ISO/TC 190/WG 2 - Terminology and data management

This document provides a framework for the detailed assessment and monitoring of dynamic soil properties related to soil function with concomitant recording of in-situ static soil properties, landscape, land use and soil management practices that influence function at the time the data were collected. It is applicable to the assessment of soil quality in agricultural landscapes, contaminated sites and natural soil ecosystems at plot, field and landscape spatial scales. It can also be applied in the development of dynamic properties databases to enhance existing soil survey databases for estimation of carbon stocks in soils, sustainable agriculture, landscape management etc. Although the soil quality description framework has been developed to describe surface soils, the same principles can be applied to adapt the framework to describe subsurface soil horizons.

This document provides guidance on the description of soil in the field and its environmental context. It is applicable to natural, near-natural, urban and industrial sites. The soil observations and measurements can be made on a project site level, on a plot level, on layer or horizon level and on specific soil constituents. It also provides guidance on how to describe layers of anthropogenic (artificial) material or layers that were not modified by pedogenic processes in the strict sense and how to describe coarse material of natural or artificial origin. This document can be used in combination with other publications that provide guidance or requirements regarding specific aspects of soil observations and measurements. NOTE 1 It might not be possible or necessary to record data under all the headings listed in Clauses 4 to 11. NOTE 2 Overall guidance for presentation of information from soil surveys is given in ISO 15903. NOTE 3 The guidance provided assumes that sampling will be done in accordance with ISO 18400.

ISO 11074:2015 defines a list of terms used in the preparation of the standards in the field of soil quality. The terms are classified under the following main headings: - general terms (terms relating to soil, soil materials, land, and sites); - description of soil (soil characteristics, soil water, properties of soils and substances, processes in soil, contamination, pollution, background content); - sampling (general terms, sample types/sampling type, sampling stages, execution of sampling, quality control samples, sample pretreatment); - terms relating to the assessment of soils (quality, assessment of soil and sites with respect to risk, hazard and exposure, soil protection); - remediation (general terms, principal remediation types, engineering-based methods, process-based treatment methods); - soil ecotoxicology. NOTE: In addition to text written in the official ISO languages (English, French), this document gives text in German. This text is published under the responsibility of the Member Body for Germany (DIN) and is given for information only. Only the text given in the official lan­guages can be considered as ISO text.

ISO 28258:2013 describes how to digitally exchange soil-related data. It aims to facilitate the exchange of valid, clearly described and specified soil-related data between individuals and organizations via digital systems, and enables any soil data producer, holder or user to find and transfer data in an unambiguous way. It contains definitions of features, several parameter specifications and encoding rules that allow consistent and retrievable data exchange. It also allows the explicit geo-referencing of soil data by building on other International Standards, thus facilitating the use of soil data within geographical information systems (GIS). Because soil data are of various origins and are obtained according to a huge variety of description and classification systems, ISO 28258:2013 provides no attribute catalogue, but a flexible approach to the unified encoding of soil data by implementing the provisions of ISO 19156 observations and measurements (OM) for use in soil science.

The purpose of this International Standard is to achieve a high degree of harmonization in reporting results of on-site recording, sampling, on-site sample analyses and laboratory analyses of soil samples. To this end, it provides instructions for correctly specifying the quantities and units used to express results of analyses, the methods used and their precision. This International Standard also provides information to allow unique referencing of the sample, in both field and laboratory contexts, in order to ensure the traceability of the results.

ISO 15709:2002 gives a simplified theory of the physics of soil water in the unsaturated zone and defines a set of terms, quantities, units and symbols used in the field of soil physics investigation of the unsaturated zone. ISO 15709:2002 is applicable only to standards on soil physical investigations of the unsaturated zone (including swelling soils) elaborated within ISO/TC 190. ISO 15709:2002 specifically excludes macropore flow.