EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

Particular stages objectives
Stage I: Spatial variability of the soil depth in the main forest soil types of the West Carpathians areas
Objectives
A. To characterize, based on direct measurements, the spatial variability along selected transects
B. To extract assumed correlations between the soil depth and both abiotic and biotic environments
Stage II:Modification of new fast method for the prediction of soil transport properties
Objectives:
C. To adapt new laboratory method of the soil hydraulic conductivity measurement for field measurement
D. To test the reliability, accuracy and robustness of the modified method
Stage III.Determining spatial variability of the transport properties of selected forest soils
Objectives:
E. To determine the spatial variability of the hydraulic conductivity of forest soils along selected transects
F. To establish the susceptibility of typical forest soil types to the preferntial flow phenomenon.
Scientific originality
The originality of project objectives consists in the key combination of the three variables, whose spatial variability will be studied. The question of
possible correlation between the soil depth and easily observable taxation variables on has not been posed yet either. It is our hypothesis that
such correlations exist on different scales. The innovative aspect of the objectives leans on the expected, considerable increase in the speed of
the soil hydraulic conductivity prediction by the new method.
Methodology
Methods of achieving project objectives
Pre-proposal No 2 SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL DEPTH AND TRANSPORT
PROPERTIES AS THE PRINCIPAL INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL FUNCTIONS
Stage I: Spatial variability of the soil depth in the main forest soil types of the West Carpathians
Actions:
1.1 The measurement of the soil depth on transects within model areas
Representative localities have been selected based on criteria derived from the project objectives: homogenous bedrock, most typical forest
soil types, i. e. cambisols, rendzic leptosols and podzols, as well as andosols that feature extraordinary production, ecosystem regulation
and environmental propertioes, main tree species – beech, spruce, oak, fir. Equally important was in the process of selection the opportunity
to place in the selected model areas transects 3–5 km long so as for the to capture the terrain geomorphology, vertical soil zonality, forest
vegetation stages as well as forest stand and forest management types (non-intervention, shelterwood system, clear-cut system).
Table 1: Selected localities
Masív/M Horstvo/Mountain Nadm. v˘‰ka (m.n.m.)/ Geol. PodloÏie/ Hlavné pôdne typy/ Prevládajúce dreviny/
assi range Elevation (a.s.l) Bedrock Main soil types Main tree species
Vtáãnik Vtáãnik 1346 Andezity/Andesites Andozeme typické, Buk, jedºa/Beech, Fir
kambizeme typické/
Andosols, Cambisols
Babia hora Oravské Beskydy 1725 Pieskovce, ílovce/ Podzoly typické, Smrek/Spruce
Sandstones, claystones kambizeme dystrické
Veºk˘ Tribeã Tribeã 839 Granodiorites, diorites Kambizeme dystrické/ Buk, dub, hrab/
Dystric Cambisols Beech, Oak, Hornbeam
Tlst˘ javor Veporské vrchy 1068 Pararuly, ruly, svory/ Kambizeme dystrické/ Smrek, buk, jedºa/
Gneiss, Paragneiss Dystric Cambisols Spruce, Beech, Fir
Tlstá Veºká Fatra 1373 Vápence, dolomity/ Rendziny vylúhované, Smrek, jedºa, buk/
Limestones, Dolomites rendziny organozemné, Spruce, Beech, Fir
kambizeme rendzinové/
Rendzic Leptosols
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