INTRODUCTION

Most of the variables required in the exchange format (and their relative codes that are listed below) are taken from the Soil Geographical Database of Eurasia version 4. Some of them are taken from the Manual of Procedures, version 1.1. New codes have been added, some have been modified (TEXT-TOP-DOM/SEC instead of TEXT-SRF-DOM/SEC, PAR-MAT-DOM-AR/SEC) and some codes have been integrated (PAR-MAT-DOM-AR/SEC). All changes and new codes are highlighted by using colors.

While all variables should be evaluated in the pixel according to the criterion of dominant STU, the second part of the exchange format (PIXEL DESCRIPTION AND SOIL INDICATORS TABLE) should be calculated/evaluated for the whole pixel as a total result.

The final part of the exchange format (METADATA DESCRIPTION TABLE) requires a detailed description of data sources and methodologies used for filling in the format and has to be filled in once for the whole pilot area. If necessary it could be filled more than once for different parts of the pilot area.

In future perspectives, for a soil dastabase of the whole Alpine territory coded variables will be set up in order to fill a new metadata table that will describe each pixel. Variables coding will be derived by means of the outcomes of the metadata tables filled in, in this first phase, within the pilot areas.

A BRIEF GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF EACH PILOT AREA IS REQUIRED AS INTRODUCTION TO THE EXCHANGE FORMAT.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCEDURES USED TO FILL IN THE ETRS_LAEA GRID CONVERTING LOCAL GEOGRAPHICAL DATA, PROVIDING PROJECTION FILES.

DOMINANT STU DESCRIPTION TABLE

Codes for the description of the parameters of the dominant STU in the pixel

PX-ID: pixel identification code. Pixel lower left coordinates; for 1 km pixels 9 characters, organized as following: "abcd_efgh" with "abcd" indicating the longitude in km and "efgh" indicating the latitude in km, in the ETRS_LAEA coordinate system. The ETRS_LAEA 1km grid for the alpine region with cells labeled according to the Unified European Grid Coding System, is available on web (http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/projects/Alpsis/MainAlpine.html).

DOM-STU: dominant STU coverage (%). It is useful to give an indication of how “dominant” the dominat STU is. Sometimes, especially in mountainous environments, the dominant STU can reach only very low percentages in 1 km pixels.

AGRI-USE

AGRI-USE
CODE	DESCRIPTION
0	No agricultural use
1	Agricultural use

AGLIM1 and AGLIM2: dominant and secondary limitation to agricultural use of the STU.

Ø A STU can have more than one limitation for agricultural use. Only the two most important limitations are considered and ranked in order of their relative importance. Attribute AGLIM1 contains the code of the most important limitation and attribute AGLIM2 the code of the secondary limitation.

If there is only one limitation or if the secondary limitation is unknown, then the value of AGLIM1 must also be copied to AGLIM2. For example, a soil can be both shallow, with a lithic contact within the first 50 cm, and have more than 35% gravel. The contributor may determine that shallowness is the dominant limiting factor and gravel content is the secondary limitation. Then AGLIM1= 4 and AGLIM2 = 2.

AGLIM1 and AGLIM2
CODE	DESCRIPTION
0	No information
1	No limitation to agricultural use
2	Gravelly (over 35% gravel diameter < 7.5 cm)
3	Stony (presence of stones diameter > 7.5 cm, impracticable mechanisation)
4	Lithic (coherent and hard rock within 50 cm)
5	Concretionary (over 35 % concretions diameter < 7.5 cm near the surface)
6	Petrocalcic (cemented or indurated calcic horizon within 100 cm)
7	Saline (electric conductivity > 4 mS.cm^‑1 within 100 cm)
8	Sodic (Na/T > 6 % within 100 cm)
9	Glaciers and snow-caps
10	Soils disturbed by man (i.e. landfills, paved surfaces, mine spoils)
11	Fragipans
12	Excessively drained
13	Almost always flooded
14	Eroded phase, erosion
15	Phreatic phase (shallow water table)
16	Duripan (silica and iron cemented subsoil horizon)
17	Petroferric horizon
18	Permafrost
19	Poorly drained

IL: depth class of a presence of an impermeable layer within the STU.

