minus potential evapotranspirati
 on (MAP-PET)\, provides essential context to interpret soil\npH\; 2) the s
 hift from organic carbon-rich soils to those dominated by inorganic carbon
  is observed at a pH of about 7.2\, however\, soil moisture levels may be 
 more\ncritical than pH for the accumulation of soil organic carbon\; 3) we
  identified three distinct clusters within the multivariate regression tre
 e: acidophiles (below pH\n5.2)\, neutrophiles (pH 5.2–6.9) and alkaliphi
 les (above pH 6.9)\, while optimum microbial diversity occurred between pH
  6 and 7. Earthworm abundance\, as reported\nby the sWorm database\, is mo
 re nuanced and dependent on land use\; 4) risk of degradation by heavy met
 als cannot be captured by a single pH threshold. Finally\, we\nidentify so
 il pH thresholds that can aid policymakers in identifying regions that may
  require protection or intervention.
DTSTAMP:20260825T180143Z
LOCATION:Amphitheater I
SUMMARY:Patterns and thresholds for soil pH across Europe in relation to so
 il health and degradation - Inma Lebron Robinson
URL:https://pretalx.earthmonitor.org/soil-health-now-2026/talk/GSW97R/
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