DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15096787
title: HWSD2_Climate_and_Socioeconomic_agriculturalsoil_dataset_mainland_portugal

description: The study uses the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD v2.0) developed by FAO and IIASA for biophysical models and agroecological queries. This database consolidates information from various sources, including the European Soil Database, the 1:1 million soil map of China, and national soil maps from Afghanistan, Ghana, and Türkiye. It has a spatial resolution of around 1 km and is revised in 2013 and 2023. HWSD v2.0 includes detailed information on soil mapping units, general soil unit information, and specific physical and chemical soil unit characteristics across seven depth layers.

The database fields cover a wide range of attributes, such as soil texture, bulk density, organic carbon content, pH, and cation exchange capacity. The harmonization process ensures that data from different sources is standardized and integrated, providing a consistent and reliable dataset for various applications. However, the HWSD v2.0 has some limitations, such as combining soil inventories gathered at different times, scales, and precision, which may affect its reliability for national studies. It is recommended to use national-level harmonized soil databases for more accurate results in specific regions.

For Portugal's mainland, the data presented in the HWSD v2.0 dataset is sourced from the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), which contains various metrics of chemical and physical soil properties. Out of the 2882 Portuguese parishes, only 22 are left out, representing 0.76% percent of the total number of parishes.

The study uses several datasets to analyze land use and occupation in Portugal. The Land Use and Occupation Map (COS2007v3.0) is a detailed thematic map of land use and occupation for mainland Portugal, developed by the Directorate-General for Territory (DGT). The data is organized hierarchically and includes 83 classes of land use and occupation. The CHELSA database, maintained by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL), provides bioclimatic indexes for precipitation and average temperature over various temporal intervals and variables.

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) provides data on agricultural machinery distribution across different geographical locations. The dataset covers the total number of agricultural machines, as well as specific categories such as wheeled and tracked tractors, motor cultivators, power hoes, motor mowers, and combine harvesters. The dataset also examines the distribution of farms with access to irrigation based on geographical location.

The burned land data from 1975 to 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of fire occurrences and their impact over time. This data is crucial for understanding long-term patterns, assessing the effectiveness of fire prevention measures, and informing future land management and policy decisions.

Lastly, the population density dataset from the 2021 Census and the 2011 Census provides a decennial comparison of total population density across different geographical regions. These data are essential for understanding the evolution of land use and occupation in Portugal and their implications for environmental and agricultural consequences.