Ø An impermeable layer is a subsoil horizon restricting water penetration. The impermeability can be of lithologic origin (lithic contact), or pedogenic origin (claypan, duripan, petrocalcic or petroferric horizons).

IL
CODE		DESCRIPTION
0	No information
1	No impermeable layer within 150 cm
2	Impermeable layer between 80 and 150 cm
3	Impermeable layer between 40 and 80 cm
4	Impermeable layer within 40 cm

ROO: depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU.

Ø An obstacle to roots is defined as a subsoil horizon restricting root penetration. It can be of lithologic origin (lithic contact, rock fragments abundance), or pedogenic origin (fragipan, duripan, petrocalcic or petroferric horizons), or it can result from the accumulation of toxic elements, or from waterlogging.

ROO
CODE	DESCRIPTION
0	No information
1	No obstacle to roots between 0 and 80 cm
2	Obstacle to roots between 60 and 80 cm depth
3	Obstacle to roots between 40 and 60 cm depth
4	Obstacle to roots between 20 and 40 cm depth
5	Obstacle to roots between 0 and 80 cm depth
6	Obstacle to roots between 0 and 20 cm depth

TOP-DEP: depth of topsoil of the STU (cm).

Topsoil in considered as the horizon/s at soil surface (A and/or E horizons) whereas subsoil is the sum of underlying horizons (B and/or C horizons) till the depth to obstacle for roots .

Texture

TEXT-TOP-DOM: dominant topsoil textural class of the STU, topsoil referring to the soil between the surface and the TOP-DEP value[1].

TEXT-TOP-SEC: secondary topsoil textural class of the STU, topsoil referring to the soil between the surface and the TOP-DEP value[2].

TEXT-SUB-DOM: dominant subsoil textural class of the STU. It is considered SUBSOIL the portion of the STU between the bottom of topsoil and the depth to obstacle for roots.

TEXT-SUB-SEC: secondary subsoil textural class of the STU.

Ø Expressing lateral variability:

A STU can have surface textures that fall in two different textural classes. The secondary surface textural class (TEXT-TOP-SEC) is used to indicate the surface texture less extensive than the dominant one.

Together the TEXT-TOP-DOM and the TEXT-TOP-SEC attributes describe the lateral variability of the surface horizon texture within the STU. If there is no such variability or if information is unavailable, then the value of TEXT-TOP-DOM must also be entered for TEXT-TOP-SEC.

The same procedure should be followed for the variables TEXT-SUB-DOM and TEXT-SUB-SEC.

TEXTURE (TEXT-TOP-DOM; TEXT-TOP-SEC; TEXT-SUB-DOM; TEXT-SUB-SEC)
CODE	DESCRIPTION
0	No information
9	No mineral texture (Peat soils, rocks, etc.)
1	Coarse (clay <18% and sand ≥65% )
2	Medium (18% ≤ clay < 35 % and sand ≥ 15%, or clay <18% and 15% ≤ sand <65%)
3	Medium fine (clay <35% and sand ≤15%)
4	Fine (35% ≤ clay < 60%)
5	Very fine (clay ≥ 60%)

Ø Texture is divided into 5 major classes corresponding to specific particle-size distribution of clay, silt and sand (CEC, 1985) as shown in Figure 1, where the following textural classes are used:

Sand = fraction between 50 and 2000 mm

Silt = fraction between 2 and 50 mm

Clay = fraction smaller than 2 mm

Figure 1: Texture classes (after CEC, 1985)

Parent Material

PAR-MAT-DOM-AR, PAR-MAT-SEC-AR: dominant and secondary parent materials of the dominant STU[3].

Ø AR stays for Alpine Region. The codes refer to the following list that is slightly different from the original one (DB 1:1 milion, version 4) since sub-type levels from 6112 to 6313 have been added by ARPAV.

Ø The PAR-MAT-SEC-AR attribute provides the option to indicate a secondary parent material code when parent material variability within an STU is important and some parts of the STU fall into a different parent material class than that of the dominant one.

Ø If there is no variability or if the variability is unknown, the value of PAR-MAT-DOM-AR must be copied to PAR‑MAT-SEC-AR.

