Best soil management practices
Best practices of soil management in the Alpine region are grouped into sectors:
Identified are role model soil management practices, demonstrating the potential for sustainable development, environment protection and positive social influence. Best practice influence depends on regional circumstances, such as:
- Natural environment,
- Political situation,
- Funding schemes or public opinion.

Sustainable management and the protection of Alpine soil enhance the quality of the Alpine environment and considerably contribute to the provision of soil ecosystem services (SES) and the resilience of ecosystems. This, in turn, helps to preserve biodiversity and ensure the well-being of humans.
Booklet Soil management practices in the Alps presents seventeen soil management practices in Alpine countries: i.e. Austria, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Slovenia. It reflects the diversity of soil and environmental management approaches used in the area, and the existing sustainable soil and nature protection management in different sectors and industries; mainly in agriculture, forestry, sports, and tourism.
Collection of best practices in national languages:
- Slovenia Forest Service – Zavod za gozdove Slovenije: Integrating soil protection in forest management planning, Pokljuka, Slovenia / Vključevanja varstva tal v načrtovanje gospodarjenja z gozdovi, Pokljuka, Slovenija
- Agricultural Institute of Slovenia – Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije: Management practices on ski slopes Vogel and Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) / Prakse upravljanja s tlemi: Smučišče Vogel in Kranjska Gora
- Universiti of Torino – Università degli Studi di Torino, DISAFA: Soil research towards a sustainable mountain vineyard management – limiting soil erosion on steep slopes and preserving cultural heritage; Valle d’Aosta, Italy / Verso una gestione sostenibile dei vigneti di montagna. Buone pratiche per limitare l’erosione idrica. Aosta, Italia
- Universiti of Torino – Università degli Studi di Torino, DISAFA: Preventing hydrogeological risk in Aosta Valley Region, Italy / Gestione sostenibile del suolo nelle piste da sci: il caso studio della Valle d’Aosta
- Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government – Amt der Tiroler Landesregierung: Forest soil protection and management in Prägraten, Austria / Umgang und Schutz von Waldböden in Prägraten, Österreich
- Markt Kaufering and University of Innsbruck: Regional adaptation for maintaining high-quality ecosystem services during climate change (Germany) /Â Regionale Anpassung zum Erhalt hoher Ă–kosystemdienstleistungen im Klimawandel (Deutschland)
- INRAE, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment – INRAE – Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement: Revegetation of degraded areas in the French Alps / Revégétalisation des espaces dégradés dans les Alpes françaises