Nowadays, there is contrasting evidence between the ongoing continuing and widespread environmental degradation and the many means to implement environmental sustainability actions starting from good policies (e.g. EU New Green Deal, CAP), powerful technologies (e.g. new satellites, drones, IoT sensors), large databases and large stakeholder engagement (e.g. EIP-AGRI, living labs). Here, we argue that to tackle the above contrasting issues dealing with land degradation, it is very much required to develop and use friendly and freely available web-based operational tools to support both the implementation of environmental and agriculture policies and enable to take positive environmental sustainability actions by all stakeholders. Our solution is the S-DSS LANDSUPPORT platform, consisting of a free web-based smart Geospatial CyberInfrastructure containing 15 macro-tools (and more than 100 elementary tools), co-designed with different types of stakeholders and their different needs, dealing with sustainability in agriculture, forestry and spatial planning. LANDSUPPORT condenses many features into one system, the main ones of which were (i) Web-GIS facilities, connection with (ii) satellite data, (iii) Earth Critical Zone data and (iv) climate datasets including climate change and weather forecast data, (v) data cube technology enabling us to read/write when dealing with very large datasets (e.g. daily climatic data obtained in real time for any region in Europe), (vi) a large set of static and dynamic modelling engines (e.g. crop growth, water balance, rural integrity, etc.) allowing uncertainty analysis and what if modelling and (vii) HPC (both CPU and GPU) to run simulation modelling 'on-the-fly' in real time. Two case studies (a third case is reported in the Supplementary materials), with their results and stats, covering different regions and spatial extents and using three distinct operational tools all connected to lower land degradation processes (Crop growth, Machine Learning Forest Simulator and GeOC), are featured in this paper to highlight the platform's functioning. Landsupport is used by a large community of stakeholders and will remain operational, open and free long after the project ends. This position is rooted in the evidence showing that we need to leave these tools as open as possible and engage as much as possible with a large community of users to protect soils and land.

Procesi klimatskih promjena stimulisali su brojna istraživanja usmjerena na potencijal tla da djeluje kao skladište ugljika. Dok su zalihe organskog ugljika u tlu (Corg) u vezi s tipom tla, topografijom i vrstama drveća opsežno dokumentovani drugdje, primjećuje se značajan nedostatak podataka o tlima u šumama dinarskih kraških planina. Dinarska regija se karakteriše prisustvom mješovitih raznodobnih šuma bukve i jele (sa smrčom) kojima se upravlja prebornim sistemom, smatranim održivim i pogodnim za očuvanje zaliha Corg tla. U ovom istraživanju, provedenom na četiri uporedive lokacije kraških planinskih šuma (Bjelašnica, Bosna i Hercegovina; Kočevski Rog, Snežnik i Trnovski gozd, Slovenija) istraživano je kako zaliha Corg i odnos C/N variraju u odnosu na uslove staništa, vegetacije i reljefne pozicije. Glavni rezultati obuhvataju podatke o zalihama Corg, procijenjene na temelju izmjerenih koncentracija Corg, izračunatih gustina, grubih fragmenata i efektivnih dubina organskog (Ol, Of, Oh) i mineralnog tla do 60 cm dubine. Istraživanje je otkrilo značajno variranje vrijednosti Corg i C/N u odnosu na stanište i vegetaciju, naročito u organskim horizontima i površinskom mineralnom sloju. Osim toga, istraživanje je pružilo uvid u stabilnost organske materije na temelju odnosa C/N u tlu. Rezultati daju vrijedne informacije o dinamici Corg u tlima dinarskih kraških planina, značaju očuvanja sitnog organskog otpada u šumi i bitne su za održive prakse upravljanja šumama u smislu ublažavanja uticaja klimatskih promjena.

We determined the size of differences in stand and tree growth in semi-natural forests with respect to 16 reference soil groups. The forest area of Slovenia (11.8 thousand km2) was used as the study area, and reference soil units were derived from the national soil map at a 1:25,000 scale consisting of 10,781 polygons with an average size of 117.95 ha. Stand growth was defined as periodic stand basal area increment, while the growth of Norway spruce, silver fir, Scots pine, European beech and sessile oak trees was estimated by the periodic diameter increment of 238,349 dominant trees on 67,061 permanent sampling plots. A linear fixed-effects model and linear mixed-effect models were used for studying stand and tree growth in different site, stand and tree conditions. The soil unit was the dummy variable with Dystric Cambisols set as the reference category. Soil contributed 4.3 % to the explained variability of basal area increment and 4-27 % to the explained variability of the diameter increment of the five tree species. Soil was a stronger driver of stand and tree growth than climate or topography. Stand and tree species production rate on soil units was in the interval of-28 % to +5 % and-47 % to +14 % of that on the reference soil unit, respectively. Stand growth was the highest on Eutric Gleysols and the lowest on Histosols, and tree species generally exhibited the highest and the lowest growth rates on different soil units. We suggest that soil should be considered in growth models and studied interrelatedly with climatic, site and stand variables.