Ø Depending on the level of detail available to describe the dominant and secondary parent materials of the STU, i.e. Major Class or Group or Type or Sub-type, the user will choose any one of the codes provided in the table.

PAR-MAT-DOM-AR; PAR-MAT-SEC-AR
1 Major Class level		2 Group level		3 Type level		4 Sub-type level
0000	No information	0000	No information	0000	No information	0000		No information
1000	consolidated-clastic- sedimentary rocks	1100	psephite or rudite	1110	conglomerate	1111		pudding stone
				1120	breccia
		1200	psammite or arenite	1210	sandstone	1211		calcareous sandstone
						1212		ferruginous sandstone
						1213		clayey sandstone
						1214		quartzitiic sandstone orthoquartzite
						1215		micaceous sandstone
				1220	arkose
				1230	graywacke	1231		feldspathic graywacke
		1300	pelite, lutite or argilite	1310	claystone / mudstone	1311		kaolinite
						1312		bentonite
				1320	siltstone
		1400	facies bound rock	1410	flysch	1411		sandy flisch
						1412		clayey and silty flysch
						1413		conglomeratic flysch
				1420	molasse
2000	sedimentary rocks (chemically precipitated, evaporated, or organogenic or biogenic in origin)	2100	calcareous rocks	2110	limestone	2111		hard limestone
						2112		soft limestone
						2113		marly limestone
						2114		chalky limestone
						2115		detrital limestone
						2116		carbonaceous limestone
						2117		lacustrine or freshwater limestone
						2118		travertine/calcareous sinter
						2119		cavernous limestone
				2120	dolomite	2121		cavernous dolomite
						2122		calcareous dolomite
				2130	marlstone
				2140	marl	2141		chalk marl
						2142		gypsiferous marl
				2150	chalk
		2200	evaporites	2210	gypsum
				2220	anhydrite
				2230	halite
		2300	siliceous rocks	2310	chert, hornstone, flint
				2320	diatomite radiolarite
3000	igneous rocks	3100	acid to intermediate plutonic rocks	3110	granite
				3120	granodiorite
				3130	diorite	3131		quartz diorite
						3132		gabbro diorite
				3140	syenite	3140		syenite
		3200	basic plutonic rocks	3210	gabbro	3210		gabbro
		3300	ultrabasic plutonic rocks	3310	peridotite	3310		peridotite
				3320	pyroxenite	3320		pyroxenite
		3400	acid to intermediate volcanic rocks	3410	rhyolite	3411		obsidian
						3412		quartz porphyrite
				3420	dacite
				3430	andesite	3431		porphyrite (interm,)
				3440	phonolite	3441		tephritic phonolite
				3450	trachyte
		3500	basic to ultrabasic volcanic rocks	3510	basalt
				3520	diabase
				3530	pikrite
		3600	dike rocks	3610	aplite
				3620	pegmatite
				3630	lamprophyre
		3700	pyroclastic rocks (tephra)	3710	tuff/tuffstone	3711		agglomeratic tuff
						3712		block tuff
						3713		lapilli tuff
				3720	tuffite	3721		sandy tuffite
						3722		silty tuffite
						3723		clayey tuffite
				3730	volcanic scoria/ volcanic breccia
				3740	volcanic ash
				3750	ignimbrite
				3760	pumice
4000	metamorphic rocks	4100	weakly metamorphic rocks	4110	(meta-)shale / argilite
				4120	slate	4121		graphitic slate
		4200	acid regional metamorphic rocks	4210	(meta-)quartzite	4211		quartzite schist
				4220	phyllite
				4230	micaschist
				4240	gneiss
				4250	granulite (sensu stricto)
				4260	migmatite
		4300	basic regional metamorphic rocks	4310	greenschist	4311		prasinite
						4312		chlorite
						4313		talc schist
				4320	amphibolite
