“Soil quality of the Frattona forest (Municipality od Imola, Italy)"

The main target of the study has been to characterize the soils of the forest from both chemical and pedological view. The study area is located in the first hillside near Imola. It is important because it represents an area with typical and not changed characteristics, depending from slope and northern aspect. First of all, land units have been defined in order to individuate representative locations where to proceed with soil investigation. Four transcts have been described. Soils have been classified as Inceptisols and Entisols according with Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition. Total (TOC) and extractable (TEC) organic carbon values, within organic carbon present in humic and fulvic fraction (HA + FA), have permitted to calculate humification indexes. The results shows differences between soils analysed. It is possible to observe, in fact, some situation with well humified organic matter and some showing soil degradation. Pedological differences are also confirmed by the ratio between microbial biomass carbon (MCB) and total organic carbon. This represents a confirmation of the biodiversity present also in a relative little area. In order to study organic matter dynamics in soil, stable isotope carbon (13C) as been used. Determination has been made on organic horizons and epipedon and the results are in accord with other study relative to forest soils. The whole study has been reaklized using GIS technology in managing all information and in creating a complete database.