Verlic Emonfur ws milano 13032014_pptx

MONITORING AND PROMOTING IN URBAN AND PERI-URBAN FOREST IN LJUBLJANA

Slovenian Forestry Institute researchers; presenter: A. VerličMilano, EMoNFUr WorkShop, March 2014

FOREST INVENTORY AND CROWN CONDITION ASSESSMENT

• Permanent forest monitoring plots• 32 plots located on sampling grid 500 x 500 m (selected on 250 x 250 m).• The grid is down-scaled from the National Forest Monitoring survey which bases on national sample grid 4 x 4 km• Measured or assessed variables: site characteristic (gps location, exposition, canopy closure etc..), standing live trees

(species, status, dbh, defoliation, damages etc..), dead wood (type, species, volume etc..).

Mitja Skudnik, Saša VochlJure Žlogar, Boštjan Mali

FOREST INVENTORY AND CROWN CONDITION ASSESSMENTPreliminary results (standing live trees) Mitja Skudnik, Saša Vochl

Jure Žlogar, Boštjan Mali

BIODIVERSITY: FLORA & VEGETATIONLado Kutnar & Klemen Eler

Slovenian Forestry Institute, LjubljanaThe main objective of the flora/vegetation assessment is to estimate plant diversity status and changes at the monitoring plots (within monitoring sites) and to contribute to the understanding and evaluation of forest condition in broader sense.

The diversity of vascular plant species and plant invasion has been studied in the (peri-)urban forests of Ljubljana. Three forest locations in Ljubljana have been selected:i) Rožnik site is in the urban area and it is overgrown by Quercus petraea, Picea abies,

Castanea sativa. ii) Gameljne-poplar site is located in the flood area of the Sava River; it is dominated by Acer

pseudoplatanus, Alnus glutinosa, Salix eleagnos and Fraxinus excelsior.iii) Gameljne-pine site is located on the upper-terrace of the Sava River; it is secondary pine

forest with Pinus sylvestris in the upper tree layer, and Carpinus betulus and Tilia cordata in

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Sampling designPLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY

forest with Pinus sylvestris in the upper tree layer, and Carpinus betulus and Tilia cordata in the lower tree layer. The Gameljne sites are in the peri-urban area.

In total, 161 vascular plant species were recorded at three study sites. The number of vascular species varied between 61 (Rožnik site) and 85 (Gameljne-poplar site) per site. High number of herb layer species, including only non-woody species, has been recorded (104 species or 65% of all).

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Rožnik site Gameljne-poplar site Gameljne-pine site

Based on Raunkiær’s life-form system, hemicryptophytes (40%) and phanerophytes (34%) prevail among identified vascular speciesin Slovenia.The relatively high number of geophytes (15%) suggests that studied forests are in the late succession stage (mature forests).

Gameljne-poplar site with Allium ursinum in spring time

34%

5%40%

15%6% Phanerophytes

Chamaephytes

Hemicryptophytes

Geophytes

Therophytes

Plant life-forms (Raunkiær) in EMoNFUr locations in Slovenia (left) and in Italy (right)

Source: Comparison between the intermediate conclusions concerning the Slovenia and Lombardy data sets; Report, Dec. 2013

• In the studied (peri-)urban forests, numerous non-indigenous plant species were recorded. The majority of them have been declared to be invasive species in Slovenia, which adversely affect the forest habitats and outcompete native plant species.

• Presumably, these invasive species, which represent 6% of the flora recorded, come from the Sava River or from urban areas, i.e. gardens and parks. The majority of these invasive species are of the North American or Asian origin.

• Among three studied locations, the level of plant invasion is the highest at Gameljne-poplar site (8 species). The most abundant invasive species at this site are Solidago gigantea and Fallopia japonica. Other invasive species are Rudbeckia laciniata, Erigeron annuus, Helianthus tuberosus, Impatiens glandulifera, Impatiens parviflora, and Physocarpusopulifolius.

INVASIBILITY OF (PERI-)URBAN FORESTS OF LJUBLJANA

opulifolius.

Solidago gigantea

Rudbeckia laciniata

Fallopia japonica

Impatiens glandulifera

Monitoring entomofaunaMethod• Transect• Malaise trap• Window trap

Results• Transect and malaise trap

are the best methods• 33 species of hoverflies• Window trap

• Monitoring period: April-October

• 2 species living in dead wood, 25 aphid predators and 6 species living in plants

• Best period in June

M. de Groot

Monitoringbirds

Methods- 39 point counts- Three belts

Results• 51 species• 1246 individuals• Number of species affected

by the size of the forest patch

25m

50m

- Three belts

M. de Groot

ISM plots and UFMO tracks assessed for damaging agents in urban forest Rožnik. (N. Ogris)

Soil survey. (A. Marinšek)

� The aim of the research:� To establish permanent survey plots for monitoring the condition of

the soil in the form of cyclic measurements.� Pedological analysis aimed to classify the soil and to investigate

physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil samples.samples.

