VÚMOP contribution to ecosystem restoration

We seek to join a consortium as a beneficiary delivering defined research tasks on soil and water functions, erosion and spatial assessment. We propose to contribute to ecosystem restoration in agricultural landscapes, particularly under Area B on restoration practices in agriculture and forestry.

Proposed research contribution

·       Identify restoration priorities using soil characteristics, terrain, land use and erosion risk; support the selection of experimental sites and measures.

·       Assess how restoration measures affect erosion, soil organic carbon, infiltration and water retention, using an agreed set of field measurements and indicators.

·       Integrate Earth observation and GIS with field observations to map landscape change, assess results and document uncertainty.

·       Compare measures such as buffer strips, diverse landscape features and agroforestry where these fit the consortium’s restoration objectives.

Expected outputs

Spatial baseline and prioritisation maps; a field assessment protocol; evidence on soil and water benefits and trade-offs; GIS datasets and recommendations for transferring tested measures to comparable landscapes.

Role and complementary partners

We prefer task-level responsibility within a work package led by another partner. The coordinator would manage the consortium; the living lab lead would organise stakeholder engagement and experimental sites. We would contribute scientific assessment and reporting for our tasks. Partners should provide restoration ecology, biodiversity assessment and practical implementation.

Scope to agree with the coordinator

A Czech pilot contribution can be explored subject to access to sites, land managers and data. Sampling intensity, methods, person-months, budget and data responsibilities would be agreed during proposal preparation. We retain responsibility for our own beneficiary administration and reporting.