Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HoliSoils (Holistic management practices, modelling and monitoring for European forest soils)
Période du rapport: 2024-05-01 au 2025-10-31
The HoliSoils project tackled gaps in knowledge and improved scientific understanding of the forest soils processes and tested novel soil management practices aiming to mitigate climate change and sustain provision of ecosystem services essential for human livelihoods and wellbeing. Knowledge gaps limit the EU’s ability to maintain soil related ecosystem services and to reach climate policy targets. HoliSoils’ overall objectives were to advance scientific knowledge and support decision making in meeting climate and sustainability goals by (i) advancing knowledge of soil properties, processes, biodiversity and soil microbiota activity, (ii) developing beyond state-of-the-art soil models, which are integrated into ecosystem models, (iii) harmonising soil monitoring methods and validated modelling tools, which reduce uncertainty of the soil greenhouse gas inventories, (iv) empirically testing guidance on climate smart forest management practice and (v) enhancing understanding of the impacts, trade-offs, and synergies of forest management scenarios for soils across the EU.
HoliSoils facilitated improvement of forest soil health and forest soils’ contribution to climate change mitigation by means of a variety of reference materials, simulation models and tools. HoliSoils established a set of experimental study sites across different European forest ecosystems to test impacts of forest management practices on soil processes, soil health and their climate change mitigation potential. HoliSoils project equipped forest managers with evidence-based guidance for climate-smart forest management. Results were disseminated to end-users via joint excursions, site visits, seminars, round-table discussions and stakeholder events. In addition, the project extended the soil module of the Integrate+ mobile application that assists forestry practitioners to evaluate impacts of different management options on forest stands and soil.
HoliSoils’ results and tools helped national authorities to improve greenhouse gas inventories, reduce their uncertainty, and to advance climate policy targets at local, regional, national and EU levels.
These results enabled experts to improve their understanding of soil processes, especially the contribution of soil microbial biomass and diversity to soil organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas fluxes. Furthermore, HoliSoils’ improved soil models help policy makers and forest managers better understand how soil health directly impacts climate change mitigation and forest productivity.
The HoliSoils project also improved forest ecosystem models, and knowledge on feasibility and trade-offs between conventional and climate-smart forest management. This facilitated scenario analyses that equipped policy makers and forest managers with guidance for selection of climate-smart management practices for forests across the EU.
HoliSoils provided harmonised methods for soil property characterisation, which continue to help national authorities responsible for the implementation of the EU’s Soil Monitoring Law to choose applicable methodologies e.g. for soil biodiversity monitoring. HoliSoils provided advanced methodologies for (i) soil analysis (incl. soil nutrient stock, soil organic carbon features, biomass and biodiversity of soil microorganisms and fauna), (ii) harmonised, transparent and credible soil GHG monitoring and forecasting, and (iii) assessing soil vulnerability and achieving degradation neutrality.
HoliSoils provided policy makers, forest extension services and the research community with an open access database on soil information, a web-based server to evaluate spatial soil data, an EU map of disturbance-vulnerable soils, a map of European forest soil microbial diversity and guilds, and an Ensemble soil modelling tool, where the user can simultaneously run multiple soil carbon models. HoliSoils’ tools were disseminated to end users via stakeholder events, webinars and training sessions, and bilateral meetings between researchers and stakeholders in different countries. In addition, HoliSoils together with the United Nation’s Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) programme office organised an online training session where the modelling tools were disseminated to national greenhouse gas inventory experts beyond the EU.
HoliSoils prepared many recommendations for policy and decision makers. These included policy briefs on: soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas fluxes; the beneficial effects of Climate-Smart Forestry practice for soil carbon dynamics; soil resilience and GHG fluxes (available in 13 languages); and the importance of harmonised forest soil sampling and assessment for the implementation of the EU Soil Monitoring Law. The policy briefs were presented and discussed with policy makers at HoliSoils Policy events in Brussels and in various meetings, events and discussions with decision makers and stakeholders in the EU Member States.
HoliSoils’ results and tools helped national authorities to improve greenhouse gas inventories, reduce their uncertainty, and to advance climate policy targets at local, regional, national and EU levels.
These results enabled experts to improve their understanding of soil processes, especially the contribution of soil microbial biomass and diversity to soil organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas fluxes. Furthermore, HoliSoils’ improved soil models help policy makers and forest managers better understand how soil health directly impacts climate change mitigation and forest productivity.
The HoliSoils project also improved forest ecosystem models, and knowledge on feasibility and trade-offs between conventional and climate-smart forest management. This facilitated scenario analyses that equipped policy makers and forest managers with guidance for selection of climate-smart management practices for forests across the EU.
HoliSoils provided harmonised methods for soil property characterisation, which continue to help national authorities responsible for the implementation of the EU’s Soil Monitoring Law to choose applicable methodologies e.g. for soil biodiversity monitoring. HoliSoils provided advanced methodologies for (i) soil analysis (incl. soil nutrient stock, soil organic carbon features, biomass and biodiversity of soil microorganisms and fauna), (ii) harmonised, transparent and credible soil GHG monitoring and forecasting, and (iii) assessing soil vulnerability and achieving degradation neutrality.
