WP4. Soil Management Suite
Main objectives: Implementation of municipal soil manager strategy as well as test of soil manger suite on local pilots
Summary description and approach: Existing soil evaluation tools will be assessed. Based on outcomes and on the end-user participation two different Soil Manager computer tools will be elaborated: Desktop tool will be developed as an end-user PC computer application; while the Web will be a GIS web planning tool for evaluation of soils for planning purposes. After testing in WP5, both will be improved and finalized.
URBAN SMS Tools:
The assessment of soil will be done via Web Urban SMS System - a GIS based portal designed for interpretation, analysis, visualisation and modelling of soil and soil related data. Eight basic tools for assessment of soils in urbanised areas were defined by the project partners:
· Ecosystem Soil Quality tool - to assess the environmental value of soils;
· Loss of Soil Resource tool - to assist the planning decisions and to protect quality soils;
· Soil Contamination tool - to steer the planning decisions towards lower impact of soil pollution;
· Sealing Rate tool - to evaluate the importance of urban green areas;
· Agricultural Soil Quality tool - to preserve best agricultural soils;
· Water Drainage tool - to estimate the soils infiltration rate and potential water logging;
· Connectivity tool - to evaluate the relationship between objects and their distance to green areas;
· Proximity tool - to assess the spatial and economic impacts of urban green.
These tools were designed in the most flexible way possible, allowing each tool to be adjusted according to the local data availability, interpretation rules, national legislation, soil resource quality and various threshold values specific for each partner/country.
The design and functions of Web Urban SMS System are demonstrated by following screencasts: