Scholarly record

SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF MULTIPLE SOIL FUNCTIONS IN TWO DIFFERENT REGIONS IN LATVIA

Kristine Valujeva

Abstract

The development of the agricultural industry and increasing demands for bio-based products adds pressure on natural resources, such as water and soil. Soil is non-renewable resource and provides many ecosystem services, namely food and biomass production, water purification, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and habitats for biodiversity. The simultaneous achievement of socio-economic and climate policy objectives is challenging and requires careful management of soils as a pivotal resource. In Latvia, the key challenge and demand for soils is to increase the added value from agricultural and forestry output, by using the available land resources while not increasing emissions and at the same time preserving biodiversity. In this research, we use existing conceptual framework for quantifying supply and demand of agricultural soils by using proxy indicators. A case study of two municipalities from two different regions in Latvia, namely Zemgale and Vidzeme, is used to show the differences between supply and demand of three soil functions, such as primary productivity, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration, and habitat for biodiversity. The supply of primary productivity depended on soil type, location, and current land use, while potential of carbon sequestration depended on land use.

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