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.

South Europe

Spain – Gámiz

Flag Spain
Established

Established

2021

Organization

Organization

BC3- Basque Center for Climate Change

Location

Location

42°49’2.32″N; 2°37’10.67″W (Northern Spain)

Soil type

Soil type

Silty Clay with the organic layer of 0.05 m

Dominant species

Dominant species
Quercus faginea

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Presence of Acer campestre and Fraxinus excelsior in the tree layer, with understory composed of different species (Viburnum lantana, arbutus unedo, Rhamnus alaternus, Ligustrum vulgaris or Corylus avellana, among others). Climbing plants such as hedera helix, Lonicera periclymenun or Smilax aspera are also well represented. The herbaceous layer is represented by many nemoral species.

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.

Spain – Cap de Creus

Flag Spain
Established

Established

2021

Organization

Organization

UB – University of Barcelona

Location

Location

42°20’12.41″N 3° 9’20.93″E
Northeast Spain

Soil type

Soil type

Xerorthent litic

Dominant species

Dominant species
Quercus ilex

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Ulex parviflorus, Cistus albidus, Cistus nigra

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

Understand soil resilience following a wildfire event and improving soil resilience trough implementation of post-fire practices

Spain – Life+ Demorgest

Flag Spain
Established

Established

2015 & 2018

Organization

Organization

Forest Science and Technology centre of Catalonia (CTFC)

Location

Location

41°57’08″N, 1°27’55″E
Llobera, Northest Spain

41°56’16″N, 1°26’05″E
Secanella, Northest Spain

Soil type

Soil type

Lithic or Typic Xerorthent. Silt loam texture; C content is 4 mg C/g in the first 10 cm;
pH is 8.3 and CaCO3 is 32%

Dominant species

Dominant species
Pinus nigra.
Also Quercus pubescens and P. sylvestris present with low frequency.

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Presence of Buxus sempervirens and Viburnum lantana.

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

Evaluate the effects of canopy thinning intensity and forest debris chopping or burning on tree and understory growth, as well as resistance and resilience to multiple stresses or disturbances (e.g. wildfire and drought)

Spain – Montgrí

Flag Spain
Established

Established

2022

Organization

Organization

UB – University of Barcelona

Location

Location

42°4′59.840″N, 3°9′55.738″W
Northeast Spain


Soil type

Soil type

Lithic Xerorthent

Dominant species

Dominant species
Pinus halepensis

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Mediterranean shrubs, briophytes, seedlings regeneration

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

Understand the resilience of burnt soils with prescribed fire management in Mediterranean forest soils

Spain – Cadiretes

Flag Spain
Established

Established

2022

Organization

Organization

UB – University of Barcelona

Location

Location

41°78’40″N   2°86’46″E
Northeast Spain


Soil type

Soil type

Typic Haploxerept

Dominant species

Dominant species
Pinus pinaster, Quercus suber

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Cistus mospeliensis

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

Understand the resilience of burnt soils without any management in Mediterranean forest soils

France – Saint-Mitre les Remparts

Established

Established

2007

Organization

Organization

Aix Marseille University

Location

Location

43°27′0″N; 5°2′24″
Southeast France


Soil type

Soil type

Sandy loamy calcareous

Dominant species

Dominant species
Pinus halepensis, Quercus Ilex

Ground vegetation

Ground vegetation
Quercus coccifera, Rosmarinus officinalis and Phyllirea angustifolia

Aim of the study

Aim of the study

Study of the impact of two forest management practices (thinning and removal of understory shrubs) on pine growth and pine forest functioning.