CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY (Natural Environment Research Council) CEH Project C01920 Environment Agency/ National Assembly for Wales Contract 11406 Critical Appraisal of State and Pressures and Controls on the Sustainable Use of Soils in Wales Final Report, September 2002 Project leader: P.A. Stevens (CEH Bangor) on behalf of the project consortium: CEH Bangor B. Reynolds B.A. Emmett National Soil Resources Institute (NSRI): T.R.E. Thompson P.J. Loveland Institute of Grassland and Environment Research (IGER) S.C. Jarvis P. Haygarth Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University (GRC) H.R. Thomas D-H. Owen Cynefin Consultants R. Roberts T. Marsden 5th September 2002 CONTENTS PAGES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page No 1. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................1 2. THE SOILS RESOURCE IN WALES........................................................................................................4 2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................4 2.2 Soil Formation...................................................................................................................................4 2.2.1 Soil forming processes........................................................................................................5 2.3 Soil formation in Wales.....................................................................................................................5 2.3.1 Present soil development in Wales .....................................................................................5 2.3.2 Man’s influence on soil development .................................................................................9 2.4 Soil Information for Wales..............................................................................................................10 2.4.1 Soil Survey in Wales.........................................................................................................10 2.4.2 Computer-based soil information......................................................................................18 2.4.3 Soil information needs for policy, research, planning and land management...................18 2.4.4 Spatial soil data/soil survey...............................................................................................18 2.5 Monitoring of soil quality ...............................................................................................................19 2.6 Modelling of land and environmental management........................................................................19 2.7 Overall information framework.......................................................................................................20 3. SOIL LOSS TO DEVELOPMENT ...........................................................................................................24 3.1 Background .....................................................................................................................................24 3.2 Information Sources ........................................................................................................................24 3.3 The Current Situation......................................................................................................................25 3.3.1 Planning policy .................................................................................................................25 3.3.2 Development plans and the new unitary development plans ............................................26 3.3.3 Development control.........................................................................................................26 3.3.4 LANDMAP.......................................................................................................................26 3.4 Impacts on Soil Functions...............................................................................................................26 3.4.1 Biomass, food and fibre production..................................................................................26 3.4.2 Environmental interaction.................................................................................................27 3.4.3 Provision of a platform .....................................................................................................27 3.4.4 Support of ecosystems, habitats and biodiversity .............................................................27 3.4.5 Provision of raw materials ................................................................................................28 3.4.6 Protection of cultural heritage...........................................................................................28 3.5 The Future Situation, and Policy Responses ...................................................................................28 4. SOIL LOSS TO MINERAL AND PEAT EXTRACTION ...............................................................32 4.1 Background ..............................................................................................................................32 4.1.1 Minerals .....................................................................................................................32 4.1.2 Peat ............................................................................................................................32 4.2 Information Sources and Literature..........................................................................................33 4.2.1 Minerals .....................................................................................................................33 4.2.2 Peat ............................................................................................................................34 4.3 The Current Situation...............................................................................................................34 4.3.1 Minerals .....................................................................................................................34 4.3.2 Peat ............................................................................................................................36 4.4 Impact on Soil Functions..........................................................................................................36 4.4.1 Bio-mass, food and fibre production..........................................................................36 4.4.2 Environmental interaction..........................................................................................37 4.4.3 Provision of a platform ..............................................................................................37 4.4.4 Support of ecosystems, habitats and biodiversity ......................................................37 4.4.5 Provision of raw materials .........................................................................................37 4.4.6 Protection of cultural heritage....................................................................................37 4.5 The Future Situation.................................................................................................................38 4.6 Policy Responses - Present and Future.....................................................................................38 4.6.1 Present........................................................................................................................38 4.6.2 Future.........................................................................................................................39 5. SOIL LOSS BY EROSION .................................................................................................................42 5.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................42 5.2 Erosion in Wales ......................................................................................................................42 5.2.1 Soil erosion in Wales .................................................................................................42 5.2.2 Upland erosion...........................................................................................................43 5.2.3 Lowland arable erosion..............................................................................................44 5.2.4 Lowland grassland erosion.........................................................................................44 5.3 Impact on Soil Functions..........................................................................................................45 5.3.1 Biomass, food and fibre production...........................................................................45 5.3.2 Environmental interactions ........................................................................................45 5.3.3 Ecosystems, habitats and biodivesity.........................................................................46 5.3.4 Provision of a platform ..............................................................................................46 5.3.5 Protection of cultural heritage....................................................................................46 5.3.6 Costs of erosion .........................................................................................................46