Across Europe, soil health is under growing pressure from land take, erosion, pollution, and climate change. These pressures undermine soils’ ability to provide many NbS to overcome problems and essential ecosystem services such as food production, carbon storage, and clean water. Mission Soil(EC, 2021) identifies spatial planning as a key instrument for achieving land degradation neutrality. However, soils and subsoils remain largely invisible in current planning and education, with many policymakers, landowners, and planners unaware of the opportunities and constraints that soil systems present.
This special session invites interdisciplinary contributions that explore how soil structure, function, and engineered soil systems can be integrated into spatial planning, urban design, and landscape engineering to create climate adaptive and ecologically robust environments. We welcome case studies, modelling approaches, and planning frameworks that assess potentials, limitations, co benefits, and trade offs across climate, ecological, and urban systems.
By embedding soil knowledge and soil care into planning and design, we can support healthier soils, enhance climate resilience, and avoid unintended trade offs across functions, generations, and landscapes.
Orals: Thu, 7 May, 08:30–10:15 | Room 0.15
The rhizosphere is the central hotspot of water and nutrient uptake by plants, rhizodeposition, microbial activities, and plant-soil-microbial interactions. The plasticity of plants offers possibilities to engineer the rhizosphere to mitigate climate change. We define rhizosphere engineering as targeted manipulation of plants, soil, microorganisms, and management to shift rhizosphere processes for specific aims [e.g., carbon (C) sequestration]. The rhizosphere components can be engineered by agronomic, physical, chemical, biological, and genomic
approaches. These approaches increase plant productivity with a special focus on C inputs belowground, increase microbial necromass production, protect organic compounds and necromass by aggregation, and decrease C losses. Rhizosphere engineering focus on the accumulation and stabilization of C in the soil either directly or indirectly through: (i) raising root-derived C inputs; (ii) increasing the production of microbial biomass and necromass; and (iii) enhancing C stabilization in the soil. Rhizosphere engineering is crucial to manage rhizodeposition, microbial activities, and plant–soil–microbial interactions, and thus soil C sequestration under global change and human impacts. Finally, we outline multifunctional options for rhizosphere engineering: how to boost C sequestration, increase soil health, and mitigate global change effects.
How to cite: Kuzyakov, Y. and Wang, C.: Rhizosphere engineering for soil carbon sequestration, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-7993, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-7993, 2026.
Climate change is no longer about single hazards—it is about compound disasters that escalate through interlinked shocks and delays in recovery. These risks do not distribute randomly, but concentrate persistently in certain places and among vulnerable groups. This keynote argues that compound disasters must be understood not as isolated events, but as a structural process shaped by coupled long-term pressures and short-term pulses.
To unpack this, I use the press–pulse disturbance framework: chronic pressures like urbanization, loss of ecological function, and impervious surface expansion gradually shift system states, while acute shocks like heatwaves or floods convert these vulnerabilities into real damage. Critically, these interactions are not linear—pressures amplify shock impacts, and shocks reshape the very systems that buffer or propagate the next disaster. However, explaining this mechanism is not enough for action. To move from diagnosis to implementation, we need a planning-oriented logic that translates drivers, system conditions, and intervention options into concrete spatial choices—this is where the PSR framework becomes essential.
Through a Pressure–State–Response (PSR) lens, I propose a systems approach that connects risk drivers, system conditions, and intervention points. Here, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are reframed not as surface-level greening, but as spatial tools that weaken amplification loops, change system trajectories, and accelerate recovery. PSR allows for actionable diagnosis: identifying where and how to intervene, and what type of NbS strategy will be most effective.
The keynote presents empirical cases across multiple hazards:
• Heatwaves show why thermal risk clusters spatially, and how specific NbS configurations reduce exposure.
• Urban flooding reveals how land-cover shifts and disrupted hydrology amplify risk—and how spatially connected NbS networks restore regulation.
• Wildfire cases highlight cross-boundary escalation and how spatial design can transform spread and recovery dynamics.
• Biodiversity & ecosystem function are revealed not as side benefits, but as structural determinants of resilience.
Together, these cases clarify both the mechanisms and the spatial leverage points; translating them into action requires a decision framework.
Decision-support tools—such as scenario modeling, hotspot mapping, and land-use optimization—translate systems analysis into grounded policy options. Across these examples, resilience emerges not from single interventions, but from reconfiguring feedbacks: robustness via regulating functions, redundancy through distributed networks, resourcefulness via multifunctional design, and rapidity through faster recovery paths.
In sum, this keynote presents a new logic for addressing compound disasters: not just what we should do, but why systems respond the way they do, and how spatial NbS strategies can intervene in those dynamics. Moving from reactive planning to anticipatory systems thinking is not only urgent—it is possible.
How to cite: Lee, J.: Why Do Compound Disasters Keep Recurring?Structural Diagnosis and Spatial Strategies via Systems Analysis and Nature-Based Solutions, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-18711, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-18711, 2026.
In the face of increasing climate hazards and the growing complexity of urban environments, soils emerge as a key interface between water, vegetation, infrastructure and human uses. Their role goes far beyond that of a simple support: soils condition hydrological functioning, environmental quality, the adaptive capacity of developed spaces, and the long-term sustainability of projects. Yet, in many urban and peri-urban contexts, soils remain insufficiently integrated into design and management processes.
This presentation will present feedback from scientists and engineers involved in urban development, regeneration and environmental management projects. Drawing on several concrete case studies, it illustrates how an integrated diagnostic approach to soils, water and land use can guide the design of more resilient projects, from the planning stage through to operational implementation.
The examples cover a wide range of situations: the rehabilitation of degraded or contaminated soils, the creation of engineered soils from secondary materials, integrated stormwater management using vegetated systems, and the design of growing media capable of functioning sustainably under high urban constraints. These projects demonstrate how operational choices based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils can simultaneously address issues of water management, environmental quality and ecological functionality.
Particular attention is given to the way these parameters are translated into operational design criteria: infiltration and storage targets, the ability of soils to filter or immobilize contaminants, their capacity to support diverse vegetation, and their compatibility with structural and use-related constraints. The monitoring and evaluation methods implemented to verify the long-term performance of these systems are also discussed.
By offering a cross-cutting perspective on the role of soils in urban projects, this contribution aims to show how soil engineering and nature-based solutions can be integrated in a coherent and pragmatic way into real-world operations, and how these approaches help to build more adaptive, functional and resilient urban landscapes.
How to cite: Elfarricha, S. and Plassart, G.: Operational integration of soil engineering and nature-based solutions in urban environments: feedback from an engineering consultancy, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-16774, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-16774, 2026.
