Test Sites

HoliSoils harmonises and maps soil data from multiple sources. These harmonised products are indispensable for Europe-wide GHG inventories and for the project’s experimental and modelling work in Europe’s main bioclimatic regions and soil types.

Field experiments at HoliSoils test sites will investigate the effects of soil and forest management (including thinning regimes, tree species composition, fertilisation, rewetting) and natural disturbances (forest fires, windthrow, droughts) on soil processes, resilience and climate change mitigation potential. Measurements of soil physico-chemical properties and biodiversity will be complemented by monitoring soil processes such as GHG fluxes and nutrient cycling.

Central East Europe

Slovakia – Dobroč

Established

Established

2021

Organization

Organization

Technical University in Zvolen (TUZVO)

Location

Location

N:48.6735, E: 19.6790
(Central region of Slovakia)

Soil type

Soil type

The soil type is Dystric Cambisol (pH-KCl = 3.5)

Dominant species

Dominant species
Picea abies with mixed forest (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior, Picea abies).

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
There are diverse herb layers (no shrubs) associated with beech-dominated forest types on the ground level (the Spruce site is domanited by Oxalis acetosella, Hieracium murorum, Rubus hirtus, Dentaria bulbifera, Brachypodium sylvaticum, and the Mixed-species site is typical of Dentaria eneaphylos, Circaea alpina, Mercurialis perenis, Rubus hirtus, Geranium robertianum, Athyrium filix femina, Dryopteris filix mas, Gymnocarpion robertianum).

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

The objective of this study is to know how different species composition (spruce monoculture versus close-to-nature mixed forest) affect the soil properties, including soil microbial activity, functional diversity and respiration.

Romania – Brașov

Established

Established

2021

Organization

Organization

Transilvania University of Brasov

Location

Location

45°46’17.6″N 25°28’22.9″E (Central Romania)

Soil type

Soil type

Planosol

Dominant species

Dominant species
Quercus robur

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Rubus hirtus, Juniperus communis

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

Understand soil resilience following a mortality event and improving soil resilience trough implementation of post-disturbance practices.