Living labs to enhance soil health in managed forests and in natural/semi-natural lands

Expected Outcome:Activities under this topic respond directly to the goal of the Mission Soil to set up 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition to healthy soils by 2030 and support the specific objectives of the Mission Soil.Activities should also contribute to the Common Agricultural Policy, and to meeting the European Green Deal ambitions and targets and more specifically those of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU soil strategy for 2030 and the proposal for a Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the EU Forest Strategy, as well as to the Sustainable Development Goals[1].Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:enhanced capacities for participatory, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary R&I to co-create, and co-implement economically viable soil health solutions tailored to managed forests or natural/semi-natural lands;improved soil health monitoring and increased availability of high quality, standardized soil data at local and regional levels;increased availability of practice-oriented knowledge for land managers and land users, leading to better adoption of effective soil health solutions in diverse contexts;policymakers are more informed about local needs regarding soil health, including its drivers, and can use this knowledge to design and implement more effective policies that enhance soil health, while considering the economic sustainability of solutions. Scope:Forests soils play a fundamental role in global environmental protection, by supporting rich biodiversity, preventing soil erosion, regulating floodings, and mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere[2]. In Europe, forests cover nearly 40% of the total land area, with over 90% classified as managed forests, where human activities such as timber production, habitat management, recreation, etc. take place[3]. Maintaining and enhancing soil functions in managed forests