Soils and subsoils provide essential functions that underpin land uses across agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, and urban development. Much like topsoil, deeper subsurface layers and other geological resources remain largely invisible in planning and design practice, despite their
growing importance for climate adaptation, water management, energy systems, and underground infrastructure. The concept of geosystem services (GS) offers a way to broaden the perspective from surface soils to the full geophysical environment—encompassing soil, subsoil, sediment, and bedrock—and to articulate how these layers collectively support societal needs. GS thereby complements soil-based ecosystem service frameworks by revealing additional regulating, provisioning, and supporting functions that become critical as societies make increasing use of the subsurface.
This contribution synthesises insights from three Swedish applications of GS in municipal planning. In Malmö, GS potentials were mapped using an indicator-based methodology to support climate resilience strategies. The resulting maps visualised potentials for stormwater infiltration and retention, shallow geo-energy use, groundwater regulation, and the availability of subsurface space. Planners found that the GS maps improved communication across disciplines and helped make “hidden” subsurface capacities visible in early decision making.
In Askersund, GS potential mapping was adapted to a rural comprehensive planning context. Five services—stormwater infiltration and retention, groundwater provision, bearing capacity, erosion resistance, and provision of construction material—were evaluated with local planners. The maps were found to be useful overview tools, revealing subsurface opportunities and constraints beyond what conventional soil or land use data captures, but need further refinement to become products that can be used as a standard tool.
In Gothenburg, a checklist of GS informed a comparative assessment of three alternative tunnel corridor reservations by systematically identifying impacts on subsurface resources, risks, and long-term potentials. This demonstrated how applying the concept of GS, even in a very simplistic manner by using checklists and expert assessments, can help avoid unintended trade-offs in large infrastructure projects through early subsurface consideration.
Across the cases, the concept of GS offered a unifying language and practical tools for integrating soil, subsoil, and deeper geological functions and services into spatial planning—supporting more informed land use decisions, and spatial development that avoids shifting problems across areas, generations, or functions.
How to cite: Norrman, J., Lundin Frisk, E., Gustafsson, A., Lindgren, P., Melgaço, L., Mossmark, F., Taromi Sandström, O., Svahn, V., Söderqvist, T., Volchko, Y., and de Lourdes Melo Zurita, M.: Unlocking Subsurface Potentials: Geosystem Services for More Informed and Sustainable Planning, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22486, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22486, 2026.
Soil provides many ecosystem services like the regulation of climate and water cycle. It supports biodiversity but also human activities. In urban areas, soils are often sealed, thus affecting their health. In order to preserve natural, agricultural, and forest soils, the Europe's 'No Net Land Take' (NNLT) policy aims to limit artificialisation. The transcription of this target in the French regulation is based on soil functioning, promoting its integration in planning documents. The poor knowledge on urban soils is however a gap. The following examples on soil infiltration, multifunctionality and pollution from western France illustrate the possibility to build spatial knowledge on the basis of existing data.
Soil infiltration capacity may be assessed in different ways (Lucassou et al., 2025). The Phoebus method considers various parameters such as the relative permeability of pedogeological units, clay content, hydromorphism and the depth of the groundwater table. Its application on Nantes Metropolis and Rennes Metropolis provided maps used to build some urban planning rules regarding rainwater management to reduce flooding linked to runoff. It is also used to elaborate desealing or renaturation strategies, or as an input to soil multifunctionality.
Adaptation of the French MUSE method (Branchu et al., 2021) carried out within the DESIVILLE and QUASOZAN projects allow the assessment of urban soil multifunctionality. The biodiversity and carbon storage capacities are based on correlations with land uses available at a national and pedoclimatic scale, respectively. The soil infiltration capacity is based on the Phoebus method. The agronomic potential of soils is based on the regional soil map and associated soil characteristics stored in a national database. In urban areas with no soil maps, this function s assessed in a qualitative way. The assessed soil multifunctionality map, obtained by crossing the four soil function indices, helped Nantes Métropole to update the areas identified in the urban planning zoning as open to urbanisation. Soil multifunctionality improvement is also considered as a benefit of desealing (DESIVILLE, PERMEPOLIS). Rennes Metropolis is testing its integration in a tool helping to build urban planning strategies achieving No Net Land Take and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) together.
Mapping soil pollution hazards carried (DESIVILLE, QUASOZAN) considers various potential sources of pollution like former industrial activities, anthropogenic deposits, and agricultural activities. Further methodological developments on anthropogenic deposits mapping are in progress (PERMEPOLIS). Soil pollution hazard map is used as an informative layer to alert on pollution pressure, for desealing scenarios by Nantes Métropole or for NNLT and LDN urban planning scenarios by Rennes Métropole. The pedogeochemical background, in progress on Nantes Métropole territory (NEO-SOLOCAL) based on soil analyses, is going to give information on diffuse contamination.
Even if the knowledge on urban soils is limited, some GIS layers may be produced to raise awareness on soils and identify problem areas where more precise knowledge is needed. The banking of soil data is necessary to build a common and shared knowledge on soils. Better urban subsurface knowledge is also essential to build a more precise knowledge on urban soils.
How to cite: Le Guern, C., Lucassou, F., Ouaksel, A., Gautier, S., and Clozel, B.: Examples of spatial digital information on soil for urban planning, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-16542, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-16542, 2026.
Healthy soils underpin food security, climate resilience, and sustainable spatial development. International frameworks such as Land Degradation Neutrality and Sustainable Land Use Systems, alongside European initiatives including the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Law and the EU Soil Strategy, emphasise the need for sustainable land management. Despite this, policy implementation across countries and regions remains fragmented, resulting in the continued degradation of soil ecosystem functions. In Ukraine, these challenges are amplified by exceptionally high levels of land tillage (over 56% of the territory) and by the impacts of full-scale war, including blast craters, toxic contamination, destruction of soil structure, and landmines affecting hundreds of thousands of hectares. This study examines whether Ukraine’s existing planning system is capable of meaningfully integrating soil health considerations during post-war recovery and in the context of EU accession. We hypothesise that institutional weakness and a mismatch of planning priorities impede sustainable land use management.
The methodology combines an analysis of national institutional conditions with planning case studies from three municipalities. It is supported by a review of international research on the alignment between national sustainable land use policies, requirements for local planning documentation, and their practical implementation, with particular attention to gaps between formal commitments and actual planning practices.
The analysis of municipal planning and land management shows that soils and surface plots are predominantly treated as economic assets, with limited assessment of their ecological functions. Ambitious national objectives on soil protection are weakened during local implementation, as planning documents tend to prioritise land-use decisions driven by short-term economic considerations. Existing control instruments—such as landscape planning components, Strategic Environmental Assessment, and public consultations are proven to be largely ineffective due to limited legal influence over landowners and developers, as well as persistent challenges in coordination and quality across planning levels.
