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GloSIS: The Global Soil Information System Web Ontology

Raul Palma, Bogusz Janiak, Luís Moreira de Sousa, Kathi Schleidt, Tomáš Řezník, Fenny van Egmond, Johan Leenaars, Dimitrios Moshou, Abdul Mouazen, Peter Wilson, David Medyckyj-Scott, Alistair Ritchie, Yusuf Yigini, Ronald Vargas

TL;DR

The GloSIS web ontology is presented, an implementation of the GloSIS domain model with the Web Ontology Language (OWL), showcasing the contribution of this ontology to the discovery, exploration, integration and access of soil data.

Abstract

Established in 2012 by members of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) is a global network of stakeholders promoting sound land and soil management practices towards a sustainable world food system. However, soil survey largely remains a local or regional activity, bound to heterogeneous methods and conventions. Recognising the relevance of global and trans-national policies towards sustainable land management practices, the GSP elected data harmonisation and exchange as one of its key lines of action. Building upon international standards and previous work towards a global soil data ontology, an improved domain model was eventually developed within the GSP [54], the basis for a Global Soil Information System (GloSIS). This work also identified the Semantic Web as a possible avenue to operationalise the domain model. This article presents the GloSIS web ontology, an implementation of the GloSIS domain model with the Web Ontology Language (OWL). Thoroughly employing a host of Semantic Web standards (SOSA, SKOS, GeoSPARQL, QUDT), GloSIS lays out not only a soil data ontology but also an extensive set of ready-to-use code-lists for soil description and physio-chemical analysis. Various examples are provided on the provision and use of GloSIS-compliant linked data, showcasing the contribution of this ontology to the discovery, exploration, integration and access of soil data.

GloSIS: The Global Soil Information System Web Ontology

TL;DR

The GloSIS web ontology is presented, an implementation of the GloSIS domain model with the Web Ontology Language (OWL), showcasing the contribution of this ontology to the discovery, exploration, integration and access of soil data.

Abstract

Established in 2012 by members of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) is a global network of stakeholders promoting sound land and soil management practices towards a sustainable world food system. However, soil survey largely remains a local or regional activity, bound to heterogeneous methods and conventions. Recognising the relevance of global and trans-national policies towards sustainable land management practices, the GSP elected data harmonisation and exchange as one of its key lines of action. Building upon international standards and previous work towards a global soil data ontology, an improved domain model was eventually developed within the GSP [54], the basis for a Global Soil Information System (GloSIS). This work also identified the Semantic Web as a possible avenue to operationalise the domain model. This article presents the GloSIS web ontology, an implementation of the GloSIS domain model with the Web Ontology Language (OWL). Thoroughly employing a host of Semantic Web standards (SOSA, SKOS, GeoSPARQL, QUDT), GloSIS lays out not only a soil data ontology but also an extensive set of ready-to-use code-lists for soil description and physio-chemical analysis. Various examples are provided on the provision and use of GloSIS-compliant linked data, showcasing the contribution of this ontology to the discovery, exploration, integration and access of soil data.
Paper Structure (34 sections, 4 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 34 sections, 4 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction and motivation
  2. The importance of soils and related risks
  3. GSP and its goals
  4. International Consultancy towards a global soil information exchange
  5. Document Structure
  6. Background and related work
  7. SOTER
  8. ISO 28258
  9. ANZSoilML
  10. The Soil Theme in INSPIRE
  11. OGC Soil IE
  12. Ontology Specification and Implementation
  13. Methodology
  14. Requirements
  15. Conceptualisation and Implementation
  16. ...and 19 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Visual representation of the main feature of interest in the INSPIRE domain model INSPIRE-Soil. Image re-used according to Decision 2011/833/EU of the European Commission.
  • Figure 2: Plot spatial object type overview, where green boxes refer to container classes, dark grey to ISO28258 spatial object types and light grey to GloSIS spatial object types
  • Figure 3: Schematics of a GloSIS observation. Blue: GloSIS classes, orange: external classes, yellow: GloSIS instances.
  • Figure 4: GloSIS web ontology - connection between spatial object types and ISO 28258