Three decades ago, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) indicated climate change as a potentially major threat to the environment with a driving goal to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere (UNFCCC, 1998). Thus, national GHG inventories were developed according to the internationally accepted methodologies. Among the major challenges persisting in Europe, the regulation of emissions from energy and transport sectors, as well as the assessment of carbon (C) sequestration in terrestrial forest and non-forest ecosystems, including soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, remains very important (Ellison et al., 2011;IPCC, 2007). The IPCC Report on Climate Change and Land (IPCC, 2019) highlighted that increased SOC content is one of the most cost-effective options for climate change adaptation and mitigation.Soils are the largest and main long-term stock of terrestrial SOC in the biosphere (FAO, 2017;Palosuo et al., 2016). Total SOC stocks are about twice as those in the atmosphere, and almost three times higher than in plant biomass (Guggenberger, 2010). C sequestration in plant biomass

In the context of the specificity of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in afforested land, nutrient-poor Arenosols and nutrient-rich Luvisols after afforestation with coniferous and deciduous tree species were studied in comparison to the same soils of croplands and grasslands. This study analysed the changes in SOC stock up to 30 years after afforestation of agricultural land in Lithuania, representing the cool temperate moist climate region of Europe. The SOC stocks were evaluated by applying the paired-site design. The mean mass and SOC stocks of the forest floor in afforested Arenosols increased more than in Luvisols. Almost twice as much forest floor mass was observed in coniferous than in deciduous stands 2–3 decades after afforestation. The mean bulk density of fine (<2 mm) soil in the 0–30 cm mineral topsoil layer of croplands was higher than in afforested sites and grasslands. The clear decreasing trend in mean bulk density due to forest stand age with the lowest values in the 21–30-year-old stands was found in afforested Luvisols. In contrast, the SOC concentrations in the 0–30 cm mineral topsoil layer, especially in Luvisols afforested with coniferous species, showed an increasing trend due to the influence of stand age. The mean SOC values in the 0–30 cm mineral topsoil layer of Arenosols and Luvisols during the 30 years after afforestation did not significantly differ from the adjacent croplands or grasslands. The mean SOC stock slightly increased with the forest stand age in Luvisols; however, the highest mean SOC stock was detected in the grasslands. In the Arenosols, there was higher SOC accumulation in the forest floor with increasing stand age than in the Luvisols, while the proportion of SOC stocks in mineral topsoil layers was similar and more comparable to grasslands. These findings suggest encouragement of afforestation of former agricultural land under the current climate and soil characteristics in the region, but the conversion of perennial grasslands to forest land should be done with caution.

This study performed a pilot evaluation of the wood quality—defined by a single parameter: dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEdyn, N mm−2)—of small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) trees in urban areas. A search of the literature revealed few studies which examined the specifics of tree wood development in urban areas. Little is known about the potential of wood from urban trees wood of their suitability for the timber industry. In this study, an acoustic velocity measuring system was used for wood quality assessment of small-leaved lime trees. The MOEdyn parameter was evaluated for small-leaved lime trees growing in two urban locations (along the streets, and in an urban park), with an additional sample of forest sites taken as the control. MOEdyn was also assessed for small-leaved lime trees visually assigned to different health classes. The obtained mean values of MOEdyn of 90–120-year old small-leaved lime trees in urban areas ranged between 2492.2 and 2715.8 N mm−2. For younger trees, the values of MOEdyn were lower in the urban areas than in the forest site. Otherwise, the results of the study showed that the small-leaved lime wood samples were of relatively good quality, even if the tree was classified as moderately damaged (which could cause a potential risk to the community). Two alternatives for urban tree management can be envisaged: (1) old trees could be left to grow to maintain the sustainability of an urban area until their natural death, or (2) the wood from selected moderately damaged trees could be used to create wood products, ensuring long-term carbon retention.