This study identifies key causes and consequences of this approach. In frontline regions, immediate security concerns override long-term environmental objectives, while other municipalities lack the sufficient resources necessary to meet the complex requirements of legislation and implement measures envisaged by sustainable land management policies.
The main barriers to treating soils as an integrated ecological system include institutional incapacity, formalistic planning procedures, fragmented responsibilities unsupported by adequate funding, and planning documentation structures that prevent ecological accounting of soil damage and functional change. Addressing these limitations would require a reframing of planning priorities, including cross-cutting recognition of soil health, stronger guidance for plan developers, and the attribution of both economic and factual value to soils within binding preliminary territorial analyses. Greater emphasis on incentivising land-use instruments, rather than control-based mechanisms, is particularly relevant given limited municipal capacity. In total, significant policy integration and re-orientation are necessary to achieve NNLT and soil degradation targets during Ukraine’s recovery.
How to cite: Smirnova, M. and Anisimov, O.: Soils at Risk: How Fragmented Planning Undermines Soil Health in Ukraine’s Recovery, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2729, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2729, 2026.
Urban areas face increasing challenges from climate change, particularly the urban heat island (UHI) effect and water scarcity. Green roofs are effective adaptation measures, but their benefits in terms of cooling decrease during droughts without additional irrigation. Using potable water for irrigation is unsustainable; thus, recycling greywater or pre-treated wastewater represents an ideal alternative. This study presents the Hybrid Green Roof (HGR), an innovative nature-based solution (NBS) that integrates a modular rooftop constructed wetland (CW) with a semi-intensive green roof (GR).
The circular HGR system enables efficient wastewater recycling at the point of origin, reducing potable water consumption while enhancing the cooling effect of vegetation through evapotranspiration of recycled water. The research progressed from elevated experimental plots to a full-scale prototype at the CTU UCEEB (Czech Technical University in Prague, University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings in Bustehrad). The system architecture consists of mechanically pre-treated wastewater pumped into modular plastic flumes acting as the CW. These modules are filled with lightweight ceramic aggregate and planted with wetland vegetation. Pre-treated water then overflows onto the green roof. The GR utilizes the "reBrick" circular substrate, containing 25% recycled construction waste and 10% pyrolyzed sewage sludge (biochar), significantly reducing its environmental footprint and supplementing fertilization. Water distribution from CW to GR is managed by an outflow module equipped with a pulse dosing system that supplies a hydrophilic mineral wool layer in GR, making water available to plants via capillary forces. For experimental purposes, the green roof is divided into three different sectrors that vary in substrate thickness and vegetation above the mineral wool. The following combinations are being tested: 4 cm of substrate and sedum seedlings; 4 cm of substrate and 3 cm thick grass mats; and 4 cm of substrate with 3 cm thick biodiverse vegetation mats with perennials.
The temperature and humidity are measured in all green roof sectors. A water meter is used to monitor the volume of water flowing into the CW, and the level in the last CW module is monitored to measure the volume of water overflowing from the CW into the GR. This allows the water balance of the system to be calculated.
Long-term monitoring confirmed high stability and efficiency. Chemical analysis showed average pollutant removal efficiencies of 90% for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), 99% for Total Nitrogen (TN), and 96% for Total Phosphorus (TP). While the CW provides primary treatment, the green roof layer acts as a crucial tertiary stage, eliminating remaining nutrients without excessive leaching. The HGR is a promising technology for sustainable urban water management, closing both water and material cycles. Ongoing research focuses on optimizing CW flume design to enhance aerobic processes and refining hydraulic parameters to ensure stability under extreme climatic conditions.
How to cite: Petreje, M., Wahab, R., and Snehota, M.: Developing a hybrid green roof: A rooftop solution for wastewater treatment, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-5171, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-5171, 2026.
Urban Community Resilience (UCR) refers to the capacity of local communities to respond to and recover from complex urban crises. Green infrastructure (GI) is an infrastructure system that mitigates urban environmental problems and promotes community health. Especially, Small-scale GI can overcome spatial constraints in dense cities and be closely integrated into daily living environments, thereby contributing to the enhancement of UCR. However, despite increasing application, empirical studies evaluating its impacts on resilience remain limited, and GI designs that fail to reflect user needs may act as constraints on strengthening UCR.
This study aims to clarify the relationships between GI and UCR and to derive community-centered design strategies for small-scale GI to enhance UCR. Through a system-based analysis, key variables influencing UCR enhancement are identified, and the perception structures across different community groups are analyzed. Path coefficient analysis is then conducted to verify the significance of perception-change pathways for each group. Finally, perception gaps across stakeholder groups are comparatively analyzed to derive integrated design strategies.
This study focuses on the “72-Hour Urban Regeneration Project,” a citizen-participatory initiative in which small-scale GI is designed and constructed through public engagement and examines perception differences between designer and user groups. The analysis proceeds in three stages. First, a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) is constructed based on indicators derived from previous studies to identify key variables and feedback structures between GI and UCR, and PLS-SEM models are developed for each community group based on these key variables. Second, path coefficients are estimated and their statistical significance is tested using group-specific survey data. Third, significant perception pathways are compared and analyzed to derive design strategies for small-scale GI implementation.
The analysis results indicate that GI improves quality of life through environmental benefits and enhances UCR by expanding social capital through community participation and network formation. Especially, place attachment was identified as a pivotal mediating variable that fosters emotional bonds through satisfaction with place-based experiences and encourages sustained participation, thereby continuously strengthening UCR. Based on the survey results, path coefficient analysis showed that GI experience enhanced UCR in both groups; however, differences in participation patterns and levels of temporal exposure led to variations in the significance of relationships among variables. While designers’ experiences in creating GI spaces induced place attachment and strengthened participation, users with intermittent exposure lacked sustained social interactions, which weakened pathways from attachment to participation due to a lack of social connections, which limited the enhancement of UCR. Therefore, the results indicate the need for design strategies that encourage repeated experiences and sustained visitation by users.
This study identified perception differences between designers and users in a Seoul-based public project and structurally analyzed relationships among key variables to derive small-scale GI design strategies for enhancing UCR. Perception gaps between groups arise from differences in use patterns, time exposure, and related factors, indicating the potential for unmet user needs. Therefore, this study emphasizes the necessity of establishing design strategies that address user demands, promote continuous participation, and ultimately contribute to strengthening UCR.
