Alpine Calendar 2020 FOREWORD

Soil is the basis of every terrestrial ecosystem. It is a fundamental natural resource. In the past, soil was primarily considered and evaluated in terms of its suitability for agriculture and forestry. Nowadays, we recognise that soil performs vital soil ecosystem services that enable the life of terrestrial ecosystems.

Mountainous differ from the soils of lowland landscapes. They develop under harsh climatic conditions, in very dynamic relief and on extremely diverse geological material. Furthermore, they are modified (degraded and rarely improved) by various human activities. Alpine soils, although in general shallow, sandy, and stony, can be found in a diversity of forms and types. They can be deep and clayey or shallow and sandy, mineral or organic, moist, wet, or dry, etc. The diversity of Alpine soils is the reason for the different land-use suitability of a given soil, production potentials, and the capacity to provide individual ecosystem services. Furthermore, soil fundamentally shapes Alpine landscapes, many of which we find very attractive and identify with as our natural or cultural heritage.

Alpine soils are vulnerable. The relief and climatic conditions, as well as human activities, lead to accelerated erosion, landslides, compaction, and loss of organic matter, contamination, and acidification. The ultimate threat to soil and soil ecosystem services is – building and paving soils with concrete, asphalt, and other impermeable materials. Sealed soil does not provide virtually any ecosystem services.

Sustainable management and the protection of soil enhance the quality of the environment and considerably contribute to the provision of soil ecosystem services and the resilience of ecosystems; this in turn helps to preserve biodiversity and ensure the well-being of humans.

The Soil Conservation Protocol of the Alpine Convention, an international treaty, aims “[to] safeguard the multifunctional role of soil based on the concept of sustainable development.”

This calendar aims to present a small portion of the diversity of Alpine soils and raise awareness as to the importance of soil protection for sustainable development.

Borut Vrščaj Links4Soils Project Leader Agricultural Institute of Slovenia

Imprint

What this is about Soil is the basis of Alpine ecosystems; it is a fundamental natural resource especially in the vulnerable Alpine Region. Through the sustainable management and protection of soil, we enhance the sustainable management of the Alpine environment, considerably contribute to the performance and resilience of key ecosystem services, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the well-being of humans. Soil management and protection is provided for in the framework of the Soil Conservation Protocol of the Alpine Convention, which is aimed at safeguarding the multifunctional role of soil based on the concept of sustainable development.

About this calendar This calendar briefly presents the diversity of the Alpine soils.

About the Links4Soils project The Links4Soils project is focused on raising awareness of soils in the Alpine Region, reviewing the existing regional and national soil data, transferring knowledge and best man- agement practices to policymakers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders, and promoting efficient soil protection strategies. Links4Soils aims to overcome existing gaps in soil-awareness, information, knowledge, and networking and to contribute to better implementation of the Alpine Convention Soil Protection Protocol.

Links4Soils project partners Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, SI (project leader) • Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government, AT • Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, IT • Municipality of Kaufering, Department of Environment and Nature, DE • National Research Institute of Science and Technology for the Environment and Agriculture, Grenoble Regional Centre, Mountain Ecosystem Research Unit, FR • Slovenian Forest Service, SI • Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, AT • Climate Alliance Tirol, AT • University of Torino, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, IT

Authors Editor: Borut Vrščaj Authors: Borut Vrščaj, Michele D’Amico, Emanuele Pintaldi, Clemens Geitner, Michele Freppaz Contributions: Richard Hastik, Silvia Stanchi, Jurka Lesjak Production: GeaArt d.o.o.

Acknowledgements This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Alpine Space programme. WEB links • Alpine Soils: alpinesoils.eu/ • Links4Soils, an Interreg IIIB Alpine Space project: www.alpine-space.eu/projects/links4soils

Alpine Soil Partnership Alpine Soil Prtnership web page: https://alpinesoils.eu/aboutalpinesoilspartnership/ National Alpine Soil Platform webpages: italiano: https://it.alpinesoils.eu/; deutsche: https://de.alpinesoils.eu/ français: https://fr.alpinesoils.eu/; slovensko: https://si.alpinesoils.eu/; English: https://alpinesoils.eu/

Additional information and contacts Links4Soils project web page: https://www.alpine-space.eu/projects/links4soils/en/home; E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher: Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije / Agricultural institute of Slovenia

Number of prints: 300 Ljubljana, 2019 JANUARY 1 Wed 2 Thu 3 Fri 4 Sat 5 Sun 6 Mon 7 Tue 8 Wed 9 Thu 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Mon 14 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu 17 Fri 18 Sat 19 Sun 20 Mon 21 Tue 22 Wed 23 Thu M. D’Amico and E. Pintaldi 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Water Umbric Entic (WRB 2014). Medium deep; topsoil: sandy loamy texture, very fine retention granular structure, high organic matter content, very 100 Mon 90 27 LOCATION acid; well drained; slow surface runoff; weak erosion but 80 2620 m a.s.l., Rifugio Monzino, solifluction caused by low temperatures. 70 Val Veny, Courmayeur (AO), Italy. 60 50 Tue Surface PRIMARY LAND USE Recreational 40 28 runoff Higher subalpine heath (Vaccinium spp., Loiseleuria and spiritual 30 services 20 regulation procumbens). 10 0 29 Wed THREATS AND DEGRADATION Turf destruction and erosion in case of low-snowfall winters, enhancing cryoturbation and solifluction. 30 Thu PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Water retention; surface runoff regulation; soil habitat Soil habitat Water filtration Fri and biodiversity; recreational and spiritual services. and biodiversity and purification 31 FEBRUARY 1 Sat 2 Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed

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21 Fri 22 Sat C. Geitner and R. Hastik 23 Sun 24 Mon

SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Water retention Proto- (Soil Classification of Very shallow soil on carbonate rock at a steep slope. Tue 100 25 Austria 2000/2011), Dolomitic Lithic Topsoil: loamy texture, granular structure, surface 90 80

Leptosol (WRB 2014). rich in organic matter, slightly alkaline, very low 70 water and nutrient availability; well drained; medium 60 50 Wed LOCATION surface runoff. 40 26 750 m a.s.l., Inn valley near Jenbach, 30 20

Tyrol, Austria. PRIMARY LAND USE Recreational 10 Surface Sparse montane pine forest with grassy under- and spiritual 0 runoff services regulation Thu growth. 27

THREATS AND DEGRADATION Erosion, decline. 28 Fri PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Soil habitat and biodiversity, surface runoff regulation, Soil habitat Sat water retention, recreational and spiritual services. and biodiversity 29 MARCH 1 Sun 2 Mon 3 Tue 4 Wed 5 Thu 6 Fri 7 Sat 8 Sun 9 Mon 10 Tue 11 Wed 12 Thu 13 Fri 14 Sat 15 Sun 16 Mon 17 Tue 18 Wed 19 Thu 20 Fri 21 Sat 22 Sun 23 Mon

M. D’Amico, E. Pintaldi and M. Freppaz 24 Tue 25 Wed 26 Thu SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Water retention Skeletic Cambic (Turbic) Medium deep soil (probably ), hidden below 100 (WRB 2014) a blockfield. Thick topsoil: sandy loamy/loamy fine 90 Fri 80 27 texture, subangular blocky structure, medium 70 LOCATION to high organic matter, slightly acid; moderately rapid 60 3030 m a.s.l. Stolemberg Plateau, drainage; slow surface runoff. 50 40 Sat Gressoney-La-Trinité (AO) – Alagna 30 28 20

Valsesia (VC), Italy PRIMARY LAND USE Recreational 10 Surface Nature protection area, sports and tourism (ski area). and spiritual 0 runoff services regulation Sun THREATS AND DEGRADATION 29 Erosion, organic matter decline, removal by human activities. 30 Mon PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Water retention, surface runoff regulation, water filtra- Water filtration Tue tion and purification, recreational and spiritual services. and purification 31 APRIL 1 Wed 2 Thu 3 Fri 4 Sat 5 Sun 6 Mon 7 Tue 8 Wed 9 Thu 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Mon 14 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu 17 Fri 18 Sat 19 Sun 20 Mon 21 Tue

