VÚMOP contribution to soil biodiversity monitoring

We seek to join a consortium addressing Area B on soil biodiversity for the Soil Monitoring Law. We propose to deliver the soil assessment, sampling design and spatial analysis needed to test molecular monitoring methods across contrasting soil and land-use conditions.

Proposed research contribution

·       Design representative sampling strata using soil properties, land use, terrain and management; contribute a Czech demonstration case subject to site and data access.

·       Characterise sampled soils using agreed physical and chemical indicators and link these measurements to biodiversity results generated by molecular partners.

·       Assess spatial variability and relationships between biodiversity, soil condition and management, with explicit treatment of uncertainty.

·       Evaluate sampling effort, field costs and reproducibility to support practical monitoring; use EO/GIS for stratification and spatial extrapolation validated against field data.

Expected outputs

A sampling and soil characterisation protocol; spatially referenced soil and management data; an analysis of biodiversity–soil relationships; recommendations on sampling effort, costs and transferability; documented datasets following consortium FAIR data rules.