How to cite: Cho, D., Bi, J., and Lee, J.: Bridging the Perception Gap: Enhancing Urban Community Resiliencethrough Small-Scale Green Infrastructure Design in Seoul, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8594, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8594, 2026.
The role of soils in underpinning healthy and resilient urban environments is often overlooked during the planning and construction process. Recognising soils as living systems and finite, non-renewable resources – rather than merely construction substrates or material to be disposed of – is essential for climate resilience, biodiversity and environmental health, and community well-being. Achieving this requires that soil considerations are holistically embedded from the outset of spatial and urban planning, shaping how places, spaces, and buildings are designed, delivered, and managed.
In the UK, Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) are well placed to lead this change. Through their local plans, LPAs can emphasise the importance of good soil management and give clear direction for how soils should be protected and managed throughout the development lifecycle, from design to long-term use. In practice, however, soils remain weakly represented in planning policy. Addressing this gap requires the integration of soil science with planning expertise and the practical knowledge of the diverse actors who interact with soils during development.
Building on the work of the UK’s cross-sector Soils in Planning and Construction Task Force, the Local Soils Project, led by Lancaster University in collaboration with Lancaster City Council and Cornwall Council, to make soil sustainability an integral part of the English planning system. The project co-developed a model soil planning policy to support LPAs across England in embedding soil protection, enhancement, and management within policy frameworks and decision-making.
Through extensive cross-sector engagement and participatory design involving over 50 experts from national and local government, development and construction, environmental organisations, and soil science, the project produced a practical and implementable model policy. The resulting approach reflects both the scientific significance of soils and the institutional and operational realities of local planning.
This contribution presents key elements of the Local Soils Model Policy, outlines the interdisciplinary co-design process, and shares insights from this UK-based initiative that may be relevant to planners, policymakers, and researchers working in other European planning contexts where similar challenges around soil governance and urban development exist.
To access the model policy please visit our website: https://www.soilstaskforce.com/reports
How to cite: Davies, J., Calvo, M., Quinton, J., Dart, S., Hatch, P., and Höntzsch, B.: A co-developed model policy for integrating soil sustainability into local planning in England, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9722, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9722, 2026.
As soil provides a large range of ecosystem services, it should be of high priority to protect them in the environment. Soil protection faces the challenge of urban sprawl and land take by roads and buildings. Thus, soil protection aims at avoiding or minimizing, or, where this is not possible, mitigating or compensating land take and soil sealing. Furthermore, it is crucial to consider the soil quality in current and future development to avoid the use of high-performance soils. Therefore, the functions and services of soil should be considered in spatial planning.
In order to develop an evaluation tool which allows an assessment of soil destruction as well as proposals for the mitigation and compensation measures the three main topics
i current status of and impact on soil functions,
ii intensity of the modification of the soil by construction and the
iii monetary evaluation of the required compensation
were combined to develop a tool called “Bodenwertverfahren”. While the costs of compensation have to be elaborated in a separate step, the excel-based evaluation tool combines the status of soil functions, evaluation of the intensity of the modification of the soil by construction and the required compensation. In addition, the impact of mitigation measures can be assessed.
The tool can be used for both the evaluation of impacts and the compensation of soil destruction by any infrastructure and may be applied in any planning process such as Strategic and Environmental impact assessment. In future it may provide a basis for inclusion of soil compensation in legal requirements or regulations for spatial planning.
Permanent land use can thus be compensated, e.g. by upgrading degraded soils or by unsealing and restoring soils and soil functions elsewhere. The compensation of soil sealing and soil destruction based on soil functions in cases of unavoidable soil sealing is a significant contribution to the long-term European Union goal to move closer to net-zero land use by 2050.
How to cite: Birli, B., Huber, S., and Miller, R.: Evaluation and compensation system for soils in spatial planning - Bodenwertverfahren, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-5490, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-5490, 2026.
Abstract
Achieving the EU’s soil health targets by 2050 requires bridging the gap between planners and soil experts through better use of existing soil inventories and decision-support tools. While planners and soil experts in most countries employ GIS-based platforms and national soil databases, challenges persist, including fragmented and outdated data, limited access to high-resolution information, and tools requiring specialised expertise.
This study reviews existing soil assessment tools and methods across multiple European countries, including those from the SPADES consortium (Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania). The aim is to identify current practices, gaps, and priorities to ensure a better integration of soil in planning. Data on soil assessment tools and methods currently used by soil experts and/or planners in their practices were collected through series of interviews, workshops and surveys of consortium members and relevant actors to build a large inventory.
The results show a lack of integrated, user-friendly solutions that consolidate dispersed datasets, for simplified interpretation for non-specialists, and for embedded soil considerations into planning and governance frameworks. Key priorities include centralised GIS-based soil databases, parcel-level screening tools, decision-support systems for ecological transition, and dashboards for awareness-raising among officials and the public. To address soil and planning challenges—such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, and land take including soil sealing, the study proposes a systematised portfolio of existing soil instruments to guide planners, policymakers, and land managers in sustainable soil-inclusive practices from strategic to operation.
This portfolio will be made available to SPADES pilots, and further adapted to generic user needs through an online webtool called Navigator, fostering mutual capacity building between planners and soil experts. Ultimately, these efforts aim to improve soil literacy, support the provision of the soil ecosystem services, and enable the transition toward soil-inclusive spatial planning, contributing to EU sustainability and Soil Mission objectives.
Keywords: soil assessment, spatial planning, data, decision-support
How to cite: Todorcic Vekic, T., Volchko, Y., and Norrman, J. and the SPADES project consortium: Review study of current soil assessment tools and methods with a potential of integration in spatial planning in EU, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-14635, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-14635, 2026.
Due to significant anthropogenic constraints, urban (eco)systems often consist of artificial soils or substrates with sparse vegetation cover, particularly in terms of native species. Consequently, their degree of naturalness is generally very low.
Beyond the differentiated management of urban parks—including, where appropriate, the restoration of extensive meadows and lawns—the development of herbaceous systems on roofs, walls, and along tramways offers considerable potential to increase the naturalness of neighborhoods or cities and to create ecological networks. This potential is particularly high for roofs, which cover at least as much surface area as parks in cities and are often poorly vegetated.
This presentation will showcase examples of herbaceous systems in urban environments based on local Central European natural models, focusing on the following:
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Simple green roof developments and their possible integration with photovoltaic installations, including substrates made from recycled materials in line with circular economy principles;
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Reconstruction of extensive flower meadows by sowing along tram tracks and implementing differentiated management;
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Construction of dry stone walls incorporating vegetation with native species;
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Experiments in greening bus shelters.