				4330	eclogite
		4400	ultrabasic regional metamorphic rocks	4410	serpentinite	4411		greenstone
		4500	calcareous regional metamorphic rocks	4510	marble
				4520	calcschist, skam
		4600	rocks formed by contact metamorphism	4610	contact slate	4611		nodular slate
				4620	hornfels
				4630	calsilicate rocks
		4700	tectogenetic or cataclasmic metamorphic rocks	4710	tectonic breccia
				4720	cataclasite
				4730	mylonite
5000	unconsolidated deposits (alluvium, weathering residuum and slope deposits)	5100	marine and estuarine sands	5110	pre-quaternary sand	5111		tertiary sand
				5120	quaternary sand	5121		holocene coastal sand with shells
						5122		delta sand
		5200	marine and estuarine clays and silts	5210	pre-quaternary clay and silt	5211		tertiary clay
						5212		tertiary silt
				5220	quaternary clay and silt	5221		holocene clay
						5222		holocene silt
		5300	fluvial sands and gravels	5310	river terrace sand or gravel	5311		river terrace sand
						5312		river terrace gravel
				5320	floodplain sand or	5321		floodplain sand
					gravel or loam or clay and silt	5322 5323 5324		floodplain gravel floodplain loam floodplain clay and silt
		5400	fluvial clays, silts and loams	5410	river clay and silt	5411		terrace clay and silt
						5412		terrace loam
				5420	overbank deposit	5421		overbank clay and silt
						5422		overbank loam
		5500	lake deposits	5510	lake sand and delta sand
				5520	lake marl, bog lime
				5530	lake silt
		5600	residual and redeposited loams from silicate rocks	5610	residual loam	5611		stony loam
						5612		clayey loam
				5620	redeposited loam	5621		running-ground
		5700	residual and redeposited clays from calcareous rocks	5710	residual clay	5711		clay with flints
						5712		ferruginous residual clay
						5713		calcareous clay
						5714		non-calcareous clay
						5715		marly clay
				5720	redeposited clay	5721		stony clay
		5800	slope deposits	5810	slope-wash alluvium
				5820	colluvial deposits
				5830	talus scree	5831		stratified slope deposits
6000	unconsolidated glacial deposits glacial drift	6100	morainic deposits	6110	glacial till	6111		boulder clay
						6112		calcareous
						6113		siliceous
						6114		mixed
				6120	glacial debris	6121		calcareous
						6122		siliceous
						6123		mixed
		6200	glaciofluvial deposits	6210	outwash sand, glacial sand	6211	calcareous
						6212	siliceous
						6213	mixed
				6220	outwash gravels glacial gravels	6221	calcareous
						6222	siliceous
						6223	mixed
		6300	glaciolacustrine deposits	6310	varves	6311		calcareous
						6312		siliceous
						6313		mixed
7000	eolian deposits	7100	loess	7110	loamy loess
				7120	sandy loess
		7200	eolian sands	7210	dune sand
				7220	cover sand
8000	organic materials	8100	peat (mires)	8110	rainwater fed moor peat (raised bog)
				8120	groundwater fed bog peat
		8200	slime and ooze deposits	8210	gyttja, sapropel
		8300	carbonaceaous rocks (caustobiolite)	8310	lignite (brown coal)
				8320	hard coal
				8330	anthracite
9000	anthropogenic deposits	9100	redeposited natural materials	9110	sand and gravel fill
				9120	loamy fill
		9200	dump deposits	9210	rubble/rubbish
				9220	industrial ashes and slag
				9230	industrial sludge
				9240	industrial waste
		9300	anthropogenic organic materials	9300	anthropogenic organic materials

