Set up monitoring frameworks to assess change in soil health, based on evidence from the Natural Resources theme of the Strategic Research Programme (2022-2027).
Objective 3: Embed nature positive Farming, Fishing and Forestry
Priority Action 14. Ensure increased uptake of high diversity, nature-rich, high-soil carbon, low-intensity farming methods while sustaining high-quality food production
The Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme (Natural Resources theme, 2022–2027) includes ongoing work led by the James Hutton Institute and SEFARI partners to improve soil monitoring methods, focusing on integrating physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil health into coherent assessment approaches.
Current soil monitoring in Scotland relies on a combination of national soil surveys, carbon accounting datasets, and research-based indicators, including soil organic carbon, soil structure, and nutrient status, but these are not yet integrated into a single operational national soil health monitoring framework.
SRUC and SEFARI research programmes are developing improved approaches to soil health assessment, including combining field-based indicators (e.g. soil structure and compaction) with laboratory measures (e.g. carbon and nutrient cycling) to improve consistency and comparability across land uses.
NatureScot soil and biodiversity evidence highlights the need for better linkage between soil condition data and ecosystem outcome indicators, particularly to understand how soil change affects habitat quality and biodiversity trends.
The Strategic Research Programme work identifies a gap between research-derived soil indicators and operational monitoring systems used in policy and land management, particularly in relation to long-term trend monitoring and ecosystem outcome reporting.
SEFARI research under the Strategic Research Programme demonstrates that soil health is central to ecosystem function, with soil processes regulating carbon storage, nutrient cycling, water regulation, and habitat condition.
James Hutton Institute research shows that changes in soil organic carbon, structure, and biological activity are key indicators of soil ecosystem integrity and directly influence above-ground biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
NatureScot evidence links soil condition to habitat quality and ecosystem stability, particularly through soil’s role in supporting vegetation communities and regulating hydrological processes.
State of Nature Scotland reports continued biodiversity decline, reinforcing the importance of improved monitoring of foundational ecosystem components such as soils to detect and address ecological change.
Soil Association Scotland evidence emphasises that soil biodiversity and organic matter are essential for ecosystem resilience, and that monitoring soil biological function is necessary to understand wider ecological health.
Taken together, this evidence shows that Scotland has strong research capacity and developing indicator frameworks for soil health monitoring, but these are not yet fully integrated into a single operational monitoring system linking soil change to ecosystem outcomes. This limits system-wide ecological assessment, supporting a score of 2 (moderate but uncertain contribution).
SEFARI – Strategic Research Programme
SEFARI – Soil and its ecosystem function
Scottish Soils Information Centre
NatureScot – Biodiversity Indicators
State of Nature Scotland
Increase the uptake of integrated pest management across Scottish agriculture to minimise risks and impacts of pesticides to the environment in line with the UK National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.
Develop a routemap (end of 2025) for soil security in Scotland including a review and update of Scotland’s Soil Framework and action/implementation plan (2030).
Develop evidence-based Soil Health Indicators that can be considered for inclusion in Whole Farm Plans and Forest Management Plans.
Undertake an evidence-based update of currently available information and advice on biodiversity management to farmers/land managers, to ensure it is up-to-date, clear and easily accessible.
Improve information for land managers on how to assess and interpret soil erosion risks and implement measures to avoid erosion (and other impacts on soil health related to climate change), including: i) the impacts of extreme rainfall drought events on soils; and ii) maps of soils that have been subject to anthropogenic degradation and are candidates for soil improvement programmes.
Develop and promote clear guidance for practitioners on soil compaction and farm and forestry machinery contractors are engaged in ensuring appropriate use of equipment, uptake of decisionmaking tools and training, to minimise and ultimately avoid compaction damage to soils.
Reduce inputs of nutrients to freshwaters that cause enrichment impacts on biodiversity, by controlling both diffuse and point source pollution through effective nutrient management through agricultural reform and SEPA’s Priority Catchment programme, ensuring compliance with the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR) under River Basin Management Planning.
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