Logo: Soils and sediments

Soils and sediments

Soils and sediments are the layers of the earth's surface that support life. They comprise top-soil, sub-soil and ocean sediments and support a number of regulatory services.

Important for the following ecosystem services:

Soil quality

Soil quality is provided through weathering processes, which maintain bio-geochemical conditions of soils including fertility and soil structure, and decomposition and fixing processes, which enables nitrogen fixing, nitrification and mineralisation of dead organic material.

Buffering and attenuation of mass flows

Buffering and attenuation of mass flows allows the transport and storage of sediment by rivers, lakes and seas.

Climate regulation

Global climate regulation is provided by nature through the long-term storage of carbon dioxide in soils, vegetable biomass, and the oceans. At a regional level, the climate is regulated by ocean currents and winds while, at local and micro-levels, vegetation can modify temperatures, humidity, and wind speeds.

Mass stabilisation and erosion control

Mass stabilisation and erosion control is delivered through vegetation cover protected and stabilising terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems, coastal wetlands and dunes. Vegetation on slopes also prevents avalanches and landslides, and mangroves, sea grass and macroalgae provide erosion protection of coasts and sediments.

Influenced by the following drivers of environmental change:

Data needs

  • Degree of soil degradation

Global asset layer