WM1: Code for normal presence and purpose of an existing water management system in agricultural land on more than 50% of the STU.

A water management system is intended to palliate the lack of water (dry conditions), correct a soil condition preventing agricultural use (salinity), or drain excess water in waterlogged or frequently flooded areas. In some cases, it has a double purpose, for example in zones with contrasting seasonal conditions, alternatively flooded or experiencing droughts.

Ø Obviously, WM1 and WM2 are inter-dependant. For example, if WM1 = 2 (no water management system) then WM2 can only have value 2 (no water management system). As another example, WM1 = 3 (a water management system exists to alleviate waterlogging (drainage)) is clearly not compatible with WM2 = 9 (flood irrigation).

WM1
CODE	DESCRIPTION
0	No information
1	Not applicable (no agriculture)
2	No water management system
3	A water management system exists to alleviate waterlogging (drainage)
4	A water management system exists to alleviate drought stress (irrigation)
5	A water management system exists to alleviate salinity (drainage)
6	A water management system exists to alleviate both waterlogging and drought stress
7	A water management system exists to alleviate both waterlogging and salinity

WM2: Code for the type of an existing water management system. To be filled only when AGRI-USE code is 1

WM2
CODE	DESCRIPTION
0	No information
1	Not applicable (no agriculture)
2	No water management system
3	Pumping
4	Ditches
5	Drainage pipe network
6	Mole drainage
7	Deep loosening (subsoiling)
8	Furrow irrigation
9	Flood irrigation (system of irrigation by controlled flooding as for rice)
10	Overhead sprinkler (system of irrigation by sprinkling)
11	Drip irrigation

WR: Dominant annual average soil water regime class of the the STU.

Ø The annual average soil water regime is an estimate of the soil moisture conditions throughout the year.

WR
CODE	WR DESCRIPTION	DRAINAGE DESCRIPTION
0	No information
1	Not wetwithin 80 cm for over 3 months, nor wet within 40 cm for over 1 month	well drained/excessively drained	Water is removed from the soil readily or rapidly
2	Wet within 80 cm for 3 to 6 months, but not wet within 40 cm for over 1 month	moderately well drained	Water is removed from the soil somewhat slowly during some periods of the year. The soils are wet for short periods within rooting depth.
3	Wet within 80 cm for over 6 months, but not wet within 40 cm for over 11 months	imperfectly drained	Water is removed slowly so that the soils are wet at shallow depth (<40 cm) for a considerable period
4	Wet within 40 cm depth for over 11 months	poorly drained/very poorly drained	Water is removed so slowly that the soils are commonly wet for considerable periods. The soils have commonly a shallow (<40 cm) water table.

WRB Classification

WRB-ADJ1: First soil adjective code of the STU from the World Reference Base for Soil Resources

WRB-ADJ2: Second soil adjective code of the STU from the World Reference Base for Soil Resources

WRB-LEV1: Soil Reference Group code of the STU from the World Reference Base for Soil Resources

WRB-FULL: Full soil code of the STU from the World Reference Base for Soil Resources. In order to be complete, the full WRB code must include the group code and at least one adjective.

WRB-LEV1 (Soil Reference Groups)
AC	Acrisol	FL	Fluvisol	PZ	Podzol
AB	Albeluvisol	GL	Gleysol	RG	Regosol
AL	Alisol	GY	Gypsisol	SC	Solonchak
AN	Andosol	HS	Histosol	SN	Solonetz
AT	Anthrosol	KS	Kastanozem	UM	Umbrisol
AR	Arenosol	LP	Leptosol	VR	Vertisol
CL	Calcisol	LX	Lixisol	1	Town
CM	Cambisol	LV	Luvisol	2	Soil disturbed by man
CH	Chernozem	NT	Nitisol	3	Water body
CR	Cryosol	PH	Phaeozem	4	Marsh
DU	Durisol	PL	Planosol	5	Glacier
FR	Ferralsol	PT	Plinthosol	6	Rock outcrops

