Forest soil conditions in the CONECOFOR Permanent Monitoring Plots and in the Level I Network in Italy

The study of forest health is not complete without an assessment of soil condition. Forest soils were monitored in 20 Italian sites in the CONECOFOR programme with different pedological and climatic conditions, the Permanent Monitoring Plots (PMPs). The main objective was the evaluation of the effect of acid depositions on soils and nutrient availability. The FAO classification was applied to all the CONECOFOR soils. Other analyses were carried out on the organic layer and on four mineral layers. Although the number of sites is too small for this monitoring to be considered wholly representative of the state of Italian forest soils, the analyses yield some general information. In addition, a smaller number of determinations were carried out on a higher number of soils (70 soils in the first level monitoring programme (FLP), including the twenty PMPs). Results show that no soils have pH