Application Maps — Ecosystem services provided by the soils of the Emilia-Romagna plain

Ecosystem Services represent the processes through which natural ecosystems support and meet human needs; although soil is not in itself an ecosystem, it has been recognised as a matrix providing ecosystem services (Dominati at al, 2010). They are divided into 4 macrocategories: Support, Regulation, Procurement, Cultural (MEA, 2005, de Groot et al., 2002). The soil is able to perform very important functions, such as microclimate regulation, carbon sequestration, the establishment of a water tank, the supply of raw materials, food and fibers, habitats for microorganisms. As part of the SOS4LIFE project, six maps were produced for the plain part of the Emilia-Romagna region for the ecosystem services BIO, BUF, WAR, WAS, CST and PRO plus a map showing an overall quality index. A methodology specifically developed for this area has been used (Calzolari et al, 2016).