HoliSoils provided policy makers, forest extension services and the research community with an open access database on soil information, a web-based server to evaluate spatial soil data, an EU map of disturbance-vulnerable soils, a map of European forest soil microbial diversity and guilds, and an Ensemble soil modelling tool, where the user can simultaneously run multiple soil carbon models. HoliSoils’ tools were disseminated to end users via stakeholder events, webinars and training sessions, and bilateral meetings between researchers and stakeholders in different countries. In addition, HoliSoils together with the United Nation’s Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) programme office organised an online training session where the modelling tools were disseminated to national greenhouse gas inventory experts beyond the EU.
HoliSoils prepared many recommendations for policy and decision makers. These included policy briefs on: soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas fluxes; the beneficial effects of Climate-Smart Forestry practice for soil carbon dynamics; soil resilience and GHG fluxes (available in 13 languages); and the importance of harmonised forest soil sampling and assessment for the implementation of the EU Soil Monitoring Law. The policy briefs were presented and discussed with policy makers at HoliSoils Policy events in Brussels and in various meetings, events and discussions with decision makers and stakeholders in the EU Member States.
HoliSoils enhanced the sustainability of forest management and soil health in Europe and beyond. Locally tailored Climate-Smart Forestry practices tested in the project had beneficial impacts when compared to conventional forestry for soil function, resilience, and sustained productivity, as well as for carbon sequestration and emissions reduction. HoliSoils’ research indicated that soil health was important factor for most forest owners. In a survey carried out by the project, a sizable majority of those who were not already applying Climate-Smart Forestry practices were open to testing or adopting such practices. The survey also indicated that carefully designed financial incentives may support wider adoption of practices to enhance soil health.
Experimental testing of the impacts of forest management practices across different European forest ecosystems equipped policy makers and forest managers with guidance for sustainable management, and indicated preferable protective and remedial actions. HoliSoils strengthened the climate change mitigation potential of the EU’s forests by means of a variety of reference materials, simulation models and tools, which serve decision makers from national authorities to forest owners.
Based on an improved understanding of soil properties and processes, HoliSoils provided harmonised analysis methodologies as well as monitoring tools, hence enabling widespread action by forest managers to improve the status quo for soil health. These methodologies and tools also support national authorities responsible for the implementation of the national soil monitoring frameworks, which was a timely benefit arising from the project after the approval of the EU Soil monitoring Law in 2025.
HoliSoils developed novel soil models that accounted for soil biodiversity including both soil fauna and microbiota. The interplay of different soil properties in creating soil resilience has been developed, based on field experiments, and embedded in a land surface model (ORCHIDEE) to allow predictions of soil health. This also supports forest productivity and allows for optimised Climate-Smart Forest management across the EU.
HoliSoils developed a tool for soils’ response to climate change and management changes. This tool enables policy makers and experts to simulate how forest soils carbon stocks behave under different climate pathways and land management approaches, considering advanced information like soil texture, air or soil temperature, and hydrology. It uses six scientifically recognised models to estimate carbon storage and emissions of key greenhouse gases. Policy makers can use HoliSoils’ web-based tool to support climate action planning, inform land-use regulation, guide national greenhouse gas inventories, and align strategies with the EU Green Deal targets.
Experimental testing of the impacts of forest management practices across different European forest ecosystems equipped policy makers and forest managers with guidance for sustainable management, and indicated preferable protective and remedial actions. HoliSoils strengthened the climate change mitigation potential of the EU’s forests by means of a variety of reference materials, simulation models and tools, which serve decision makers from national authorities to forest owners.
Based on an improved understanding of soil properties and processes, HoliSoils provided harmonised analysis methodologies as well as monitoring tools, hence enabling widespread action by forest managers to improve the status quo for soil health. These methodologies and tools also support national authorities responsible for the implementation of the national soil monitoring frameworks, which was a timely benefit arising from the project after the approval of the EU Soil monitoring Law in 2025.
HoliSoils developed novel soil models that accounted for soil biodiversity including both soil fauna and microbiota. The interplay of different soil properties in creating soil resilience has been developed, based on field experiments, and embedded in a land surface model (ORCHIDEE) to allow predictions of soil health. This also supports forest productivity and allows for optimised Climate-Smart Forest management across the EU.
HoliSoils developed a tool for soils’ response to climate change and management changes. This tool enables policy makers and experts to simulate how forest soils carbon stocks behave under different climate pathways and land management approaches, considering advanced information like soil texture, air or soil temperature, and hydrology. It uses six scientifically recognised models to estimate carbon storage and emissions of key greenhouse gases. Policy makers can use HoliSoils’ web-based tool to support climate action planning, inform land-use regulation, guide national greenhouse gas inventories, and align strategies with the EU Green Deal targets.