Foreste urbane: il respiro delle città The results of three-years monitoring of EMoNFUr Project in Italy and Slovenia (soils and forests)

14.20 Introduction on forest and soil monitoring activities

14.30 Preliminary results of forest monitoring

15.00 Preliminary results of soil monitoring

15.30 Synergies

15.50 European monitoring protocol

16.20 Roundtable discussion

Timetable

Italian and Slovenian monitoring protocols were homogenized

Survey procedure

Dendrometric parameters

Analysis methodologies

Differences are related to:

plot size

mandatory parameters

Monitoring protocol – forest inventory

Monitoring protocol – forest inventory

Mandatory Optional

1 number of plots and sample size 1 tree growth parameters and corers

2 dendrometric parameters 2 users preferences

3 sequestration of carbon dioxide 3 encoding of plants

4 deadwood 4 weather conditions

5 epiphytic lichens

Monitoring protocol – forest inventory

Monitoring protocol – forest inventory

Dendrometric characteristics

number of trees growing stock basal area

Dead wood

number volume

Sequestration of carbon dioxide

live trees understory vegetation standing dead trees down dead wood

Biodiversity Specific indexes, species richness

What: soil profile description (mandatory)

How:

definition of soil diagnostic horizons, properties and materials

definition of the thickness of topsoil and subsoil

soil classification (WRB)

When: only at the beginning of the monitoring process

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

Delimitation of the study plot

(40 x 40 m = 1600 m2, divided in 16 squares)

Systematic-random sampling

1 soil profile

15 observations with soil auger

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

Excavation, description and sampling by genetic horizons of the soil profile;

identification of topsoil and subsoil

What: laboratory determinations for soil profile horizons

(mandatory)

How: soil horizons characterization (pH, SOC, total N,

total carbonates, CEC, exchangeable Ca, Mg, Na and K,

base saturation, available P, particle-size distribution)

When: only at the beginning of the monitoring process

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

What: topsoil and subsoil sampling (mandatory)

How: sampling with soil auger and obtaining composite

samples (not less than 10 subsamples in a plot – 1600

m2) from topsoil and subsoil (as defined accordingly to

the profile description)

When: at the beginning of the monitoring process and

every 10 years

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

15 observations with a

soil auger, sampled by

layers: topsoil and subsoil

2 composite soil samples

What: basic laboratory determinations for topsoil and

subsoil (mandatory)

How: determination of pH and SOC on topsoil and

subsoil composite samples (2 samples)

When: at the beginning of the monitoring process and

every 10 years

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

What: sampling and determination of the litter

(recommended)

How: sampling litter in 16 points/plot with a frame,

obtaining composite samples; drying and weighing

When: at the beginning of the monitoring process and

every 10 years

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

16 sampling points of the organic layer

(litter), in case divided into OL, OF and

OH horizons

What: topsoil and subsoil contamination control

(recommended)

How: determination of trace elements (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb,

Hg, Cr, etc.) on composite samples (not less than 10

subsamples/plot) from topsoil and subsoil (as defined

accordingly to the profile description)

When: at the beginning of the monitoring process and

every 10 years

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory

What: special determinations for topsoil and subsoil (optional)

How:

determination of the organic contaminants (oil hydrocarbons, POPs, etc.)

on composite samples (not less than 10 subsamples/plot) from topsoil

and subsoil (as defined accordingly to the profile description

determination of bulk density at the soil surface (0-10 cm)

determination of soil water properties (available water capacity,

permanent wilting point, etc.) of industurbed samples from topsoil and

subsoil

When: at the beginning of the monitoring process and every 10

years

Monitoring protocol – soil inventory