Most European forests are used for timber production. Given the limited extent of unmanaged (and especially primary) forests, it is essential to include commercial forests in the conservation of forest biodiversity. In order to develop ecologically sustainable forest management practices, it is important to understand the management impacts on forest-dwelling organisms. Experiments allow testing the effects of alternative management strategies, and monitoring of multiple taxa informs us on the response range across forest-dwelling organisms. To provide a representative picture of the currently available information, metadata on 28 multi-taxa forest management experiments were collected from 14 European countries. We demonstrate the potential of compiling these experiments in a single network to upscale results from the local to continental level and indicate directions for future research. Among the different forest types, temperate deciduous beech and oak-dominated forests are the best represented in the multi-taxa management experiments. Of all the experimental treatments, innovative ways of traditional management techniques (e.g., gap cutting and thinning) and conservation-oriented interventions (e.g., microhabitat enrichment) provide the best opportunity for large-scale analyses. Regarding the organism groups, woody regeneration, herbs, fungi, beetles, bryophytes, birds and lichens offer the largest potential for addressing management–biodiversity relationships at the European level. We identified knowledge gaps regarding boreal, hemiboreal and broadleaved evergreen forests, the treatments of large herbivore exclusion, prescribed burning and forest floor or water manipulations, and the monitoring of soil-dwelling organisms and some vertebrate classes, e.g., amphibians, reptiles and mammals. To improve multi-site comparisons, design of future experiments should be fitted to the set-up of the ongoing projects and standardised biodiversity sampling is suggested. However, the network described here opens the way to learn lessons on the impact on forest biodiversity of different management techniques at the continental level, and thus, supports biodiversity conservation in managed forests.

Urban and peri-urban forests are important habitats for maintaining biodiversity in cities. In this paper, we report a method for using hoverflies as biodiversity indicators in urban forest habitats. As a case study, forest habitats in three peri-urban and urban forests were assessed and compared to rural forests in Slovenia. Rožnik (Ljubljana) was chosen as the urban forest site, Mestni log (Ljubljana) and Brdo (Kranj) were chosen as the peri-urban sites, and eight sites were chosen in rural forests in different ecoregions in Slovenia. Forest hoverfly species richness and the species composition of different biological traits were compared between the peri-urban forests, urban forest and rural forest sites. In addition, species richness was assessed for changes in response to weather conditions between years. The number of species with the investigated traits in the urban and peri-urban forests was within the range of the number of species observed in the rural forests. The number of saproxylic species was higher in the urban forest but lower in the peri-urban forests compared to the rural forests. The proportions of species with different feeding modes and different development times were similar between the peri-urban, urban and rural forests. The proportions of species with development times of less than 2 months or more than 1 year and of predatory species were similar in the urban and peri-urban forests but higher in the rural forests. The species composition of the other biological traits differed between the peri-urban, urban and rural forests. Species richness and abundance displayed large differences in phenological patterns between 2012 and 2013; these differences are related to differences in the minimum temperature for these years. The results are discussed in relation to forest management in urban forests, the usefulness of hoverflies as a biodiversity indicator and possible extrapolation to other species groups.

We determined the size of differences in stand and tree growth in semi-natural forests with respect to 16 reference soil groups. The forest area of Slovenia (11.8 thousand km 2 ) was used as the study area, and soil units were derived from the national soil map at a 1:25,000 scale. Based on the large sample (72,380 permanent sampling plots, 275,194 trees), stand growth was defined as periodic stand basal area increment, while the growth of Norway spruce, silver fir, Scots pine, European beech and sessile oak trees was estimated by the diameter increment of dominant trees. Site, stand and tree variables were included in growth models. The soil unit was the dummy variable, and Dystric Cambisols were set as the reference category. Soil contributed 4.3% to the explained variability in basal area increment and even more (4-27%) to the explained variability in the diameter increment of the five tree species. Soil was a stronger driver of stand and tree growth than climate or topography. Stand and tree species production rate on soil units was in the interval of –28% to +5% and –47% to +14% of that on the reference soil unit, respectively. Stand growth was highest on Eutric Gleysols and lowest on Histosols, and tree species generally exhibited the highest and the lowest growth rates on different soil units. We suggest that soil should be considered in growth models and studied interrelatedly with climatic, site and stand variables.

