WP 2.3: Site assessment and nutrient cycling

The site-specific potential of available soil nutrients and assessment of harvested biomass and nutrient export from forest sites is crucial for preserving soil fertility and environmental soil functions in the long run both for production and ecosystem services. An intensive and detailed mapping of the nutrient and water holding potential as well as erosion risk in diverse forest plantations may contribute to a large-scale site classification. This should lead to statements about potentials and/or restrictions about the utilization of these plantations from which management options could be drawn. Long-term experiences from Central European forest site assessment approaches may significantly contribute to sustainable forest management in China.

The main objectives of this working package will be:

• Determination of site-specific humus and nutrient potentials of soils
• Elaboration of site specific classification system which can be regarded on different spatial scales as well as within different subject-specific issues (biomass production, management options, erosion risk, susceptibility of nutrient changes)
• Elaboration of a forest-type and management-specific carbon and nutrient flux models for the assessment of the sustainability of biomass and timber exports.