Forests play a vital role in global carbon storage, with most of this carbon held belowground. New HoliSoils research by the Natural Research Institute

A 24-year field experiment in Slovakia finds that Norway spruce plantations are more vulnerable to drought, pest outbreaks and soil carbon losses than

Learn why monitoring peatland forest soils is essential for assessing management effects in the HoliSoils webinar on 15 October (14:00–15:00 CEST).

The wellbeing of our planet, its ecosystems, and its people is deeply connected to soils. In the HoliSoils project we are very familiar with how forests,

Don’t miss the HoliSoils webinar on 22 October (14:00–15:00 CEST) on monitoring forest soil biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and microbial responses to management.

Don’t miss the HoliSoils webinar on 5 December (14:00–15:00 CET) on long-term nitrogen fertilisation, forest productivity, and soil carbon retention in boreal ecosystems.

Forest soils can make a significant contribution in mitigating climate change. Not only do they store carbon and consume methane, with the right management

In this section HoliSoils provides interested parties with different models and research tools to help both stakeholders and scientists understand environmental and anthropogenic effects and impacts o...

Forest soils are teeming with life and biodiversity. They enable the growth of trees, berry plants and mushrooms that are essential to human consumption and economy

HoliSoils is hosting an autumn webinar series addressing soils and climate. Sessions will highlight new approaches to monitoring, biodiversity, peatlands and microbial processes, with opportunities fo...

New global research reveals that excess nitrogen pollution is significantly altering how forests regulate carbon through soil respiration, the process by which roots and soil microbes release carbon dioxide as they break down organic matter. Soil respiration is one of the largest carbon fluxes on Earth, exceeding annual human fossil fuel emissions several times over. The study, conducted by an international team and published in Nature Communications, analyzed data from 168 nitrogen addition experiments, thousands of field observations, and global nitrogen deposition maps. Using machine learning, researchers identified two distinct ecosystem responses to nitrogen inputs depending on whether forests are nitrogen-limited or nitrogen-saturated. In nitrogen-limited forests, commonly found in boreal and remote mountainous regions, small increases in nitrogen initially stimulate microbial activity, root growth, and decomposition, leading to higher soil respiration. However, this positive effect follows an inverted U-shaped curve, eventually peaking and declining as excess nitrogen accumulates, toxicity develops, and available carbon substrates diminish. In contrast, nitrogen-saturated forests—often located in industrialized regions such as parts of Europe, eastern China, and the eastern United States—can experience abrupt declines in soil respiration when additional nitrogen is introduced. This is linked to soil acidification, loss of microbial diversity, and reduced root activity. Overall, the study estimates that global nitrogen deposition has increased soil respiration by about 5%, though this average masks strong regional differences. Importantly, reduced respiration in heavily polluted areas may not indicate improved conditions but rather ecosystem stress and reduced resilience. The findings highlight hidden tipping points in forest ecosystems and suggest that continued nitrogen pollution from agriculture, industry, and transportation could disrupt global carbon cycling. Reducing nitrogen emissions may help preserve soil health, maintain biodiversity, and stabilize forest carbon storage under climate change.

In the framework of the HoliSoils project, the Thuenen Institute is working on the soil monitoring framework. In particular, their work focuses on reviewing

Holistic management practices, modelling & monitoring for European Forest Soils. Knowledge gaps on forest soil processes and the lack of harmonised soil monitoring limits our ability to maintain soil-related ecosystem services and achieve climate policy objectives.