The document describes the monitoring protocols used for forests and soils in Italy and Slovenia as part of the EMoNFUr Project. The forest monitoring protocol involves surveying dendrometric parameters, carbon sequestration, deadwood, and biodiversity indicators. The soil monitoring protocol involves describing soil profiles, analyzing soil samples from topsoil and subsoil for properties like pH and organic carbon, and optionally sampling litter and testing for contamination. The protocols were harmonized between the two countries while allowing for differences in plot size and mandatory parameters. The monitoring will provide preliminary results on forest and soil conditions in urban areas.

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

2.  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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Monitoring protocol – forest inventory

6. 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

7.  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

8. 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

9. Monitoring protocol – soil inventory
Excavation, description and sampling by genetic horizons of the soil profile;
identification of topsoil and subsoil

10.  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

11.  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

12. Monitoring protocol – soil inventory
15 observations with a
soil auger, sampled by
layers: topsoil and subsoil
2 composite soil samples

13.  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

14.  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

15. Monitoring protocol – soil inventory
16 sampling points of the organic layer
(litter), in case divided into OL, OF and
OH horizons

16.  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

17.  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