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Development of a soil compaction indicator in life cycle assessment

  • LAND USE IN LCA
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Integrating soil quality impacts in life cycle assessment (LCA) requires a global approach to assess impacts on soil quality that can be adapted to individual soil and climate contexts. We have developed a framework for quantifying indicators of impact on soil quality, valid for all soil and climate conditions, and considering both on-site and off-site agricultural soils. Herein, we present one of the framework’s impact indicators, which has not yet been quantified in detail in LCA studies: soil compaction.

Material and methods

The method includes guidelines and tools for estimating midpoint compaction impacts in topsoil and subsoil as a loss of soil pore volume (in cubic metre per functional unit). The life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle impact assessment are based on simulation modelling, using models simple enough for use by non-experts, general enough to be parameterised with available data at a global scale and already validated. Data must be as site specific and accurate as possible, but if measured data are missing, the method has a standardised framework of rules and recommendations for estimating or finding them. The main model used, COMPSOIL, predicts compaction due to agricultural traffic. Results are illustrated using a case study involving several crops in different soil and climate conditions: a representative pig feed produced in Brittany, France.

Results and discussion

Predicted compaction impacts result from the combination of site-specific soil, climate and management characteristics. The data necessary to the LCI are readily available from free soil and climate databases and research online. Results are consistent with compaction observed in the field. Within a soil type, predictions are most sensitive to initial bulk density and soil water content.

Conclusions

The method lays the foundation for possible improvement by refining estimates of initial soil conditions or adding models that are simple and robust enough to increase the method’s capacity and accuracy. The soil compaction indicator can be used in LCAs of bio-based materials and of waste management stages that consider composting. The framework includes other operational indicators (i.e. water erosion, soil organic matter change) to assess impact on soil quality. They complement other impact categories, providing increased ability to identify “impact swapping”.

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Acknowledgments

We thank GESSOL, an applied research programme supported by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), and its scientific committee for their funding and scientific exchange.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, UMR 1069 SAS, 35000, Rennes, France

    Emmanuelle Garrigues, Michael S. Corson & Hayo M. G. van der Werf

  2. Soils and Crops Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Quebec City, Quebec, G1V 2J3, Canada

    Denis A. Angers

  3. Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, UMR 1069 SAS, 35000, Rennes cedex, France

    Christian Walter

Authors
  1. Emmanuelle Garrigues
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  2. Michael S. Corson
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  3. Denis A. Angers
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  4. Hayo M. G. van der Werf
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  5. Christian Walter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emmanuelle Garrigues.

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Responsible editor: Guido W. Sonnemann

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Garrigues, E., Corson, M.S., Angers, D.A. et al. Development of a soil compaction indicator in life cycle assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 18, 1316–1324 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0586-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0586-0

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