The influence of soil preparation on the development of ground vegetation during the establishment of forest plantations was studied. It was found that in the first-year plantations on former farmland the least biomass of ground vegetation develops on furrows. Complete soil tillage to the depth of 22-27 cm, ploughed in berms or elimination of weeds with Roundup Bio may reduce the biomass of ground vegetation by up to two times. Soil ploughing in berms or piles always reduced the mass of weeds.In the second year of plantations' growth, differences in the biomass of weeds among different soil preparation treatments decreased. On fresh clear-cut areas of fertile mineral soils any mechanical method of soil preparation reduced the biomass of ground vegetation. With increasing soil preparation depth (down to 40 cm) and the width of the strip (up to 100 cm), the biomass of ground vegetation decreased. The least (4-9 times less compared with unprepared soil) ground vegetation biomass was observed when the soil had been prepared in furrows, berms or piles. Soil preparation method affected also the height of ground vegetation. It depended on soil fertility and moisture content, weed species, spring and summer weather conditions. The shading class of seedlings and the volume of plantation tending depended on soil preparation method too. Seedlings planted on wide (100 cm) furrows and on 30 cm high piles were the least shaded, while those growing on unprepared, completely ploughed soil or on inverted humus mounds experienced the greatest suppression.

The lead (Pb) is a heavy metal, which causes severe disorders in humans and other organisms. Recently, the item of wetland buffer zone has emerged as an integrated development approach to nature conservation including buffer zone pollution by Pb. The main sources of Pb pollution in Lithuania are Pb ammunition used by hunters and natural and anthropogenic activities. Considering plant capability to accumulate Pb, they are used for bioindication. The objective of the study was to determine Pb content in the aboveground biomass of vegetation collected from the reference sites in the buffer zones of wetlands. The research was conducted in three localities of the different wetland buffer zones -drying ditch, natural pond, and stream, in the three parts of Lithuania: in the Northwestern part of Lithuania in the territory of the Žemaitija National Park, in the northern part of the Žemaitija Upland at the border of Latvia, and in the Central Lithuania, in the vicinity of the largest artificial waterbody -Kauno Marios and the Nemunas River. The content of Pb in the working solutions was determined by the atomic absorption method on an atomic absorption spectrometer at a wavelength of 283.0 nm. Significant differences were calculated using the three-way ANOVA (Tukey's HSD test). The relationships were calculated using a regression analysis, the data were significant at P ≤ 0.01 and P ≤ 0.001. The data of the research show that the content of Pb corresponds to the background content of uncontaminated sites, the values of which are reported by other scientists and is equal to 0.95-6.84 mg kg −1 . The average content of Pb in the buffer zones of various surface water source types was 3.75-3.76 mg kg −1 . The content of Pb in the plants at 20-30 m from the surface water bodies increased by 1.3-1.5 times, and then at 40 m it decreased by the same indicator.

The European Observatory of Wildlife (EOW) as part of the ENETWILD project, aims to improve the European capacity for monitoring wildlife populations, implementing international standards for data collection, providing guidance on wildlife density estimation, and finally, to promote collaborative, open data networks to develop wildlife monitoring, initially focusing on terrestrial wild mammals. This report presents density estimates for species that are widely distributed (wild boar (Sus scrofa), European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus)) by following a standardised camera trapping (CT) protocol, in 48 areas from 28 different countries in Europe, during 2022. Density values are provided for 37 areas from 20 countries, while an additional 9 locations from 8 countries are currently completing the data analysis. The EOW involved different stakeholders over most European countries, which resulted for the first time in a number of reliable (known precision) wild ungulate density estimates, from areas representing different European bioregions. These estimates are the result of a collaborative effort from the network to apply practical systematic and rigorous protocols. The results presented from the first pilot campaign of the EOW cannot be used to accurately describe wildlife population gradients and trends at European level but can be used as first baseline data for future trend analyses. Our 1 www.enetwild.com www.efsa.europa.eu/publications 2 EFSA Supporting publication 2023:EN-7892The present document has been produced and adopted by the bodies identified above as authors. This task has been carried out exclusively by the authors in the context of a contract between the European Food Safety Authority and the authors, awarded following a tender procedure. The present document is published complying with the transparency principle to which the Authority is subject. It may not be considered as an output adopted by the Authority. The European Food Safety Authority reserves its rights, view and position as regards the issues addressed and the conclusions reached in the present document, without prejudice to the rights of the authors.results show data gaps, but also provide relevant insights into some of the main drivers of demographic evolution of wild ungulate populations in Europe. We will expand and improve the EOW in the future to include more representative sites. The Agouti app, including photogrammetry methods to estimate CT detection zone size and animal speed of movement using a computer vision process proved useful to reduce the workload and to improve objectivity of measurements for REM method. We discuss the results obtained by the 2022 campaign in relation to the specific objectives of the EOW and propose the next steps.