Detailed feedback will be provided on the greening of roofs with local plants and substrates, monitored over 5 to 10 years. Results reveal a variety of responses, based on models of resistance or resilience of the initial plant communities, influenced by substrate thickness and their intra- or peri-urban location.
How to cite: Prunier, P., Boivin, P., Deeb, M., Frossard, P.-A., Heiniger, C., Huber, L., Mörch, F., Renevey, L., and Steffen, J.: Renaturing urban environments: from concepts to empirical restoration, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-23050, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-23050, 2026.
Engineered soils (human-made soils) can provide solutions for the recovery of excavated materials; however, these innovative approaches remain limited and require careful development.
The international Future Circular Collider (FCC) study hosted by CERN develops processes with the goal to use excavated materials from the construction of a particle-collider based research infrastructure in the frame of an R&D project called "OpenSkyLab". Part of the project is a platform located on 1 ha of terrain made available by CERN in France to develop standard operating procedures for excavated materials re-use.
The project addresses several research questions, including how to recycle low-clay molassic materials while managing the complexity of mixing processes and enhancing microbial activity in cost effective manner; how to promote plant growth while improving pedogenesis; and identify plant species can enhance soil pedogenesis processes and ecosystem functioning.
The project includes demonstrative, replicated plots and elevated hedgerows plots. Engineered soils were constructed from molassic materials, heterogenous sedimentary rocks typical of Geneva basin, and amended with 0%, 15%, or 30% compost by volume. These substrates were tested under different vegetation types, including Miscanthus giganteus, Kernza (perennial wheat), pasture mixtures, and annual cover crop mixtures. Innovative mixing techniques incorporating inert clay were evaluated to improve substrate aggregation and homogeneity.
After one year of installation, primary results showed that all plant species established successfully except Kernza, which failed to grow. A mixture containing 30% compost and 70% molasse provided good soil cover and good adaptability. Notably, pasture mixtures with 15% compost (~1.5 % organic matter) exhibited strong development, better macrofauna integration, and improved soil structure compared with other plots. These findings contribute to the development of processes for the engineered soil-based recovery of molasse excavated from the FCC and other large-scale construction projects.
How to cite: Staudinger, C., Pueyo, C., Ulrici, L., Deeb, M., Boivin, P., Chalhoub, M., Bataillard, P., Coussy, S., Cartannaz, C., Dubrac, N., Kanso, A., Machinet, G., Mirabelli, C., Marchhart, M., Pavetits, H., Kaul, H.-P., Duboc, O., and Gutleber, J.: Engineered Soils from excavated molasse materials: Evaluating Plant and Compost Interactions at the OpenSkyLab, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22765, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22765, 2026.
Constructed soils (Technosols) produced from waste materials offer a sustainable alternative to landfill disposal while supporting vegetation and ecosystem services, without relying on topsoil extracted from natural areas. Research in pedological engineering aims to design functional soils through the recycling of low-value materials, thereby contributing to a circular economy in urban environments. One poorly documented aspect of Technosol pedogenesis is the short-term impact of mixing parent materials with contrasting properties, which can trigger rapid soil formation processes within months—much faster than the years or centuries required for natural soils. This characteristic makes Technosols valuable experimental models for investigating pedogenic processes on time scales compatible with human observation. In this study, we examined how the properties and interactions of two parent materials—excavated deep soil horizons (EM) and green waste compost (GWC)—influence the rate of early pedogenetic processes. We hypothesised that increasing organic matter inputs through GWC addition would accelerate the physical, chemical, and biological processes leading to soil formation. To test this hypothesis, six EM/GWC mixtures (0–50% GWC, w/w) were incubated in mesocosms under controlled conditions for 21 weeks and subjected to repeated wet–dry cycles. Pedogenetic changes were assessed using chemical (C, N, available P, pH, CEC), hydrostructural (shrinkage curves), and biological indicators (catabolic profiles, qPCR, and molecular fingerprints). Results showed that increasing compost content significantly accelerated the evolution of soil properties. Organic matter losses were greater in GWC-rich Technosols due to enhanced mineralisation, leading to a slight but significant decrease in pH and increased nutrient release, particularly phosphorus. These changes were accompanied by an increase in cation exchange capacity, suggesting the development of organo-mineral associations and increased reactive surface area. Hydrostructural properties also evolved proportionally to initial GWC content, with higher compost inputs improving moisture retention in both macro- and micropores, increasing void ratios at the end of shrinkage, and enhancing available water capacity. These physical changes, promoted by higher organic matter content, strongly influenced microbial abundance, community composition, and metabolic activity. Overall, this study demonstrates that early pedogenetic processes in Technosols can be markedly accelerated by organic matter enrichment through its combined effects on chemical, physical, and biological soil properties. Our findings highlight the dual potential of Technosols as both functional soils for urban applications and powerful experimental systems for studying early soil formation.
How to cite: Lerch, T., Deeb, M., Blouin, M., Pando, A., and Grimaldi, M.: Speeding up early pedogenetic processes in constructed Technosols with organic matter enrichment, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22749, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22749, 2026.
This study presents a five-year experimental investigation conducted within the Horizon Europe project NBSINFRA on a bioretention cell located at the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of the Czech Technica University in Prague. The system was constructed as a multilayer system comprising a biofilter layer, a sand layer, and a drainage layer, and planted with perennial vegetation (Aster novae-angliae, Hemerocallis, Molinia caerulea and Eupatorium 'Phantom'). The biofilter consisted of 50% sand, 30% compost, and 20% topsoil. The bioretention cell was connected to roof of neighboring building and hydraulically isolated from the surrounding soil using a waterproof membrane to allow for water balance monitoring and equipped with a set of monitoring sensors. Soil water content within the biofilter was measured using four Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) probes, while five tensiometers were installed to record soil water potential. Outflow from the bioretention cell was measured by a tipping-bucket flowmeter, and inflow was estimated from precipitation using a rain gauge.
Over the five-year monitoring period, the study analysed water balance, biofilter water regime, and vegetation development to investigate their influence on water retention and detention in the bioretention cell. Rainfall–runoff episodes were analysed individually to quantify changes in episodic runoff coefficients, peak flow reduction, and runoff delay, and a semi-quantitative approach was applied to assess the effect of inter-annual vegetation development on evapotranspiration. Hydrological modelling was performed using two-dimensional simulations in HYDRUS 2D/3D, solving the Richards equation for variably saturated flow. The model represented vertical water flow through the multilayer bioretention profile, including infiltration from roof inflow and direct precipitation, drainage outflow, evapotranspiration, and root water uptake with a time-evolving root zone. Simulations focused on three representative 14-day study periods in August 2019, 2020, and 2023, selected to ensure comparable initial conditions and vegetation states. Model calibration and evaluation were based on measured outflow and pressure head dynamics. Parameter sensitivity was assessed using an informal Bayesian framework (GLUE) combined with Latin Hypercube Sampling, focusing on soil hydraulic parameters of the biofilter and sand layers.
