Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Dynamics and microbial mechanisms of soil organic carbon during long-term forest succession after reforestation

Objective

Reforestation is widely recognised as an effective nature-based solution to mitigate climate change by enhancing ecosystem carbon (C) sequestration. While C storage in vegetation increases substantially after reforestation, it remains highly uncertain whether, and how, soil organic C (SOC) storage also increases on centennial timescales. This knowledge gap critically limits our capacity to assess forest C sink potential and to implement large-scale reforestation, as soils store more than twice as much C as vegetation. ForestC aims to reveal the potential and mechanisms of SOC storage during long-term forest succession following reforestation. To achieve this, the project will combine a global data synthesis with a field study of three long-term forest secondary succession sequences across Europe, integrating resource limitation theories with novel concepts of microbial life strategies. ForestC will investigate the dynamics of key SOC components (i.e. mineral-associated organic C, particulate organic C, and microbial biomass C) through succession, and explore the microbial mechanisms governing their storage. A combination of state-of-the-art molecular and genomic techniques, ecological stoichiometry, and process-based models will be employed to address these objectives and maximize the utility of the results. Overall, ForestC will provide critical insights into how SOC storage develops after reforestation on centennial timescales and the role of microbial life strategies in this process. While advancing my career development by broadening research expertise and strengthening international networks, this Action will also contribute to a pressing global challenge of central importance to Horizon Europe, inform climate mitigation science, and provide robust evidence to guide policy-making.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 194 074,56
Address
CALLE SERRANO 117
28006 MADRID
Spain

See on map

Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Partners (1)

My booklet 0 0