Maps of chemical-physical properties — pH values in the soils of the Emilia-Romagna plain between 0-30 cm

Soil pH is a fundamental property that can influence many physical, chemical and biological processes. It regulates the availability of many nutrients for plants, influences the activity of microorganisms responsible for the decomposition of the organic substance and most of the chemical transformations occurring in the soil, plays a decisive role in influencing mobility and therefore the bioavailability of heavy metals. In addition, some physical characteristics of the soil such as permeability, aggregate stability, degree of compaction and dispersion of the clay fraction are influenced by pH. The paper represents the distribution of the area in the plain soils of the pH value in the surface layer (0-30 cm). The map was drawn up on the basis of data extrapolated from the Land Database of the Emilia-Romagna Region for the period 1974-2017.