22 Wed

Thu B. Vrščaj 23

24 Fri

SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Forest biomass Sat Rjava rendzina na karbonatni moreni, Shallow silty soil. Topsoil: fine silty texture, granular production humozna, srednje globoka structure, high organic matter, neutral to weakly acid, 25 Recreational 100 (Klasifikacija tal Slovenije 2019) moderately rapid permeability; well to medium drained; and spiritual 90 Water Luvic Phaeozem, (WRB 2014, low surface runoff. services 80 retention Sun update 2015). 70 60 26 PRIMARY LAND USE 50 Highly productive forest, rarely mountain pastures and 40 Soil 30 Surface LOCATION biodiversity-rich grasslands. 20 Mon habitat and runoff 27 1300 m a.s.l., Mrzli studenec, 10 biodiversity 0 regulation Pokljuka, Slovenia. THREATS AND DEGRADATION Soil compaction, topsoil acidification and accelerated Tue in pure spruce stands, moderate . 28

PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Nutrient cycle Local climate regulation regulation Forest biomass production, water retention, surface runoff (“cooling Wed regulation, local climate regulation (“the cooling effect”), effect”) 29 global climate regulation (“the carbon cycle”), water filtra- Water Global climate tion and purification, nutrient cycle regulation, soil habitat filtration and regulation Thu and biodiversity, recreational and spiritual services. purification (“carbon cycle”) 30 MAY 1 Fri 2 Sat 3 Sun 4 Mon

5 Tue 6 Wed 7 Thu 8 Fri 9 Sat 10 Sun 11 Mon 12 Tue 13 Wed 14 Thu 15 Fri 16 Sat 17 Sun 18 Mon 19 Tue 20 Wed 21 Thu 22 Fri 23 Sat M. D’Amico and E. Pintaldi 24 Sun 25 Mon 26 Tue SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Surface runoff Leptic Phaeozem (WRB 2014) Medium deep soil. Topsoil: sandy loamy texture, granular regulation structure, medium to high organic matter, slightly acid; 100 Wed 90 27 LOCATION moderately rapid permeability; moderately well drained; 80 2500 m a.s.l., Mont de Corquet, slow surface runoff. 70 60 Global Saint-Marcel (AO), Italy 50 climate Thu PRIMARY LAND USE Recreational 40 28 regulation and spiritual 30 Natural grassland, sports and recreation, mountain pasture. services 20 (“carbon 10 cycle”) 0 Fri THREATS AND DEGRADATION 29 Erosion (particularly caused by cryoturbation during low-snowfall winters), soil organic matter decline. Sat PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 30 Surface runoff regulation, water filtration and purification, recreational and spiritual services, global climate regulation Soil habitat Water filtration Sun (“the carbon cycle”), soil habitat and biodiversity. and biodiversity and purification 31 JUNE 1 Mon 2 Tue 3 Wed 4 Thu 5 Fri 6 Sat 7 Sun 8 Mon 9 Tue 10 Wed 11 Thu 12 Fri 13 Sat 14 Sun 15 Mon 16 Tue 17 Wed 18 Thu

19 Fri 20 Sat 21 Sun 22 Mon

Tue C. Geitner 23 24 Wed

Thu SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Agricurtural 25 biomass Eisen-Humus-Podsol, vergleyt (Soil Deeply developed and humus rich soil on multi-layered deposits at the production Classification of Austria 2000/2011), toe slope. Topsoil: Thick and wet organic layers, mineral components 100 Fri Gleyic Histic Podzol (WRB 2014) with sandy texture, single grain structure, extremely acid, low nutrient Recreational 26 90 and spiritual availability; slope water input; poorly drained; medium surface runoff. 80 Water services 70 retention LOCATION 60 1870 m a.s.l., Fotsch valley PRIMARY LAND USE 50 Sat 40 27 near Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria. Subalpine grassland (temporarily wet), extensive grazing by cows. 30 20 10 THREATS AND DEGRADATION 0 Local Sun Erosion, accumulation due to other morphodynamic processes, Cultural climate and 28 soil organic matter decline, loss of biodiversity. regulation natural (“cooling archives effect”) PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Mon Water retention, agricultural biomass production, local climate reg- 29 ulation (“the cooling effect”), global climate regulation (“the carbon cycle”), soil habitat and biodiversity, cultural and natural archives, Soil Global habitat and climate regulation Tue recreational and spiritual services. biodiversity (“carbon cycle”) 30 JULY 1 Wed 2 Thu 3 Fri 4 Sat 5 Sun 6 Mon 7 Tue 8 Wed 9 Thu 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Mon 14 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu 17 Fri 18 Sat 19 Sun 20 Mon 21 Tue 22 Wed 23 Thu

