EUROSOIL 2008
SOIL - SOCIETY - ENVIRONMENT
25 - 29 August 2008
Vienna, Austria
Workshop 6 SoilCritZone - SOIL SUSTAINABILITY IN EUROPE
DESCRIPTION
In this workshop we will introduce the outcomes of work funded by the European Commission (EC) that has the aim to underpin strategies for soil protection. The EC FP6 Specific Support Action entitled ‘Soil sustainability in Europe as deduced from investigation of the Critical Zone’ (SoilCritZone) has several objectives:
· To unify the fragmented European Soil Community - research and policy
· To quantify the soil life-cycle
· To develop European soil research strategy
· To underpin European soil conservation efforts
· To work with colleagues in the US
· To include the soil concerns of the developing world
This workshop will explore and debate the outcomes of the first and second workshops of SoilCritZone to be held in Bristol, October 2007, and Sofia, April 2008. These workshops will develop the themes of (i) Soil formation processes/weathering; (ii) Soil erosion and degradation; (iii) Life cycle of soils – modelling; and (iv) Biodiversity and cross-cutting issues. This EUROSOIL workshop will expect participants to think ‘outside the box’, considering fringe soil science, such as permaculture.
The workshop will begin with addresses from keynote speakers who will outline the outcomes of the workshops. Participants will then be invited to contribute to the themes using the World Café working group format.
