Frontiers in earth observation for global soil properties assessment linked to environmental and socio-economic factors.

ABSTRACT: Soil has garnered global attention for its role in food security and climate change. Fine-scale soil-mapping techniques are urgently needed to support food, water, and biodiversity services. A global soil dataset integrated into an Earth observation system and supported by cloud computing enabled the development of the first global soil grid of six key properties at a 90-m spatial resolution. Assessing them from environmental and socio-economic perspectives, we demonstrated that 64% of the world's topsoils are primarily sandy, with low fertility and high susceptibility to degradation. These conditions limit crop productivity and highlight potential risks to food security. Results reveal that approximately 900 Gt of soil organic carbon (SOC) is stored up to 20 cm deep. Arid biomes store thr

SUBMITTER: Dematte JAM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12447651 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature