SERENA: “Soil Ecosystem seRvices and soil threats modElling aNd mApping”.
LAMMC is represented in the programme H2020 EJP SOIL project SERENA by six researchers: V. Feiza (project leader), D. Feizienė, Ž. Kadžiulienė, I. Mockevičienė, U. Stulpinaitė, and Š. Antanaitis.
The aim of the project SERENA is to assess, analyse and map soil ecosystem service packages in European agricultural landscapes, highlighting how threats to soil affect the supply of service packages, and to validate a set of site-specific baselines.
The project started on November 1, 2021, and will last 36 months. SERENA is currently developing assessment methods for the identification of threats to soil and soil ecosystem services at national and EU levels, with a particular focus on the packages of threats to soil and ecosystem services.
The Report named “Currently available assessments of soil threats and ecosystem services: data, metadata, and methodologies” was prepared in 2022, Report No. D3.1.1 (Report 2022). It provides information on the assessments of Soil Threats (ST) and Soil Ecosystem Services (SES) carried out by the 14 participating EU Member States. Report focuses on five major ST (soil organic carbon loss, soil erosion, soil compaction, nutrient imbalance, and soil sealing) and four major SES (GHG/climate regulation, hydrological control, primary production, and erosion control).
Lithuania has identified the following Soil Threats (ST) that are relevant to the country: soil organic carbon loss, soil erosion in hills, soil compaction, and nutrient imbalance. From the list of soil ecosystem services (SES), the following soil functions are relevant for Lithuania: primary production, GHG emissions/climate regulation, and erosion control.
A new Report will be prepared in December 2023. It will address the assessment of the other Soil Threats (ST) and Soil Ecosystem Services (SES). The following ST will be included: soil drought, biodiversity loss, soil contamination, soil waterlogging, and soil salinisation. Biodiversity habitats, environmental pollution control, and pest and disease control will be assessed as SES.
On March 6–8, 2023, the EJP Soil mid-term meeting was held in Florence, Italy. The project SERENA meeting was attended by Dr Žydrė Kadžiulienė, the coordinator of the EJP SOIL programme at the LAMMC.