Urbanization decreases the species richness and results in the homogenization of bird communities. Bird species are important indicator species for biodiversity and reflect the habitat quality of urban forests and other green spaces. In this study we investigated the key drivers that influence bird communities in urban forests and green spaces in the Southeastern European city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. We were interested in how the number of species, species dissimilarity and indicator species are affected by the type of green space (urban forest vs park), area of green space and type of urbanization (urban vs peri-urban areas). We sampled birds twice in 2012 in 39 standardized point counts across Ljubljana. We found that the abundance was influenced by the area of the green space. Species dissimilarity and species turnover are affected by the area and type of green space. Interestingly, the analysis showed that the species composition of peri-urban areas was similar to that of urban areas. Indicator species were found for all environmental variables. On the basis of the results, we suggest the strategy that would increase the diversity of birds and increase the stability of their populations in urban areas. Urban planners should encourage 1) both forests and parks since they harbour different species of birds, 2) larger green spaces since larger areas have species that are more typical of larger areas and 3) a mosaic of a larger number of smaller forest remnants combined with larger forest complex serving as source areas.

Forest management, especially thinning and harvesting measures, has a significant impact on the forest carbon balance especially in the forests with long-term continuous cover history. We measured soil CO2 efflux (Rs) in three forest complexes of mixed, uneven-aged Dinaric forests with predominating silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), and Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.). Rs was measured after removal of mature forest stands with 50% and 100% intensity of living stock and compared with Rs on the control plots without any applied silvicultural measures. Rs was measured monthly in three consecutive 2012, 2013 and 2014 growing periods. Soil CO2 efflux increased after harvest of both intensities in all studied forest stands. The biggest increase was measured in beech stands and amounted up to 47 and 69% for 50% and 100% harvest intensities, respectively. The effect of harvest on Rs in spruce and fir stands was similar - up to 26% for 50% harvest intensity and 48% for 100% harvest intensity. Despite the biggest increase after harvest, Rs in beech stands returned the fastest to the level of the uncut forest and this levelling period (LP) took 14-17 months with a little delay of the stands with 100% harvest intensity. The LP for all fir stands, for spruce stands with 50% harvest intensity and for one spruce stand with 100% harvest intensity, was 26-29 months. At two spruce stands with 100% harvest intensity we did not record Rs levelling during our three-year study. This study involved forest stands of three predominating tree species growing under the same conditions, which allowed us to determine the species-specific sensitivity of soil CO2 efflux to the different harvesting intensities.

The present study addresses the short-term effects of different harvest intensities under close-to-nature selective management on the upper soil layers in Slovenian and Bosnian Dinaric karst fir-beech forests. The different harvest intensities coincided with the single-tree and irregular shelterwood management, common in the region. The effect of harvesting intensity on the upper soil layers (Ol, Of, Ol and 0–10 cm mineral soil) was investigated by a repeated measurements experiment in Slovenia on 27 research plots in close-to nature managed forests. The properties of the upper layers (concentration of SOC and TN, C/N ratio, weights, BD and SOC stocks) were analyzed twice, before (2011) and after (2014) treatment of 50% and 100% harvest intensity in relation to the total standing growing stock of trees. As a control, we used no-treatment <20% harvesting intensity plots. To extend this experiment, we added three comparable plots from the Bosnian site: one in an old-growth forest with 0% harvest intensity and two in the managed forest with <20% harvest intensity. The results of the assessment of mean differences indicated a significant influence of harvesting intensity on the decrease in SOC, TN concentrations, weights and SOC stocks in the organic layers and the increase in BD and SOC stocks in the 0–10 cm mineral soil. The highest relative decreases in Ol, Of and Oh SOC stocks occurred in 50% (−10 and −38%) and 100% (−16 and −49%) harvest intensities. Negligible relative differences in both organic and 0–10 cm mineral layers were found for the <20% harvest intensity in the region. The change in forest light conditions resulting from differences in canopy openness as a function of applied harvest intensity explained the significant difference in the properties of the upper soil layers. The impact of the short-term losses in SOC stocks, in terms of overall soil productivity, may depend on the regeneration dynamics and melioration methods.

