Abstract
Soil parameters represent key data input for crop suitability analysis. Soil databases are complex offering soil mapping units made up of various component soils. In the case of the Harmonized World Soil Database there can be up to 8 component soils per unit. In roughly 1/3 of soil mapping units, the additional component soils take up more than 50% of the pixel share value. The soil parameter value estimate, such as pH, salinity and organic carbon content, may differ between the value of the dominant soil component and the weighted average of the values of all component soil. Understanding the effect of these differences on crop model outputs may allow quantifying the error. In this study, we show the changes in crop suitability of 15 crops while using the parameter value estimates of the dominant soils versus a weighted average of the component soils. In the case of the latter, global crop suitability amounts to 54.5% of the earth’s land surface–1% more than when using the values of just dominant soils. Intrinsic regional differences in the quality of the soil database influence the distribution of crop suitability classes especially in areas where share values of the dominant soil are low. The uncertainty range for the use of dominant versus component soils on the overall global crop suitability could be considered to be 1%, while that of each suitability class can amount to up to 4%.
Highlights
Ensuring food security for the global population is already challenging in current times and will be even more, when population rises up to around 8.3 billion by 2030 (UNDP, 2008)
We show the changes in crop suitability of 15 crops while using the parameter value estimates of the dominant soils versus a weighted average of the component soils
In about 1/3 of the soil mapping units the share value of the dominant soil is less than 50% of the pixel
Summary
Ensuring food security for the global population is already challenging in current times and will be even more, when population rises up to around 8.3 billion by 2030 (UNDP, 2008). Enhanced food production relies on three factors: increased yield, enhanced cropping intensity and the expansion of agricultural land (FAO, 2003). In 2009, the total amount of agricultural and permanent crops amounted to 2.5 billion ha which equals about 19% of the earth’s land surface (Bontemps, Defourny, Van Bogaert, Arino, & Kalogirou, 2009). In the last four decades of the past century, 172 million ha of land have been added in developing countries (FAO, 2003). To ensure global food security, an additional 120 million ha of converted land are projected to be necessary until 2030 and an extra 5% will be necessary up to 2050 (Bruinsma, 2009). Most land is expected to be transformed in South America and Sub Saharan Africa (Fischer, 2000)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