M. D’Amico and E. Pintaldi 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Water retention Skeletic Umbric (WRB 2014). Very shallow soil. Topsoil: coarse loamy texture, 100 granular structure, high organic matter, moderately 90 Mon 80 27 LOCATION acid, very stony; moderately slow permeability; well 70 2700 m a.s.l., Lac Long, drained; high surface runoff; erosion. 60 50 Valpelline (AO), Italy. 40 Tue PRIMARY LAND USE 30 28 20

Alpine grassland, nature protection area, sports Recreational 10 Surface 0 and tourism. and spiritual runoff services regulation 29 Wed THREATS AND DEGRADATION Erosion, soil organic matter decline, loss of biodi- versity. 30 Thu PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Surface runoff regulation, water retention, soil habitat Soil habitat Fri and biodiversity, recreational and spiritual services. and biodiversity 31 AUGUST 1 Sat 2 Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed 6 Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat 9 Sun 10 Mon 11 Tue 12 Wed 13 Thu 14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun

B. Vrščaj 24 Mon 25 Tue

Wed SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Forest 26 biomass Šotna tla, topogena, srednje globo- Medium deep waterlogged soil with mineral gleyic carbonate- production ka, mokra (Klasifikacija tal Slovenije rich . Topsoil: organic (peat), fibrous structure, neutral to 100 2019). Orthoeutric Rheic Recreational Thu slightly alkaline; rapid permeability when peat is dry; very poorly 90 and spiritual Water 27 (WRB 2014-2015). drained – waterlogged; no surface runoff – water accumulation in a 80 services 70 retention topographic depression. 60 LOCATION 50 40 Fri 1200 m a.s.l. Goreljek, PRIMARY LAND USE 30 28 Pokljuka, Slovenia 20 Nature and biodiversity protection area, low-production natural forest. 10 0 Local THREATS AND DEGRADATION Cultural climate Sat and Soil organic matter decline if soil is drained, loss of biodiversity. regulation 29 natural (“cooling archives effect”) PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Sun Soil habitat and biodiversity, cultural and natural archives, recre- 30 ational and spiritual services, water retention global climate reg- ulation (“the carbon cycle”), local climate regulation (“the cooling Soil Global habitat and climate regulation Mon effect”), forest biomass production. biodiversity (“carbon cycle”) 31 SEPTEMBER 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 Thu

4 Fri 5 Sat 6 Sun 7 Mon

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16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue

Wed M. D’Amico and E. Pintaldi 23 24 Thu 25 Fri SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Agricurtural biomass production Hummocky, medium deep soil. Topsoil: Recreational and 100 Forest biomass Dystric Chromic Gleyic 90 Sat spiritual services production (Turbic) (WRB 2014). sandy-loamy texture, fine granular struc- 80 26 ture, medium organic matter, very acid; 70 60 LOCATION high permeability when the subsoil is not 50 Cultural and Water frozen; weakly drained; slow surface runoff. 40 Sun 2500 m a.s.l., Tête-Entre-Deux-Sauts, natural archives retention 30 27 Val Ferret, Courmayeur (AO), Italy. 20 PRIMARY LAND USE 10 Alpine grassland, above treeline. 0 Soil Surface Mon habitat and runoff 28 THREATS AND DEGRADATION biodiversity regulation Organic matter decline, erosion, overgrazing. Local climate Tue PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Nutrient cycle regulation 29 Surface runoff regulation, water retention, regulation (“cooling effect”) soil habitat and biodiversity, recreational Water filtration Global climate regulation Wed and spiritual services. and purification (“carbon cycle”) 30 OCTOBER 1 Thu 2 Fri 3 Sat 4 Sun 5 Mon 6 Tue 7 Wed 8 Thu 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri B. Vrščaj 24 Sat 25 Sun

