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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 99, NO. D8,
PAGES 16,479–16,489,
1994
Potential emissions of radiatively active gases from soil to atmosphere with special reference to methane: Development of
a global database (WISE)
Niels H. Batjes
International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), Wageningen, The Netherlands
E. M. Bridges
International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), Wageningen, The Netherlands
Abstract
The role of soil in controlling production and fluxes of biotic greenhouse gases is the focus of research in progress at the
International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC). There are two main goals in this project on World Inventory of
Soil Emission Potentials (WISE). The first is to assemble a global soil database in association with the Land and Water Division
of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), using a ½° × ½° grid of geographic soil data (1:5 M scale). This “area” data
will be linked to a database of soil profile “attribute” data using a geographical information system. The foundations for
this work have now been put in place and, providing the soil profile collection programme proceeds satisfactorily, it is anticipated
that a preliminary database should begin to emerge by the end of 1993. When the soil database is complete, the second thrust
will be to make an inventory of the world's poorly drained soils, providing the geographical framework for an improved estimate
of methane production potentials. To do this, controlled long-term field experiments are required and modeling techniques
must be developed and tested. ISRIC is cooperating with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines
for these aspects of the work. An important corollary to the development of a global soil database is that many requests are
being received for soil information relevant for studies of “global change.” At present, much of this information does not
exist in an adequate format, so ISRIC is proceeding as rapidly as possible to implement the WISE digital database in a format
which is compatible and user-friendly, for ultimate distribution in the public domain.
Received 11
June
1993;
accepted 16
November
1993.
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Citation: Batjes, N. H., and E. M. Bridges
(1994),
Potential emissions of radiatively active gases from soil to atmosphere with special reference to methane: Development of
a global database (WISE),
J. Geophys. Res.,
99(D8),
16,479–16,489.
Copyright 1994 by the American Geophysical Union.
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