WRB‑ADJ1; WRB‑ADJ1
ap	Abruptic	fr	Ferric	mz	Mazic	rs	Rustic
ae	Aceric	fi	Fibric	me	Melanic	sz	Salic
ac	Acric	fv	Fluvic	ms	Mesotrophic	sa	Sapric
ao	Acroxic	fo	Folic	mo	Mollic	si	Silic
ab	Albic	fg	Fragic	na	Natric	sl	Siltic
ax	Alcalic	fu	Fulvic	ni	Nitic	sk	Skeletic
al	Alic	ga	Garbic	oh	Ochric	so	Sodic
au	Alumic	ge	Gelic	om	Ombric	sd	Spodic
an	Andic	gt	Gelistagnic	or	Orthic	sp	Spolic
aq	Anthraquic	gr	Geric	oa	Oxyaquic	st	Stagnic
am	Anthric	gi	Gibbsic	ph	Pachic	su	Sulphatic
ah	Anthropic	gc	Glacic	pe	Pellic	ty	Takyric
ar	Arenic	gl	Gleyic	pt	Petric	tf	Tephric
ai	Aric	gs	Glossic	pc	Petrocalcic	tr	Terric
ad	Aridic	gz	Greyic	pd	Petroduric	ti	Thionic
az	Arzic	gm	Grumic	pg	Petrogypsic	tx	Toxic
ca	Calcaric	gy	Gypsic	pp	Petroplinthic	tu	Turbic
cc	Calcic	gp	Gypsiric	ps	Petrosalic	um	Umbric
cb	Carbic	ha	Haplic	pi	Placic	ub	Urbic
cn	Carbonatic	hi	Histic	pa	Plaggic	vm	Vermic
ch	Chernic	ht	Hortic	pn	Planic	vr	Vertic
cl	Chloridic	hu	Humic	pl	Plinthic	vt	Vetic
cr	Chromic	hg	Hydragric	po	Posic	vi	Vitric
cy	Cryic	hy	Hydric	pf	Profondic	xa	Xanthic
ct	Cutanic	hk	Hyperskeletic	pr	Protic	ye	Yermic
dn	Densic	ir	Irragric	rd	Reductic	1	Town
du	Duric	II	Lamellic	rg	Regic	2	Soil disturbed by man
dy	Dystric	le	Leptic	rz	Rendzic	3	Water body
et	Entic	li	Lithic	rh	Rheic	4	Marsh
eu	Eutric	Ix	Lixic	ro	Rhodic	5	Glacier
es	Eutrisilic	Iv	Luvic	ru	Rubic	6	Rock outcrops
fl	Ferralic	mg	Magnesic	rp	Ruptic

PIXEL DESCRIPTION AND SOIL INDICATOR TABLE

All parameters of the pixel table (SUR-BARE, SUR-URB, W-BODY), are evaluated as percentages of area of the whole pixel. They should be calculated for the whole pixel (weighted average of all STUs, including non soil bodies, of the pixel, based on local databases or on European databases Corine Land Cover 2000) and not only for the dominant STU (as it has been done for all parameters of the dominant STU description table). The methodologies and criteria used to calculate the total amount of organic carbon in the pixel (t/ha) and actual soil loss (t/ha/year), are not previously defined; they can be decided by partners and afterwords described in detail in the metadata table.

SUR-BARE: percentage of pixel area covered by rocks, scree, glaciers or perpetual snow (%). Corine Land Cover 2000, codes 332, 335.

SUR-URB: percentage of pixel area covered by urban surfaces (%). Corine Land Cover: all artificial surfaces (all codes 1) are considered urban areas, including mine, dump construction sites and artificial non agricultural vegetated areas.

W-BODY: percentage of pixel area covered by water bodies (%). Corine Land Cover 2000, all codes 5.

STU-TOT: percentage of pixel area covered by the all STUs. Total soil coverage (%). It is useful for border pixels where each partner can describe only part of the pixel.

The sum of SUR-BARE (%)+ SUR-URB (%)+ W-BODY (%)+ STU-TOT (%) should give 100%, exept for border pixels.

data quality

PX-CFL: confidence level of pixel description by means of STUs.

The confidence level is an indicator of the knowledge of the soil-landscape model in the pixel; it is not strictly linked to the number of observations in the pixel. A pixel with no observations can have a higher confidence level than one with some observations.

PX-CFL
CODE	DESCRIPTION
1	^high confidence level (the local soil-landscape model is well known and, within the pixel, it has been examined in the field)
2	^moderate confidence level: ^-either the local soil-landscape model is well known in similar environments and in the pixel it has been derived by means of similarity of soil forming factors (morphology, geology, etc.); ^-or the local soil-landscape model is moderately known and, it has been examined in the field, within the pixel
3	^low confidence level: ^-either the local soil-landscape model is moderately known in similar environments and in the pixel it has been derived by means of similarity of soil forming factors (morphology, geology, etc.; ^-or the local soil-landscape model is poorly known and, within the pixel, it has been examined in the field)
4	^no information (no knwoledge of soil-landscape model of the pixel)

PX-AVLB: soil data availability. Type of original data used to fill in the pixel

PX-AVLB
CODE	DATA AVAILABILITY
0	No data
1	Point observations through soil-landscape models
2	Soil maps

PX-SCALE: scale of the main map used as soil data source in the pixel.

