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ICP Forest manualss
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International Tundra Experiment (ITEX)
Projects
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National projects
CALTER – Soil carbon fluxes in dominant forest ecosystems along elevation gradient in the Western Carpathians
The project is funded by the APVV grant agency, coordinated by the Technical University of Zvolen, the project leader is Assoc. Prof. Peter Fleischer sr. This is the first project involving all institutions coordinating research in sites of the LTER Slovakia network – the partners are the National Forestry Centre, the Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Forest Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and the TANAP Research Station.
The main aim of the project is to identify soil carbon loss by respiration and leaching and to identify their driving factors along an elevation gradient representing the main forest communities in the Western Carpathians. Study plots are located in sites dedicated to long-term ecological research (LTER Slovakia). Possible impact of elevated temperature on soil C fluxes are studied in open-top chambers. For reliable estimation of naturally very variable soil C fluxes we optimized sampling strategy for each studied ecosystem by spatial stratification and by adjustment of measuring frequency.
The project is implemented at the following LTER sites:
- Báb – lowland oak forest, altitude 210 m;
- EES Kremnické vrchy – beech forest, 500 m a.s.l.;
- Poľana Biosphere Reserve (Hukavský grúň) – mixed beech-fir-spruce forest, 850 m a.s.l.;
- Tatra National Park – mountain spruce forest, 1,100 m a.s.l..
Development and strengthening of long-term ecological research of selected types of ecosystems
Project of the VEGA grant agency No. 2/0107/25. Implemented by: Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Project leader: RNDr. Peter Gajdoš, CSc. Project period: 1.1.2025 – 31.12.2028.
The project is aimed at the development of long-term ecological research of selected ecosystems in Slovakia as a contribution to building the national part of the distributed European research infrastructure eLTER (eLTER RI).
The main goal of the project is to achieve a comprehensive study of selected ecosystems incompliance with the holistic approach and standard observations formulated by the eLTER network. This will be achieved by supplementing standard observations, improving instrumentation and introducing new research methods. These improvements will enable us to better, more comprehensively address the eLTER challenges of biodiversity, climate change, eutrophication and chemical pollution. We will pay increased attention to the data management compatible with eLTER standards and data accessibility for use. Part of the project is the continuation of the long-term study of air pollution in Slovakia using mosses with a focus on forest- and selected non-forest ecosystems.