Analysis of requests for information and data from a national soil data centre in France

We studied a database that recorded all requests to the French National Soil Data Centre between April 2008 and November 2009 when a total of 440 requests were made. Our hypothesis is that an analysis of such requests can provide an insight into awareness of soil issues and data needs. These requests covered a wide range of topics. The most important threats were contamination, erosion and soil organic carbon decline. Soil acidification appeared to be no longer a priority concern. We found a lack of awareness of topics such as soil sealing and soil compaction. Gaps in data coverage are stressed and we highlight some data that were inadequate for some users' needs.