One of the factors influencing the condition of European forests is the persistent input of atmospheric pollutants. In addition to the direct damage to trees, the indirect effects of atmospheric pollutants through the soil are one of the main reasons for the deterioration of the condition of forest ecosystems. An examination of the soil of the European forests provides basic information on the chemical condition of the soil and the nutrient supply to the trees, as well as the influence of pollutant inputs on the condition of the soil. There are clear correlations between forest soil chemistry and the deposition of acidity and heavy metals. Therefore a soil condition assessment provides information on soil related stress factors for forest condition with respect to nutrient imbalances and soil condition.

Since 1985, an annual assessment of the crown condition of forest trees has been carried out within the framework of the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) of the UN/ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) and the European Union scheme on the protection of forests against atmospheric pollution. In addition, the condition of the European forest soils is now recorded. A first forest soil survey (using a grid of 16 x 16 km) was executed by 23 countries in the year 1994/1995. For the processing of the data of this soil inventory a Forest Soil Co-ordinating Centre (FSCC) was set up in November 1993 at the Laboratory of Soil Science of the University of Gent.

Since February 2001, FSCC has been hosted by the INBO, Belgium. FSCC is further maintained by the Expert Panel on Soil. The major activities of FSCC are to maintain and improve the soil data from the forest soil condition inventory and to prepare the next forest soil survey.

In 2005-2006 the BioSoil project realised a large scale soil inventory on the Level I plots of the ICP Forest network within the framework of the Forest Focus Regulation of DG ENV.  This new survey provides information on changes in soil chemistry, completes the soil information on the European Level and assesses relevant soil parameters, soil layers and plots not considered in the first survey.

Within the Framework of the Life+ FutMon project, FSCC is evaluating the data of this second pan-European forest soil inventory.