Forest Monitoring: Chapter 15. Forest Soil: Characterization, Sampling, Physical, and Chemical Analyses (Developments in Environmental Science)

This chapter describes methods for long-term forest soil monitoring from the field design, to the laboratory analytical methods, and through to the data compilation and validation. Soil monitoring comprises two main pillars: the soil characterization, including a detailed soil profile description and classification; and the assessment of the physical and chemical status of the soil layers. Composite samples are taken at fixed-depth intervals, mainly for chemical analyses. Soil bulk density and soil water retention characteristics are measured using undisturbed core samples, in contrast to the other variables. Specific sampling techniques are employed for forest floors, peat soils, and fine-textured mineral and stony soils. The recommended laboratory methods are predominantly based on International Organization for Standardization methods. Results from the second European forest soil survey are presented to demonstrate the usefulness and implementation of the described methods.