In the December 2017, 211 000 ha of Slovenian forests or 2 201 000 m3 were severely damaged by the windstorm. The damage was greatest in the adult beech-silver fir forest stands. In each management district (FMD) with different share of damaged forested area - Kočevje (69%), Postojna (22%) and Ljubljana (19%), research location were established to evaluate soil properties, root characteristics and ecophysiological regeneration response of predominating tree species in damaged stands as well as the economic effect of the windstorm on sensitive high karst sites. The restoration and regeneration efficiency of latest disaster (2017) was also compared with restoration efficiency of areas damaged in 2008, identifying possible specifics / differences and providing guidelines for their optimal recovery. Timber database from Slovenian Forest Service with data about felling and felling reasons between Dec. 2017 and the end of 2019 was used to evaluate economic losses. The total amount from the database was multiplied by the shares of individual quality category, obtaining the quantitative assortment structure according to the actual felling. We used tables of assortment losses caused by wind to estimate the actual assortment loss and multiplied those with 2018 roundwood market prices. Estimated cumulative biomass loss amounted 205 855 m3 - 5.6% less, compared to regular felling, or 16.1 million €. Physical soil properties between plots damaged by wind and control areas without damage did not confirm any significant difference in relation to weather and microsite conditions (rootstock, exposition, altitude, species structure of stands, microrelief). Characteristics of root systems of the most affected tree species - fir, spruce and beech did not differ between damaged and neighboring undamaged sites. An overview of fir and spruce windbreaks during the 1995 - 2018 period outlined the cumulative effect of multiple site conditions with strong wind, severely reducing the mechanical stability of fir and spruce; consequently, the following weather events with even mild wind intensities resulted in calamity. Natural regeneration ability on all plots of recent windthrow shows successful regeneration of beech, maple, and fir in all light categories of damaged stands, but questionable regeneration of fir, which is in tight relation with ungulate browsing. For comparison with regeneration after windthrow in 2017, we analyzed successional development in three windthrow areas from 2008. Seedling densities ranged from 5000 to 9000 ha-1, with the highest densities in the 150-300 cm height class. Within plots with natural regeneration, height and species diversity were better compared to planted plots. Shade-tolerant species increased in plots at lower elevations, while pioneer species still increased at higher elevations. Overall browsing was moderate, but silver fir and sycamore had difficulty establishing. The results indicate that regeneration spreads from areas that were covered with seedlings shortly after windthrow and that certain parts will not be covered with regeneration for a longer period.

This data set was used to estimate carbon fluxes by comparing eddy covariance tower (Long = 13.916701, Lat = 45.543491) measurements with vegetation indices based estimates. The data set includes all data required to : - Perform empirical regression of GPP (gross primary production) or NEE (Net ecosystem exchange) with vegetation indices, - Apply the vegetation photosynthesis model, which is a light use efficiency model.This data set includes 4 files, which are 2 *.csv files and 2 *.txt files. The *.csv files have the actual data in tabular format, and the *.txt files, named in the same way as the *.csv files with a prefix "parameters _ metadata", have a complete description of each variable found in the *.csv file, including their units.The first *csv file "1.Halfmonthly_fluxes_vegetation_indices.csv" contains half-monthly aggregated fluxes, environmental parameters and vegetation indices from 2012 to 2019. The variables included in the file are: date, NEE, GPP, Reco, Rg, Tair_midday, Tair, VPD, EVI, SAVI, LSWI, NDVI, GNDVI; and their meanings can be found in the corresponding *.txt file "1.parameters_metadata_Halfmonthly_fluxes_vegetation_indices.txt".The second *.csv file "2.Halfhourly_LUEmax_calculation_data_2019.csv" contains half-hourly fluxes and environmental parameters for the year 2019, needed to calculate LUE_max, further used in the VPM model. The variables included in the file are: time, incPPFD, bcPPFD_1, bcPPFD_2, naPPFD, frac_grass, frac_trees, frac, VPD, GPP, SWC, Rg, PAR, APAR, uncloudy; and their meanings can be found in the corresponding *.txt file "2.parameters_metadata_Halfhourly_LUEmax_calculation_data_2019.txt".About the authors of this data set,The original data set was collected by Mitja Ferlan, Klemen Eler, Dominik Vodnik and Primož Simončič. However, the processed data, object of this publication was prepared by Koffi Dodji Noumonvi and Mitja Ferlan.P.S. This data set is a research data, that can be used to reproduce the methodology applied in the paper (in review at the moment of publishing this data).

