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SOIL VULNERABILITY

The susceptibility of a soil to impared functioning when subjected to environmental stress or perturbation. It has also been described as the capability for the soil system to be harmed in one or more of its ecological functions (Batjes and Bridges, 1991). Soils that are at greatest risk of being harmed, for example, by erosion, different forms of pollution or climatic change, are said to be vulnerable. Some soils can absorb, retain and circulate contaminants or other stressors better than others.

[See alsosoil resilience, vulnerability]

E. MichaelBridgesSwansea University
http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446247501.n3625
10.4135/9781446247501.n3625

BatjesNH and BridgesEM (eds) (1991) Mapping of soil and terrain vulnerability to specific chemical compounds in Europe at a scale of 1:5M.Wageningen: International Soil Reference and Information Centre.
BatjesNH and BridgesEM (1993) Soil vulnerability to pollution in Europe. Soil Use and Management9: 25–29.
RounsevellMDA and LovelandPJ (eds) (1994) Soil response to climate change.Berlin: Springer.
TaioFL, HayashiY and LinED (2002) Soil vulnerability and sensitivity to acid deposition. Water, Air and Soil Pollution140: 247–260.
WardleDA, BrownVK, Behan-PelletierV et al. (2004) Vulnerability to global change of ecosystem goods and services driven by soil biota. In WallDH (ed.)Sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in soil and sediments. Washington, DC: Island Press, 101–136.
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