Forest Research (FR), Luci Corbett.
Abstract
This presentation focuses on forest soil monitoring in the UK, highlighting efforts to assess soil health, carbon storage, and changes due to environmental and management factors. It underscores the importance of harmonized protocols and long-term monitoring, showcasing findings like 70% of forest ecosystem carbon being stored in soils, nitrogen enrichment under conifers, and soil recovery from acidification. The work integrates UK and EU initiatives, including the ICP Forests and LUCAS networks, and emphasizes re-sampling to track changes and evaluate soil biodiversity. Looking forward, it calls for better integration across UK countries and land uses, improved data for soil carbon modeling, and sustained funding to ensure the continuity of monitoring programs.