HoliSoils tackles gaps in knowledge on forest soil processes and aims to harmonise available soil monitoring information to support decision making towards climate and sustainability goals. HoliSoils identifies and tests novel soil management practices aiming to mitigate climate change and sustain provision of various ecosystem services essential for human livelihoods and wellbeing.

Knowledge gaps on forest soil processes and lack of a harmonised soil monitoring limit the EU’s ability to maintain soil-related ecosystem services and to reach climate policy targets. A better understanding of the soil processes and a harmonised approach to manage and integrate data to computational models that are used for decision making is urgently required in order to meet climate and sustainability goals, including the UN's Agenda 2030 SDGs, the Paris Agreement of Climate Convention, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the EU's LULUCF Regulation, the EU Forest Strategy (2018), and the European Green Deal.

HoliSoils will develop a harmonised soil monitoring framework and identify and test soil management practices aiming to mitigate climate change (CC) and sustain provision of various ecosystem services essential for human livelihoods and wellbeing. HoliSoils incorporates novel methodologies and expert knowledge on analytical techniques, data sharing, soil properties and biodiversity, and processes with model development, in order to develop tools for soil monitoring, refine greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment of the LULUCF sector, enhance efficiency of GHG mitigation actions, and improve numerical forecasting of soil-based mitigation, adaptation, and ecosystem services. HoliSoils applies a collaborative multi-actor approach, in order to maximise its applicability and impact beyond its duration.

The multidisciplinary consortium consists of universities and research institutes from across Europe, with leading expertise on soil analysis and databases, development of advanced analytical techniques, complex system modelling, digital soil mapping, soil ecology, disturbance ecology, forest and GHG inventories, social sciences, and communications. It also involves active engagement with diverse stakeholders, including forest owners and managers, industry actors, forest extension services, a certification body, forest and soil researchers, climate policy support and GHG inventory experts, and policymakers.

HoliSoils consists of eight work packages (WP). WP1 analyses soil properties and drivers of microbiological processes. WP3 harmonises data, for a Europe-wide monitoring framework and GHG inventory. WP4 explores holistic and sustainable climate smart forestry (CSF) management for improving soil and forest health and productivity. WP5 investigates the effects of soil resistance, resilience, and recovery capacity in relation to natural disturbances. WP2 develops soil models for modelling dynamics of soil properties and element fluxes. WP6 uses these models for estimating effects of management scenarios in Europe. WP7 engages stakeholders for dissemination, exploitation, and communication (DEC) of HoliSoils’ activities and results to relevant audiences. WP8 coordinates and administers the project.