� 5 different depths per plot: Ol+f, Oh, M 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm.� Analyses made in the Laboratory for Forest Ecology of Slovenian

Forestry Institute for:� pH, � C, N, S elemental analysis, � burden of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in the soil.

� RESULTS:� Soil classification:� 26 of 35 plots (mostly Rožnik): deep Dystrict Cambisols� 4 of 35 plots (the flat part of Rožnik): Pseudogley� 5 of 35 plots (mostly Gameljne): Fluvisols

� pH:

� In upper part of organic layer pH is scattered from 3.2 – 6.2.� In most plots pH of Oh layer is from 3.0 – 4.2 and is increasing when

going deeper.� 4 plots differ (pH from 5.5 and higher in mineral layers at all depths).

� C, N, S elemental analysis� In progress

� burden of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu) in the soil � soil samples were collected on 32 plots of the Rožnik� 100 sampled locations in the depth of 0 – 10 cm were used in � 100 sampled locations in the depth of 0 – 10 cm were used in

the study� For all analysed metals all values were

below Limiting value except for lead atplot No. 18 where it exceeded Warningvalue (red arrow).

HIDROLOGICAL MONITORING

Rožnik catchment• 6’’ Parshall flume for streamflow monitoring• Automatic water level loggers (30 min.

interval, HOBO U20 Water Level Data Logger - U20-001-01)

• Monthly streamwater quality analysis:

Gozdarski inštitut SlovenijeSlovenian Forestry Institute

• Monthly streamwater quality analysis:– pH– El. Conductivity– Alkality– Kations: NH4+, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+– Anions: Cl-, NO3-, NO2-, PO42-, SO42-– Ntot– TOC/DOC– Al, Fe, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni– Turbidity

U. Vilhar

HIDROLOGICAL MONITORING

Gameljne research site• 5 research plots in UF• Measurements of precipitation in the open:

14 days• Measurements of throughfall: 14 days• Automated weather station in the open

P1P2P3P4P5

Gozdarski inštitut SlovenijeSlovenian Forestry Institute

• Automated weather station in the open• Continuous soil moisture and soil

temperature measurements (30 min. interval)

• Data base management and data evaluation• Reporting of preliminary results

U. Vilhar

Deposition• Sampling of bulk (open-field) and throughfall (under the canopy)

deposition• Regular sampling (every 14 days)

– For analysis the combined sample is made from two 14-days periods• Analysis of:

Measurement of amount of precipitation,o Measurement of amount of precipitation,o pH, electroconductivity, alkalinity,o Anions, cations (Cl-, NO2

-, NO3-, PO4

3-, SO42-, Na+, NH4

+, K+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+)

o Total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon (DOC)

D. Žlindra

Deposition• Results

o Comparing deposition in urban forest in Ljubljana (red) and forests outside urban areas (bright and dark green) in one-year period (Nov. 2011 – Oct. 2012)

D. Žlindra

Passive monitoring of airpollutants

• Sampling on 6 different locations in the urban forests in and around Ljubljana (orange dots)

• Regular sampling (every 14 days)• Detection of :

o Ozone (O3),o Ozone (O3),o Nitrogen dioxide (NO2),o Sulphur dioxide (SO2),o Ammonia (NH3).

D. Žlindra

Passive monitoring of air pollutants

• Results

D. Žlindra

USE OF MOSSES AS BIOMONITORS IN URBAN FORESTS

Different from other higher plants most of mosses are ectohydric which means that their rooting system is poorlydeveloped and they lack of cuticle, what force them to accept most of the mineral substances and with this pollutantsover the surface and not from the soil.The advantage of biomonitoring is that it is easier and cheaper than conventional precipitation or air analysis andconsequently a much higher sampling density can be achieved.

AIM• Explore the use of moss (Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw.) for monitoring of trace elements and N pollution in urban

and peri-urban forests in the City of Ljubljana.

SAMPLING METHODOLOGY

Mitja Skudnik

SAMPLING METHODOLOGY• Collecting of mosses at 44 sites.• Sampling locations were divided in locations within

the Ljubljana motorway ring and outside the ring.

EXPECTED RESULTS:• Atmospheric trace elements deposition• CNS (carbon, nitrogen and sulphur)

Meteorological monitoring. Station (WMO) and sensors in forest (M. Ferlan)

Work done so far within EMONFUR project – dendrochronologySamples from urban forest site Rožnik have been collected and prepared for measuring using ATRICS (advanced image capturing system)

Dendrochronology. (T. Levani č)

capturing system)Samples have been measured using WinDendro and cross-checked in PAST-4

Work to be done:Synchronisation and quality control using COFECHAComparison with environmental variables (climate)Interpretation of collected data and comparison with results from Italian side

Category:1 - road asfalt2 - gravel road3 - trail with sand cover4 - trail without cover5 - skid trail6 - social trail – without vegetation7 - social trail – with some vegetation

Trails survey and visitors monitoring. (M. Skudnik, M. Ferlan, A. Verli č)

7 - social trail – with some vegetation8 - social trail – trampled vegetation