The results showed a gradual decrease in the episodic and annual runoff coefficient over time, mainly driven by increasing inter-annual evapotranspiration and lower initial biofilter saturation at the beginning of rainfall events. Peak flow reduction ranged from 30% to 100%, with a median value of 88%, while runoff and peak runoff delays exhibited median values of approximately 30 and 56 minutes, respectively, with increasing variability in later years. Hydrological modelling and sensitivity analysis identified the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the sand layer and the van Genuchten parameter of the soil water retention curve n of the biofilter as the most influential parameters. Simulation results further indicated a decline in saturated hydraulic conductivity in both the biofilter and sand layers with the aging of the bioretention system. However, these changes did not impair the overall hydrological performance of the bioretention cell.
How to cite: Maresova, P. and Snehota, M.: Five years evolution of hydraulic properties of engineered soil of experimental bioretention cell planted with perennials, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-10861, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-10861, 2026.
Nature-based solutions (NbS), particularly engineered urban green infrastructure systems, increasingly represent a key pathway for enhancing urban and landscape resilience to climate change by addressing heatwaves, flooding, and water stress. Their effectiveness, however, strongly depends on soil hydraulic properties, and soil–water–vegetation interactions. This contribution presents an integrated case study from the Prague City Lab within the Horizon Europe project NBSINFRA, focusing on the role of engineered soils and long-term soil monitoring in the performance of NbS under real urban conditions.
The Prague City Lab consists of three contrasting urban sites representing peri-urban, dense inner-city, and community-oriented environments. Implemented NbS include extensive and ultra-thin green roofs, hybrid green roof–constructed wetland systems, and bioretention cells designed with engineered soil profiles. These systems incorporate layered substrates with controlled grain size distribution, organic amendments, mineral components, and recycled materials to optimize water retention, infiltration, and thermal performance. Climate analyses identified extreme heat and heatwaves as the dominant hazards affecting all sites, with intense rainfall events representing an additional stressor for urban drainage systems.
The methodological approach combines soil engineering principles, hydrological monitoring, and ecological assessment, with monitoring intensity tailored to the type of NbS. Bioretention cells and hybrid systems are instrumented for detailed observation, including near-surface and substrate temperatures, soil moisture, and water balance components. In contrast, green roofs and other NbS are monitored at a basic level using standalone automated sensors to capture substrate and near-surface temperature and water content. Laboratory analyses of substrate properties, including retention curves and grain size distribution, complement in situ measurements. Soil–water–plant interactions are further evaluated through long-term observation of plant development and evapotranspiration effects. In parallel, systematic vegetation surveys document plant species composition and ecological roles across green roofs and ground-level NbS. All datasets are stored in a centralized database, enabling consistent analysis and the development of resilience indicators.
Overall, the Prague City Lab demonstrates how integrating soil engineering principles with NbS design contributes to the resilience of urban green infrastructure.
How to cite: Žatecká, P., Felicioni, L., Marešová, P., Petreje, M., and Sněhota, M.: Thermal and Water Regimes of Soils of Urban Nature-Based Solutions in Central European Context, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-11065, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-11065, 2026.
Accelerating urbanization has made toxic chemical sources in river systems increasingly complex, making their identification and control progressively more challenging. Toxic chemical source tracking is essential for rapid emergency response and effective water quality management. Existing source tracking approaches, such as statistical methods, numerical models, and deep learning, face critical limitations. Statistical methods have limitations in capturing the non-linear transport dynamics and causality of toxic chemicals in river systems. Numerical models require high computational cost and time to achieve high accuracy, while deep learning models suffer from critical data scarcity, as actual toxic chemical accident datasets are limited. This study aims to develop a hybrid framework that combines the high accuracy of numerical models with the computational efficiency of deep learning-based generative artificial intelligence, specifically a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), enabling near real-time inverse tracking of chemical accidents. To generate training data for the GAN model, we established an automated scenario generation algorithm coupled with the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC), a three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model. For the Geum River basin in South Korea, we conducted EFDC simulations under scenarios varying in source locations, release amounts, and spill timing for phenol, generating a high-quality synthetic dataset. The synthetic dataset is used to train a GAN for inverse problem solving. During training, the Generator learns to map upstream source information to downstream toxic concentration time series, while the Discriminator evaluates whether the generated source-concentration pairs are consistent with EFDC transport mechanisms. In this process, the Generator aims to produce realistic downstream concentration time series to deceive the Discriminator, whereas the Discriminator aims to distinguish these generated outputs from the synthetic training data. Through this adversarial mechanism, the Generator progressively produces more refined downstream concentration time series. In the event of a real chemical accident, the trained GAN model enables rapid inference of the corresponding source information from observed downstream concentrations through inverse problem solving, without the need for iterative numerical simulations. This approach is expected to overcome the limitations of high computational cost in numerical models and data scarcity in deep learning. This rapid inverse tracking framework provides sufficient time to effectively respond to chemical accidents and helps protect critical downstream infrastructure such as drinking water treatment plants from toxic chemicals.
How to cite: Heo, Y., Uhm, S., Ko, H., Seo, W., Seong, M., Yeom, J., Jeong, H., and Cho, K. H.: Development of a Chemical Accident Inverse Tracking Framework for River Systems Using Generative Artificial Intelligence, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8536, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8536, 2026.
Municipal solid waste management is a major challenge for spatial planning due to its links with population growth, changing consumption patterns, and associated environmental impacts. In settings where final disposal remains a structural component of the system, the limited capacity of existing sites and their proximity to end-of-life make it necessary to plan new alternatives. In this context, landfill siting is critical to minimize risks to soils and water resources, reduce social impacts, and ensure operational and economic feasibility.
This work develops and applies an integrated, adaptable, and replicable methodology based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and multicriteria analysis for selecting landfill sites using technical, environmental, and territorial criteria. The approach is applied to the city of Riobamba (Ecuador), a high-mountain Andean environment characterized by strong physical–environmental heterogeneity, where planning requires traceable and consistent technical support, particularly to avoid locating facilities in areas vulnerable from edaphic and hydrological perspectives.
The methodology is structured in four stages: (i) compilation of geographic information from local and global sources; (ii) processing, cleaning, reprojection, and standardization of layers to ensure spatial consistency; (iii) definition and classification of exclusion and inclusion criteria into categories and subcategories, incorporating a critical review based on regulations and the characteristics of the study area; and (iv) multicriteria evaluation through weight assignment to produce a suitability map and prioritize the most favorable areas.
