Objectives

The workshop aims at bringing together stakeholders from different policy and user domains with remote sensing experts to discuss the requirement of a Soil Monitoring System utilizing space-based EO data with in-situ data and modeling. The focus will be on the potential use of existing and future planned space-based EO systems including data gaps and research issues of priority. The outcome of the workshop will be used to develop a roadmap of relevant research and demonstration activities supporting the development and implementation of a space-based EO Soil Monitoring System.

Organisation

The workshop will be organized in thematic sessions comprising solicited keynote presentations and oral/poster presentations selected from an open call. It will facilitate discussions to collect inputs and suggestions from the following communities:

Stakeholders from the policy and user domains
Representatives from national, European and international space agencies
Value adding industries and public sector entities
Soil and Geological surveys and research institutes/universities

Themes

Soil related national and international policies, agreements and frameworks
Economics of soils
Soils and ecosystem functioning
Sustainable Soil Management including conservation practices
Ongoing and planned space-based EO systems of relevance
Remote Sensing of Soils, including:
- Soil types and properties (physical properties (soil texture, bulk density), chemical components (organic and inorganic carbon), soil moisture, fertility
- Dynamics of soil condition incl. Soil Degradation (Contamination, Salinisation, Erosion and loss of organic matter)
- Limitation of EO systems and work around solutions e.g. utilizing DSM and DEMs
- Standards, Protocols and Reference databases (soil databases and spectral libraries) including validation/calibration
Soil monitoring systems and requirements, including:
- Soil indicators
- local: e.g. soil zoning for precision farming, regional, and global
- combining in-situ and remote sensing derived information, including aggregation, disaggregation techniques and modeling
- implementation issues making use of already ongoing activities