International Black Soil Monitoring Network (IBSMN)
The objectives of the sub-network IBSMN are:
- to carry out an assessment of existing black soil data, including a gap analysis in the light of the INBS data requirements;
- to develop methods to fill data gaps as needed, and to develop data extracts suitable for INBS products;
- to exchange data for building the following INBS and GSP global data products: global black soil map, and SoilSTAT; preferably, data should not be physically exported but shared using web-based technology;
- to use standards-based web data formats (WMS, WFS, WCS); this would require that the locally stored black soil data, or extracts of those, are pre-processed (harmonized), and transformed using a protocol for the web-based exchange of digital soil data;
- to apply the highest level of harmonization possible and necessary, in order to allow for the integration of these data sets into the global product scheme;
- to provide documentation about the national or local data sets via meta data and additional information needed to assess the source, methodology and accuracy of the data shared.