The outcome is a transferable methodology that provides technical traceability to the selection process and can be adjusted to different territorial conditions and data availability. It is intended as a decision-support tool for spatial design and planning focused on soil and water protection, contributing to more transparent decision-making in integrated solid waste management.
How to cite: Banda Jorge, L. V., Rodrigo-Clavero, M.-E., Romero-Hernández, C.-P., and Rodrigo-Ilarri, J.: Integrated GIS- and multicriteria-based methodology for siting municipal solid waste landfills: application to Riobamba (Ecuador), EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-10781, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-10781, 2026.
As cities worldwide pursue carbon neutrality, developing a comprehensive understanding of the contributions of urban vegetated areas to climate change mitigation is required. Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the full range of urban biogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics, particularly concerning GHGs other than carbon dioxide (CO2) and the possibly crucial role of urban soils. Existing studies suggest that urban soils often exhibit higher respiration rates, increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and reduced methane (CH4) uptake compared to natural ecosystems. This study investigates how irrigation practices and biochar amendment influence soil GHG fluxes in urban lawns and tree growing media, and examines the potential impacts of biochar on tree growth and leaf-level CO2 exchange. Ultimately, we aim to provide information on whether sensible use of irrigation and biochar could help to enhance the climate change mitigation potential of urban green areas.
The study is based on a measurement campaign using manual dark chambers to quantify soil CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes and leaf CO2 exchange measurements made in Helsinki, Finland, in summer 2025. Irrigation impacts on urban lawn GHG exchange were studied on 10 controlled, non-fertilized plots located along a footpath in Kumpula botanic garden. Half of the plots were irrigated weekly, while the other half functioned as unirrigated controls. Flux measurements were complemented with manual and automatic measurements of soil moisture and temperature. To provide a comparison with less managed vegetation, a nearby meadow was also measured using the same protocol without irrigation. Effects of biochar on soil and tree GHG exchange were investigated in an urban park in Eastern Helsinki, where trees planted in 2023 grow in standardized growing media. First half of the trees received biochar at planting, while the other half served as controls. Soil and leaf GHG fluxes were measured alongside with soil moisture, temperature and tree health assessments.
While data analysis for the summer 2025 measurements is still ongoing, preliminary results indicated a significant reduction in CH4 uptake under irrigation. CO2 and N2O showed no consistent response, with especially N2O fluxes exhibiting high variability across plots and measurement days. In the biochar experiment, biochar appeared to suppress the largest N2O flux events from soil, but no significant effects on CO2 and CH4 fluxes were detected. CH4 fluxes showed pronounced spatial variability across the study site. While most plots acted as CH4 sinks, one section of the park exhibited notable emissions, possibly reflecting local anoxic conditions in the soil. As part of the ongoing analysis, net soil GHG balances for the studied vegetation types, expressed as CO2 equivalents, will be calculated for the measurement period to provide an integrated assessment of their climatic impacts.
How to cite: Bilaletdin, V., Kulmala, L., Karvinen, E., Perttilä, V., Tiainen, A., Aaltonen, H., Rissanen, K., Soininen, J., and Järvi, L.: Effects of biochar and irrigation on greenhouse gas exchange in hemiboreal urban green areas, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17180, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17180, 2026.
Extensive green roofs are widely implemented as nature-based solutions (NBS) to improve urban and landscape resilience by reducing runoff peaks, moderating urban heat, and supporting biodiversity. A key, yet often under-characterized, component of green roof performance is the growing media layer - Constructed Technosol that regulates infiltration, storage, and drainage. After installation, early pedogenesis and substrate ageing—driven by physical re-organization, chemical weathering, root activity, and organic matter turnover—progressively modify pore architecture and hydraulic functioning. These changes can alter flow paths, and overall stormwater retention, with direct implications for performance, maintenance strategies, and long-term service delivery of green roof NBS.
Here we investigate how substrate ageing modifies infiltration processes and flow pathways in constructed Technosols using non-invasive, bimodal 3D imaging that combines neutron and X-ray tomography. “Virgin” packed substrates represent the initial engineered state immediately after installation, while “aged” substrates were sampled after multiple seasons of outdoor exposure under vegetation. Neutron tomography, evaluated using black-body correction, provides strong contrast for hydrogen-rich constituents, enabling visualization of dynamic water redistribution as well as organic matter-related features. Complementary X-ray tomography resolves the mineral solid phase at high spatial resolution. Through 3D image registration and data fusion, we quantify ageing-induced changes in structure and composition and directly relate them to time-resolved infiltration behavior.
Two designed Technosols differing in particle-size distribution and organic matter content are studied to represent contrasting engineering strategies. Vegetated samples (dominated by Sedum spp.) are subjected to controlled drip irrigation while being repeatedly imaged to capture wetting front progression. Advanced processing workflows (noise reduction, artefact mitigation, multimodal registration, and sequential alignment of neutron time series to an X-ray reference), analysis of infiltration, and pore system geometry changes.
How to cite: Snehota, M., Kaestner, A., and Jelinkova, V.: Constructed Technosols for Green Roofs: Quantifying Infiltration Dynamics and Flow Pathways with Bimodal Neutron–X-ray Tomography, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-18580, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-18580, 2026.
In the context of EU sustainable farming practices, the ensuring that agricultural activities are aligned with the natural capacities and ecological processes of the land become increasingly important. It highlights the necessity to identify areas that are most friendly to sustainable agricultural activity. As part of the transboundary research project The impact of European agricultural policies on land use: Romania's experience and lessons for the Republic of Moldova in a European perspective – MapLURoMd, this study aims to create a synthetic map for the key study area based on erosion potential of the relief, types of soil and lithology. As a result, an agricultural potential map will be generated that characterizes landscape units according to their relative suitability for agricultural use. This map will be compared with existing land-use data (CORINE 2023) and orthophoto (2016) to evaluate the alignment between landscape suitability and current agricultural practices. The results of this spatial analyse of landscape conditions using GIS technologies in the Southeastern part of the Republic of Moldova will provide valuable insights to inform Moldova's agricultural policy, particularly in the context of optimizing land use in rural areas.
How to cite: Chiriac, I., Cantir, A., Crivova, O., Curcubat, S., Sirodoev, G., Cracu, G.-M., Nicoara, G., Paraschiv, M., Schvab, A., Secareanu, G., Vaidianu, N., and Sirodoev, I.: Assessing and mapping the agricultural potential of landscapes. Case study: Southeastern part of the Republic of Moldova, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4883, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4883, 2026.
