HU-SoilCarbonGrids
The capability of soils, namely, to store organic carbon is one of the most important soil properties. It determines soil productivity, influences water retention and management, affects nutrient release and supply, and helps to maintain biodiversity. In addition, it plays a key role in addressing several environmental challenges, such as reducing soil and land degradation, mitigating climate change, and maintaining ecosystem services. In response to the rapidly growing demand for information on soil organic carbon stocks, HU-SoilCarbonGrids has been developed, which is a national initiative for providing comprehensive, high-resolution information on soil organic carbon changes across Hungary. The initiative is based on more than three decades of nationwide soil monitoring data, a wide range of environmental covariates, and advanced digital soil mapping techniques, enabling annual predictions at a spatial resolution of 100×100 m, along with a quantitative assessment of prediction uncertainty. The resulting map series provides a unique foundation for monitoring soil health, supporting policy-making and land use planning, and underpinning sustainable agriculture and nature conservation objectives. Through continuous development and regular updates, HU-SoilCarbonGrids aims to serve as a reliable long-term information source for both national and international initiatives.
For more details on HU-SoilCarbonGrids and its methodology, please see:
Szatmári G., Laborczi A., Takács K., Mészáros J., Koós S., Bakacsi Zs., Pásztor L. (2025): HU-SoilCarbonGrids: An initiative for providing comprehensive information on soil organic carbon changes in Hungary. European Journal of Soil Science (Under review)
Further publications on the topic of soil organic carbon modelling:
Szatmári G., Pásztor L., Takács K., Mészáros J., Benő A., Laborczi A. (2024): Space-time modelling of soil organic carbon stock change at multiple scales: Case study from Hungary. Geoderma 451, 117067.