Following the same code structure (3 characters), other codes can be added if necessary.

PX-SCALE
CODE	MAP SCALE
750	1:750,000
700	1:700,000
500	1:500,000
250	1:250,000
200	1:200,000
100	1:100,000
050	1:50,000
025	1:25,000
020	1:20,000
010	1:10,000
005	1:5,000

PX-OBS: number of observations in the pixel.

PX-NPROF: number of profiles in the pixel.

organic carbon pool

OC-S-30: soil organic carbon content in the pixel (t/ha), calculated from 0 to 30 cm, meaning by “0” the upper boundary of the mineral soil surface (or of the organic layers that have been saturated with water for long periods, in case of organic soils). Weighted average in the pixel including both soil (STU-TOT) and non soil areas (SUR-BARE+SUR-URB+W-BODY.

OC-HUM: soil organic carbon content in the pixel (t/ha); calculated only for surface organic layers that have never been saturated with water for long periods, where present. Weighted average in the pixel, including both soil (STU-TOT) and non soil areas (SUR-BARE+SUR-URB+W-BODY.

OC-S-100: soil organic carbon content in the pixel (t/ha); calculated from 0 to 100 cm, meaning by “0” the upper boundary of the mineral soil surface (or of the organic layers that have been saturated with water for long periods, in case of organic soils). Weighted average in the pixel, including both soil (STU-TOT) and non soil areas (SUR-BARE+SUR-URB+W-BODY). Not mandatory.

erosion

S-LOSS: actual soil loss in the pixel (t/ha/year). Weighted average in the pixel, (including both soil (STU-TOT) and non soil areas (SUR-BARE+SUR-URB+W-BODY), considering rill and inter rill erosion only.

METADATA DESCRIPTION TABLE

Detailed description of data sources and methods. Most of the fields are “memo” fields in order to give the possibility to describe methods and data sources carefully, according to the following sugestions. In future perspectives, coded variables will be suggested.

AREA-ID: pilot area identification code, according to level2 of NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics), plus a number identifying a specific project or study in the area that has been taken as a reference for the description of pixels.

The references of the projects or specific studies should be precisely described. (i.e. for some parts of the Veneto Region pilot area the area code could be: ITD3-1 where ITD3 is the NUTS code and 1 refers to the project “Soil Map of Veneto Region, at 1:250.000 scale, ARPAV 2004, in print).

NUTS
CODE	COUNTRY	LEVEL 1	LEVEL 2
AT	ÖSTERREICH
AT1		OSTÖSTERREICH
AT11			Burgenland
AT12			Niederösterreich
AT13			Wien
AT2		SÜDÖSTERREICH
AT21			Kärnten
AT22			Steiermark
AT3		WESTÖSTERREICH
AT31			Oberösterreich
AT32			Salzburg
AT33			Tirol
AT34			Vorarlberg
ATZ		EXTRA-REGIO
FR	FRANCE
FR1		ÎLE DE FRANCE
FR10			Île de France
FR2		BASSIN PARISIEN
FR21			Champagne-Ardenne
FR22			Picardie
FR23			Haute-Normandie
FR24			Centre
FR25			Basse-Normandie
FR26			Bourgogne
FR3		NORD - PAS-DE-CALAIS
FR30			Nord - Pas-de-Calais
FR4		EST
FR41			Lorraine
FR42			Alsace
FR43			Franche-Comté
FR5		OUEST
FR51			Pays de la Loire
FR52			Bretagne
FR53			Poitou-Charentes

FR6		SUD-OUEST
FR61			Aquitaine
FR62			Midi-Pyrénées
FR63			Limousin
FR631
FR632
FR633
FR7		CENTRE-EST
FR71			Rhône-Alpes
FR72			Auvergne
FR8		MÉDITERRANÉE
FR81			Languedoc-Roussillon
FR82			Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
FRZ		EXTRA-REGIO
IT	ITALIA
ITC		NORD-OVEST
ITC1			Piemonte
ITC2			Valle d'Aosta/Vallée d'Aoste
ITC3			Liguria
ITC4			Lombardia
ITD		NORD-EST
ITD1			Provincia Autonoma Bolzano/Bozen
ITD2			Provincia Autonoma Trento
ITD3