Honeybees are widely recognized as representative pollinator species due to their high pollination efficiency and frequent visitation. However, climate warming intensifies temporal mismatches between plant flowering and insect activity, resulting in seasonal resource gaps for foragers and weakened ecological networks. Urban landscape, in contrast, can provide substantial opportunities to create habitats and movement corridors through strategic planting and adaptive management.
This research proposes a node-based urban planting scenario framework to reduce seasonal phenological asynchrony and evaluate outcomes across micro- and macro-scale. Unlike previous studies that have assessed habitat suitability primarily based on the presence or area of green spaces, we focus on habitat usability for pollinators by explicitly considering (i) continuity of flowering resources and (ii) multidimensional planting structures with vertical, horizontal, and temporal differentiation. We further examine how these planting strategies can co-deliver microclimatic regulation and broader landscape-scale ecosystem service outcomes.
This case study targets on Eunpyeong-gu and Mapo-gu in Seoul, South Korea, where forest, urban, and river systems are spatially continuous but are not effectively functioning as habitats or movement corridors. Using GIS, we identify key patches that can support movement and seasonal functional turnover; these patches are treated as nodes and assembled into a connectivity network. Planting strategies are then designed along three dimensions: (1) vertical multilayer vegetation to diversify strata and microhabitats, (2) horizontal linear/areal expansion to improve stepping-stone connectivity, and (3) temporal phenology-based planting to extend flowering continuity. Strategies are applied to forest-, urban-, and river-type patches. Microclimatic effects are simulated using ENVI-met, while landscape-scale functional connectivity and ecosystem service implications are assessed using InVEST.
Patches were selected by considering honeybee flight range, inter-patch distance and size, and the seasonal distribution of flowering plants. Among typology-specific planting strategies, forest-type patches benefited from vertical planting, which enhanced understory flowering and provided refuge for survival. Urban small-scale plantings showed high pollination efficiency, but high impervious surfaces necessitated securing horizontal connectivity essential for addressing seasonal asynchrony. In river-type patches, continuous buffer planting enhanced mobility, while connectivity with adjacent ground-level green spaces remained a critical consideration. Macro-scale scenario analysis showed that integrating typology-specific optimal planting strategies strengthened the connectivity index by increasing mobility and access to alternative resources across the forest–urban–river continuum, beyond alleviating micro-scale food gaps. These outcomes have implications not only for managed honeybees but also for broader pollinator communities that depend on temporally continuous floral resources.
Overall, this research redefines honeybee habitat conservation from a multi-scale spatial organization perspective that incorporates behavioral characteristics and temporal resource use. The proposed framework explicitly links phenological gaps to landscape connectivity—rather than green space extent—offering a transferable NbS-informed approach for designing urban green networks that stabilize seasonal resources while supporting co-benefits.
Following are results of a study on the "Convergence and Open Sharing System" Project, supported by the Ministry of Education and National Research Foundation of Korea
How to cite: Lee, S., Jin, Y., Kim, D., Shin, Y., Cho, D., and Lee, J.: A 3D Planting Structure-Based Scenario Strategy to Mitigate Seasonal Instability of Urban Green Phenology and Gaps in Pollination Functions, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-15968, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-15968, 2026.
Forest fires significantly increase susceptibility to soil erosion, primarily due to the loss of vegetation cover and alterations in soil hydrophysical properties, including reduced infiltration capacity and increased surface runoff. The processes that occur can have significant economic, ecological and socio-cultural impacts. Mediterranean environments are particularly susceptible to erosion due to the combination of climatic, pedological, and geomorphological factors, including rainfall patterns, soil physical and structural characteristics, land use, topography, and fire occurrence. Furthermore, the climate change scenarios currently in place are set to accentuate erosion rates in areas affected by fires. In this context, soil bioengineering interventions represent effective low environmental impact mitigation strategies for the reduction of post-fire erosive processes.
The study aims to understand the effects of post-fire through the application of targeted intervention strategies such as soil bioengineering techniques. This study allows to explore deeper into the effects of carrying out a pilot soil bioengineering intervention within the 1900-hectare wooded area “Bosco Difesa Grande” located in Gravina in Puglia (Bari, Italy), where a fire of 1170 hectares was recorded on 12/08/2017, and to analyze the restoration of the soil development capacity of some selected species. Between 2022 and 2023, interventions were carried out in two equally sized areas located along slopes with the same general conditions (slope, soil type, fire severity), except for exposure. Various works were carried out, such as the construction of a trellis, the removal of weeds, the construction of palisades and wattles, and the planting of native shrubs and tree species.
A monitoring plan was planned, through field activities during which counts of surviving live plants were carried out, and using satellite imagery to assess the average NDVI of the area, to understand the effects of the soil bioengineering interventions carried out. Two years later, the two areas have recorded different results: in area 1, the survival rate has reached approximately 87%, while in area 2, spontaneous plants have a very intense development that prevents the correct development of project plants. Regarding NDVI values, a mean increase was detected in both areas.
How to cite: Fiore, A., Romano, G., Chiarulli, M., Ronco, F. V., Ricci, G. F., and Gentile, F.: Post-fire erosion control: monitoring the effects of soil bioengineering techniques, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-11384, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-11384, 2026.
Posters virtual: Wed, 6 May, 14:00–18:00 | vPoster spot 2
EGU26-8294 | Posters virtual | VPS17
Taming UndergroundWed, 06 May, 14:18–14:21 (CEST) vPoster spot 2
This paper examines how the urban underground is organized and managed during construction projects, focusing on professional boundaries between asset managers and project managers. Drawing on an ethnographic case study of a large underground utilities construction and renovation project, the paper analyzes how the underground is made sense of in everyday project practices. The findings show that during construction the underground was framed as an ambiguous entity, simultaneously treated as a manageable technical space and as an uncontrollable source of risk. Although largely absent from planning routines, underground conditions repeatedly disrupted project performance through delays, budget overruns and physical damage. Risk management became the dominant response to these disruptions. However, despite the involvement of underground experts, uncertainty could not be eliminated and projects proceeded with the expectation of further unforeseen events. Experts navigated this uncertainty by mobilizing a dual framing of the underground: as a controllable container for infrastructure and as a natural force beyond managerial control. The paper argues that the agency of the underground is decentralized and relational, emerging through local practices, narratives and material conditions rather than residing in a single actor or substance. By showing how managerial framings themselves become agentive, the study contributes to research on infrastructure governance and project management by reconceptualizing the underground as a distributed and untamed agent in urban development processes.
How to cite: Martinius, R. E.: Taming Underground, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8294, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8294, 2026.