V prispevku predstavljamo proces in rezultate dolocitve korekcijskih kolicnikov za pretvorbo rezistografskih gostot, izmerjenih na stojecih drevesih, v osnovno gostoto lesa na primeru bukve (Fagus sylvatica L.), puhastega hrasta (Quercus pubescens Willd.) in crnega bora (Pinus nigraArnold.). Korekcijski kolicniki so bili doloceni na podlagi sveže odžaganih kolutov, ki so bili povrtani z rezistografom. Kolute smo stehtali, izmerili njihovo prostornino ter jih posusili do absolutno suhega stanja. Iz zbranih podatkov smo nato izracunali osnovno gostoto lesa ter korekcijske kolicnike med osnovno in rezistografsko gostoto. V raziskavo je bilo zajetih 59 kolutov. Aritmeticna sredina vseh izmerjenih kolicnikov znasa 1,41, vrednosti 95 % intervala zaupanja pa znasajo od 1,38 do 1,46. Razlike med drevesnimi vrstami so statisticno neznacilne. Rezistografska gostota relativno dobro odraža osnovno gostoto kolutov (Pearsonov korelacijski koeficient = 0,91; p < 0,001), kar nakazuje na relativno dobro povezanost osnovnih gostot kolutov z rezistografskimi gostotami. Dobljeni rezultati so kljucnega pomena za nadaljnji razvoj podrocja merjenja dejanskih gostot lesa v stojecih drevesih na hiter in relativno nedestruktiven nacin.

V prispevku je predstavljen primer raziskave o variabilnosti kakovosti lesa razlicnih drevesnih vrst v slovenskih gozdovih. Meritve gostote, ki je eden glavnih pokazateljev kakovosti lesa, bodo služile za izdelavo podatkovne baze za oceno prostorske variabilnosti kakovosti lesa v Sloveniji. Zanesljivih in objektivnih podatkov o kakovosti lesa v nasih gozdovih je relativno malo. Taksne baze so na ravni Slovenije izjemno pomembne, saj omogocajo vpogled v kakovost lesa, ki bo v prihodnje na voljo kot surovina na trgu za domaco lesno industrijo. Podobne baze bodo pomembne za izracun kolicine vezanega ogljika v nadzemni in podzemni biomasi za Slovenijo, hkrati pa bodo zbrani podatki služili tudi kot izhodisce za nadaljnje analize kakovosti lesa, zlasti mehanske lastnosti, ki so kljucne pri uporabi lesa za konstrukcijske namene. Lastnosti in razpoložljivost lesa ekonomsko pomembnih drevesnih vrst so osnova za razvoj gozdno-lesne verige glede novih tehnologij, razvoja novih biomaterialov in potenciala rabe lesa razlicnih kakovosti z optimalnimi izkoristki.

Skladno z Zakonom o gozdovih del Javne gozdarske službe (JGS) opravlja tudi Gozdarski institut Slovenije (GIS). Aktivnosti JGS na GIS so usmerjene predvsem v strokovno podporo Ministrstvu za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in prehrano ter Zavodu za gozdove Slovenije. Podrocja dela JGS / GIS so naslednja: spremljanje stanja razvrednotenja in poskodovanosti gozdov, usmerjanje in strokovno vodstvo porocevalske, prognosticno-diagnosticne službe za gozdove, strokovno usmerjanje gozdne semenarske in drevesnicarske dejavnosti, razvoj informacijskega sistema za gozdove, priprava strokovnih podlag za opravljanje del v gozdovih. GIS v okviru JGS opravlja tudi javna pooblastila. V 25 letih obstoja JGS/GIS so se nabrali stevilni dosežki ter za slovensko gozdarstvo pomembni rezultati. V prispevku predstavljamo poudarke JGS/GIS, za katere menimo, da so aktualni in zanimivi za strokovno javnost.

Reliable phenological observations are important for studying the response of trees to climate and climate change. National phenological networks were not specifically established to monitor tree phenology within forests, yet they are often used to generalise tree phenological phases at national or regional scales. Our objective was to investigate whether a phenological monitoring network using trees in open areas can accurately predict phenology of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) located within forests by using two models: one with correlates of environmental variables and one with interpolated monthly air temperature and sun hours. The first leaf unfolding, general leaf colouring and leaf fall dates from 2004 through 2010 were modelled using data from 47 Slovene National Phenology Network (NPN) stations in open areas and tested on phenological observations within forests using data from the UNECE CRLTAP ICP Forests network. Good agreement was found between predicted and observed first leaf unfolding in the forest, while slightly lower agreement was detected for general leaf colouring and leaf fall. Suggestions for the improvement of national phenological network are discussed in order to better predict beech phenology in forest habitats.