Mon SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Forest biomass production 26 Rjava tla, izprana, srednje globoka Medium dep and shallow soil. Topsoil: coarse loamy texture, 100 in plitva, neskeletna (Klasifikacija granular structure, high organic matter, neutral; moderately 90 80 tal Slovenije 2019), Luvic Phaeozem, rapid permeability; well to moderately well drained; low surface Recreational Tue and spiritual 70 Water 27 (WRB 2014, update 2015). runoff. services 60 retention 50 40 LOCATION PRIMARY LAND USE 30 Wed 1220 m a.s.l., Mrzli studenec, Highly productive forest, small mountain grassland areas, sports 20 28 10 Pokljuka, Slovenia and recreation. 0

THREATS AND DEGRADATION Thu Soil compaction, soil organic matter decline, loss of . 29

PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Nutrient Surface cycle runoff Fri Forest biomass production, surface runoff regulation, water fil- regulation regulation 30 tration and purification, global climate regulation (“the carbon cycle”), agricultural production, soil habitat and biodiversity, Water filtration Sat recreational and spiritual services. and purification 31 NOVEMBER 1 Sun 2 Mon 3 Tue 4 Wed 5 Thu 6 Fri 7 Sat 8 Sun 9 Mon

10 Tue 11 Wed 12 Thu 13 Fri 14 Sat 15 Sun 16 Mon 17 Tue 18 Wed 19 Thu 20 Fri 21 Sat 22 Sun

Mon B. Vrščaj 23 24 Tue 25 Wed Forest SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES biomass Opodzoljena tla, dobro izražena, Deep mineral leached/podzolized soil. Topsoil: fine silty production zelo globoka, malo skeletna texture, granular structure, medium to high organic 100 Thu Recreational 26 (Klasifikacija tal Slovenije 2019), matter, strongly acid; rapid permeability; well drained; 90 and spiritual Water Folic Entic Podzol (WRB 2014). low surface runoff. 80 services 70 retention 60 LOCATION PRIMARY LAND USE 50 Fri 40 27 1240 m a.s.l., Mrzli studenec, Productive forest, sports and recreation. 30 20 Pokljuka Slovenia. 10 0 THREATS AND DEGRADATION Surface Sat Leaching, topsoil acidification, soil compaction, soil organic Nutrient runoff 28 cycle regulation matter decline, loss of biodiversity. regulation

PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Sun Forest biomass production, water retention, surface 29 runoff regulation, water filtration and purification, global Water Global climate regulation (“the carbon cycle”), nutrient cycle filtration and climate regulation Mon regulation, recreational and spiritual services. purification (“carbon cycle”) 30 DECEMBER 1 Thu 2 Fri 3 Sat 4 Sun 5 Mon

6 Tue 7 Wed 8 Thu 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tue 21 Wed 22 Thu 23 Fri M. D’Amico 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon SOIL CLASSIFICATION KEY SOIL PROPERTIES Forest biomass production Albic Ortsteinic Podzol (WRB 2014). Deep acid soil. Topsoil: sandy loamy texture, platy structure, Recreational 100 90 and spiritual Water low organic matter in the E horizon, strongly acid; rapid per- 80 Tue services retention 27 LOCATION meability; moderately well drained; low surface runoff. 70 60 2350 m a.s.l., Nomenon, 50 Cogne (AO), Italy PRIMARY LAND USE 40 Wed Subalpine stone pine forest. 30 28 20 Cultural 10 0 Surface THREATS AND DEGRADATION and natural runoff archives regulation Thu Acidification, erosion in case of forest over-exploitation. 29 PRIMARY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Forest biomass production, surface runoff regulation, 30 Fri water retention, global climate regulation (“the carbon Soil habitat Global climate cycle” because of high carbon content in deep horizons), and regulation water filtration and purification, habitat provision (biodi- biodiversity (“carbon cycle”) Water filtration Sat versity), cultural and natural archives. and purification 31