Abstract
Distribution of Cultivated Organic Soils in Sweden
Track: Agriculture
Author
Agricultural peat soils represent a minor fraction of the agricultural land in Sweden but still have a significant effect on total national greenhouse gas emissions. To enable better estimates to be made of the release of greenhouse gases from these soils, a soil survey to determine the area of peat and gyttja soils under agriculture was needed. Digitised maps of Quaternary deposits, 40K radiation data and Integrated Agricultural Control System databases (IACS) were used in a GIS analysis to estimate the distribution and land use of agricultural peat and gyttja soils in Sweden. The total area of agricultural land (cropland and pastures) in Sweden was estimated at 3,525,259 ha and 7.6% of this area (267,990 ha) was classified as agricultural peat and gyttja soils. Using detailed information on crop distribution from agricultural databases, it was possible to estimate the cultivation intensity (land use) of the agricultural land. One-quarter of the agricultural area of peat soils was intensively cultivated with annual crops and the remaining area was extensively used, dominated by managed grasslands and pastures. The improved estimates of acreage and cultivation intensity of agricultural peat soils were used to calculate annual greenhouse gas emissions from subsidence data.
Örjan Berglund
Swedish Univeristy of Agricultural Sciences
Dep. of Soil and Environment
Uppsala, Uppsala s-75260
Sweden
Phone: +4618671246
E-mail: orjan.berglund@mark.slu.se
Kerstin Berglund
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Box 7014
Uppsala 75007
Sweden
Phone: +4618671185
E-mail: Kerstin.Berglund@mark.slu.se