1. The ecopedological map of the alpine territory the pilot area of the Veneto Region Ispra February 2005
Ialina Vinci and Silvia Obber Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of the Veneto Region

2. 18,000 km2
total surface
6,000 km2
mountainous area
Veneto

3. Pilot Area of Veneto Region (Italy)
Area: 216 km2

4. MORPHOLOGY (dem 30 m)
morphology

5. Geological map of Veneto Region (1:250.000)

6. SOIL MAP OF VENETO REGION 1:250.000 scale

7. soil map 1:250.000 of Veneto Region

8. Soil Mapping Units of the 1:250.000 soil map

9. DO35: Lastoni di Formin, Croda da Lago, Becco di Mezzodì
Surface: km2
Elevation: 1,800-2,600 m a.s.l.
Phytoclimatic zone: subalpine and alpine
Bedrock:
75% Sciliar Dolomite
15% Principal Dolomite (Croda da Lago - Cima Ambrizzola)
10% Raibl Group, local flows, limited to: Forca Rossa, Fedaia Lake; easily erodible
Unconsolidated material: 70% of the total surface (dolomitic)
70% dolomitic rockfall deposits, with debris flows; concentrated at the bottom of the rock walls
30% glacial deposits, on benches between 2,000 and 2,300 m a.s.l. ca., locally rock glaciers
Morphology: dolomitic high mountain area; scree, at the bottom of the rock walls, partially active; basal tills on hanging benches of structural origin (Mondeval di sopra, malga Prendera, Federa Lake) shaped by the glaciers; secondarily rock glacier and debris flows
% no soil: 30%
Vegetation: alpine grassland and pastures
Soilscape polygon description

10. Slope – Elevation classes
Slope classes (%)
Surface rate (%)
0-2 1
2-5 2
5-15 9
15-30 26
30-60 39
60-90 15
>90 7 10 20 30 40 50 60
Surface rate (%)
0-2
2-5
5-15
15-30
30-60
60-90
>90
Slope classes (%)
Slope classes 10 20 30 40
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
2600
2800
3000
3200
3400
elevation (m)
Surface rate (%)
15%
30%
60%
90% 50
Average slope (°)
Elevation classes
Slope – Elevation classes

11. Soilscape polygon description (continued)
Soil Typological Units (STU) (delineation DO35)
code %
distribution
SPM1 30
Dolomitic scree stabilized by pioneer vegetation or mugo pine (Pinus mugo)
FOC1
Steep slopes with dolomitic glacial deposits, pastured
VGA1 10
Moderately steep slopes with thick colluvial mantle of fine materials (Raibl), pastured
No soil
Scree and rocks
FOC1

12. STU Forcella Giau (FOC1)
SOIL TYPOLOGICAL UNIT
Environment description
morphology, bedrock, vegetation, land use…
Soil Properties
depth, rock outcrops, water-table depth, drainage,
available water capacity…
Horizon properties
colour, particle size, coarse fragments, carbonate
content…
Representative profile description with analysis
STU Forcella Giau (FOC1)
Rendzic Leptosol

13. REFERENCE DATABASES AND PROCEDURES
The 1: Geographical Soil Database, at present the only harmonized database at continental scale
A Manual of Procedures (MOP) for a Georeferenced Soil Database for Europe (1: ), worked out by the European Soil Bureau in 1998
REFERENCE DATABASES AND PROCEDURES

14. It will allow exchange of data on:
PIXEL EXCHANGE FORMAT: a minimum set of shared and harmonized information as a basis for a Soil Information System of the Alps
It will allow exchange of data on:
parent material
rootable depth
water regime
WRB classification
topsoil and subsoil texture
topsoil and subsoil organic carbon content
topsoil and subsoil bulk density
physiography
land use

15. METADATA DESCRiPTION (EXAMPLE)
DATA EXCHANGE FORMAT
The structure of European Soil Database at scale 1:
It concerns main environmental features: physiography, land use, topsoil and subsoil texture, drainage, rootable depth, parent material and World Reference Base classification (WRB).
A section requires information about metadata (information about data sources, collection and evaluation procedures used)
It is a tool for further application purposes, such as evaluation of erosion risk and carbon stock of alpine soils, meant to support planning decisions.
The partners are asked to suggest improvements and changes in the format structure, basing proposals on their own knowledge and on the experience achieved testing the common format in their sample area.
Example of data exchange format
CODE
DESCRIPTION
SIZE
EXAMPLE
PX-ID
Pixel identification number (INSPIRE) 9
4525_2618
AGLIM1
Code for dominant limitation to agricultural use of the STU 2 - IL
Depth class of a presence of an impermeable layer within the STU 1
ROO
Depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU
TEXT-TOP-DOM
Dominant topsoil textural class of the STU
TEXT-SUB-DOM
Dominant subsoil textural class of the STU
PAR-MAT-DOM-AR
Code for dominant parent material of the STU 4
6122 WR
Dominant annual average soil water regime class of the the STU
WRB-FULL
Full soil code of the STU from the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources 6
CMskdy
Example of metadata description table
CODE
METADATA DESCRiPTION (EXAMPLE)
PX-ID
Pixel identification number (INSPIRE)
PARENT MATERIAL
Geological Map (1: , 1: scale) and soil survey
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
WRB, 1998
NO SOIL
Corine Land Cover, 1994
ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT
Soil Map (1: scale). Weighted average of all STUs in the pixel
BULK DENSITY
Soil survey
SOIL EROSION RISK ASSESSMENT
Soil Map (1: scale), DEM (30 m). Weighted average af all STUs in the pixel

16. ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES OF THE PIXEL APPROACH
Extremely simplified approach
Not suitable for representing soil coverage complexity
Easier to be filled
Easier to be updated
Suitable to represent output data (policy relevant information)
Useful to support updating in a multiscale approach (bottom-up)
Suitable to be used for environmental indicators
Easy to be integrated with other environmental indicators on different layers (INDIQUASOLS)

17. Pilot area INSPIRE GRID

18. SOIL MAP 1:250.000 rastered by 10 m pixels GRID 1 km
10 m pixel in order to have only 1 SMU value in every pixel

19. SMU_STU Database of Veneto Region
N_STU
STU
%_STU

20. Percentage of each STU in every SMU

21. % of every STU
in the pixel
% of every STU
in the SMU

22. STUs
PIXEL
SMU

23. STU max in the pixel (macro)

24. 1 km PIXEL DESCRIPTION: STU max
ZMB1 40%
STU2
SDP1 25%
STU3
ORN1 20%
Bare deposits
15%
SMU 1
STU1
SDP1 30%
STU2
ZMB1 25%
STU3
CTA1 20%
Bare deposits
10%
PIXEL_id
SMU 2
STU max
ZMB1

25. JOIN

26. Example:
Parameter ROO (Depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU)

27. STU Database of Veneto Region

28. EXAMPLE: 1 km raster
Parameter ROO
(Depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU)
No soil