Biomass production

Most production of food, fodder and renewable raw materials is soil-related. Soil provides nutrients, air and water and is a medium in which plant roots can penetrate.

Serious degradation of the soil by human activities may cause a decrease in food or wood production. Erosion and compaction are the most important threats to sustainable agriculture, affecting about 15 to 20 percent of European land annually.

Production losses from these forms of degradation may amount to yield reduction of more than 30 percent. In the northern parts of the European continent, soil acidification may be the most destructive factor for timber production.