Gridded, temporally referenced spatial information on soil organic carbon for Hungary

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC), known as the most important soil attribute, affects various soil functions and services, essential for nutritious food and clean drinking water. Since recognizing its key role in many environmental challenges, there has been an increasing demand for spatial information on SOC. Our objective is to present the results of a mapping activity aimed at producing spatially exhaustive information on SOC content, density, and stock for the topsoils of Hungary for 1992 and 2000. A “time-for-space” digital soil mapping approach was pursued to predict and map these SOC properties, with the associated uncertainty, at a resolution of 100 × 100 m. Particular attention was paid to validating the accuracy of the maps and the reliability of the uncertainty quantifications. The published maps are recommended to be used as baseline maps for Hungary. The spatial resolution makes them suitable for various practical applications (e.g., GHG inventory, sustainable agriculture, carbon sequestration). The maps are of interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, helping to achieve scientifically sound results and informed decision-making.