Using edaphic parameters to validate forest site conditions on the plots of Ukrainian National Forest Inventory

Svitlana Raspopina; Tetiana Pyvovar; Ihor Buksha; Volodymyr Pasternak; Anastasia Suska

doi:10.2478/ffp-2026-0013

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Using edaphic parameters to validate forest site conditions on the plots of Ukrainian National Forest Inventory

Folia Forestalia Polonica

Volume 68 (2026): Issue 3 (September 2026)

By: Svitlana Raspopina, Tetiana Pyvovar, Ihor Buksha, Volodymyr Pasternak and Anastasia Suska

Open Access

|Sep 2026

Abstract

National Forest Inventories (NFIs) provide essential information for sustainable forest management and reporting on forest resources and carbon stocks. In Ukraine, the NFI system was launched in 2021 and includes a soil (edaphic) module designed to characterize site conditions. However, data from the first measurement cycle revealed several methodological limitations, including restricted soil pit depth and a predominant reliance on vegetation-based site classification (phytoindication). Integrating measurable soil indicators can improve the reliability of site assessment and strengthen quality assurance within the NFI system.

This study analyzes primary NFI data collected during the 2021–2023 field campaigns from a subset of 878 plots located in the Polissia and Forest-Steppe ecological zones of Ukraine. Soil profiles were described morphologically, including identification of genetic horizons and measurement of their thickness. Soil texture was assessed using the Kachinsky field method. The analysis focused on key edaphic indicators, humus type and soil texture, to support cross-validation of site classification within the NFI framework.

The selected edaphic indicators proved useful for cross-validation of forest site classification. Their inclusion enables the development of a multi-level data quality control system and improves the consistency of site classification in the Ukrainian NFI.

The study proposes a rule-based ecological QA/QC framework that combines edaphic indicators with expert assessment of soil profile photographs to improve the reliability of forest site classification within the Ukrainian NFI.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ffp-2026-0013 | Journal eISSN: 2199-5907 | Journal ISSN: 0071-6677

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Language: English

Page range: 164 - 172

Submitted on: Apr 3, 2026

Accepted on: Jul 15, 2026

Published on: Sep 16, 2026

Published by: Forest Research Institute

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

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© 2026 Svitlana Raspopina, Tetiana Pyvovar, Ihor Buksha, Volodymyr Pasternak, Anastasia Suska, published by Forest Research Institute
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 68 (2026): Issue 3 (September 2026)