Name of the project: Urban Forest Soil Indicators as a tool for Climate-Smart Forestry
Acronym: UrbanFoS
Grant provider: Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia
Program: Prisma
Duration: 2023 – 2026
The main objective of the project Urban Forest Soil Indicators as a tool for Climate-Smart Forestry (UrbanFoS) is to define soil degradation indicators in urban forests (UF) under the concept of Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF).
Methods which will be used are: physico-chemical and mechanical characterization of the soil, laboratory and field simulation of potential climate scenarios, and defining ecosystem services (ES).
Novelty of the research proposal: UrbanFoS will establish indicators of soil degradation in urban forests and will define measures to mitigate the effects of degradation based on ecological engineering principles and nature-based solutions.
Impact of the Project: Defining indicators of soil degradation in urban forests within the concept of climate-smart forestry will contribute to adaptation and mitigation of climate change and anthropogenic pressure in urban areas. In this way, urban forests will fulfill their most important functions.
Expected results: Improvement of existing systems of planned management of urban forests, as well as improvement of soil conditions in urban areas by applying anti-erosion remedial and preventive measures.
UrbanFoS includes 6 work packages (WP).
UrbanFoS starts with the determination of the sensitivity of soil to degradation processes (WP2) by identification of the current situation in the field of research, identification of the current state of vegetation, and identification of physico-chemical and mechanical properties of soil in UF. Based on the results given by laboratory and field simulations of potential climate scenarios (WP3), defined indicators will be used to test existing soil degradation indices applicable for forest soils, and a suitable soil degradation index for UF under CC conditions will be proposed within WP5. WP5 will deal with defining and creating a vision to achieve the common goal of promoting CSUF by the determination of restoration measures to mitigate the effects of soil degradation processes based on the principle of ecological engineering and NBS. Considering the widespread absence of a regulatory framework specific to the management of UF, the main objective is to develop a sustainable, integrated, coherent, flexible, WP4 will deal by defining ES useful to monitor and assess CSUF using PA-BAT+ methodology to assess non-economic, economic, potentially non-economic, and potentially economic values of UF. The implementation process is based on consensus building to ensure discussion around the values of UF, encouraging stakeholders to understand different opinions and to debate the assessment results. Work package 6 (WP6) will use the digital strategies that will be developed during the project to strengthen the dissemination and interaction with the target audiences. Social media will be used to disseminate information and get feedback.