3 sites with 10 ha altogether; follow the long-term changes on sand steppe gaps of juniper-poplar forest in order to study the effect of fire

Western part of the Gulf of Riga (the Baltic Sea) littoral and sublitoral zone. The marine site is located on the west coast of the Gulf, in the Engure Nature protected area. The monitoring activities are based on three transects which represent an open area of very similar substrate type. These transects are located on the tip of Mersrags, 2.5 km northwards from the port of Mersrags. Long-term studies of the Gulf of Riga coastal zone communities and macrophytes as the key component of littoral zone under natural and anthropogenic impact and possible threats to the littoral zone biological resources. The SCUBA diving is used in marine site assessment.

Black Sea site includes three areas: cape Kaliakra, cape Galata and Varna Bay, and Koketrays Sand bank (only for macrozoobenthos). They were chosen on the base of historical data availability and eutrophication/pollution impact. Kaliakra marine area is influenced by eutrophication due to mainly the Danube river inflow. The local anthropogenic impact in the region is insignificant. It is a nature reserve. Cape Galata and Varna Bay sites are under the indirect impact of Varna Bay current and the system Beloslav lake-Varna lake - a cascade introducing nutrients and pollutants of industrial (chemical industry), agricultural, sewage origin and nearby ports. Koketrays Sand bank is an unique benthic habitat. The coordinates of the selected areas are as follow: c. Kaliakra: 28.416667 43.366667 c. Galata: 27.933889 43.186111 Varna Bay: 28.166667 43.166667 Koketrays bank: 27.888889 42.635556

The site, located along the Tyrrhenian coast, north of Rome city, is a Special Protection Area (SPA) for migratory and nesting birds (Anatidae, Ardeidae). The wetland area is one of the last stretches of the Lazio wetlands which have been progressively reclaimed and cultivated during the last century. The flora and the fauna of the site is not only highly specialized but also highly endangered, with a relevant ecological value evidenced in previous studies. The site includes coastal dune habitats of European interest, as the annual vegetation of drift lines, the embryonic shifting dunes, the mobile dunes with Ammophila arenaria and the dune grasslands. There are also habitats related to wet and mud soils, as Mediterranean salt meadows and reed beds dominated by Phragmites australis.

S.C.I IT7228221 Foce Trigno-Marina di Petacciato (Campobasso) S.C.I. IT7140108 Punta Aderci-Punta della Penna S.C.I. IT7140109 Marina di Vasto The site includes 3 Natura 2000 sites along the central Adriatic coast, where the last fragments of natural vegetation zonation on sand coastal dunes occur (shore vegetation, embryo and mobile dune vegetation, annual Mediterranean grasses and wet dune slacks).

The Presidential Estate of Castelporziano stretches itself over an area of about 6100 ha and is located approximately 24 km from the city of Rome. The territory is characterized by remarkable natural features. It shows most of the typical Mediterranean ecosystems (relict strips of lowland forest with hygrophilous vegetation, deciduous and evergreen mixed oak woods, Mediterranean scrub, dune vegetation). Until recently (2019), there were large surfaces of stone pine unfortunately destroyed by the combined action of alien pest Toumeyella parvicornis with Tomicus destruens, the main pest of Mediterranean pine forests. Inside the Estate, there are two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs): one concerning the coastal strip (IT6030027) and the other one concerning hygrophulous oak-woods (IT6030028). In addition to including the two SACs, the Estate is in its entirety Special Protection Area (SPA - IT 6030084). From a botanical point of view this area, together with the neighbouring Castelfusano territory, represents what remains of the vast forest system that covered the entire delta of the Tiber and the surrounding areas. The land is mostly flat, but in the North there are modest reliefs that are not higher than 85 m. on sea level. A complex set of ancient dunes and a chain of more recent dunes stretch out along the coastline. There are many temporary and permanent natural pools and wetland areas with seasonal floodings caused by meteoric water and groundwater, which usually dry out during summer and represent sites with the greatest biodiversity. From an ecological point of view, those “relict wetland areas” play actually a very important role for biodiversity because of plant species which are typical of hydrosoil and in the past were widespread but have now almost disappeared.

The Mareau-aux-Prés islands, along the Loire river, are characterized by a multiple channel pattern, where natural limestone riffles influence the morphology and spatial distribution of vegetated islands, secondary channels and alluvial bars. Within these islands, in september 2012, fluvial management operations (FMO) were launched. The vegetation of the central sandy-gravelly bar (3 ha area) was uprooted and the bar level lowered in order to maintain the flow capacity of the river. A new sandy-gravelly bar appeared in spring 2013, ideal field support for studying long-term ecological issues. A multidisciplinary research program (‘BioMareau’ project) is currently being conducted from 2012 to 2019, focusing on biodiversity recolonization and on interactions and feedbacks between biotic and abiotic compartments.

LTER plot Thermophilous forests includes five regions and sixteen localities in Central Bohemia and Southern Moravia, where ecosystems of thermophilous forests, including adjacent natural treeless vegetation, have been studied for a long time. The monitoring is run jointly by the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences (coordination R. Hédl) and the Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening (coordination D. Adam). The main focus is on the plant community, including trees and herbs, which are monitored by using sets of permanent plots, or as continuous forest stands. Data are collected at the level of individuals (plants), plant communities (species composition and biodiversity) and ecosystem (soil, canopy, microclimate and other variables). The backbone of the monitoring system consists of nearly 500 long-term monitoring plots. These are supplemented by several dozens of short-term monitoring plots, and historical plots resurveyed only once after several decades. The monitored forest stands share similar natural conditions and management history. They cover a wide range of thermophilous forest communities, mainly thermophilous oak-hornbeam forests, various types of oak and ravine forests, occasionally beech forests and the adjacent open habitats (rocky steppes). The dominant type of management was coppicing in most sites, mainly as coppices-with-standards. The historical management was abandoned during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the monitored ecosystems were managed with a decreasing intensity in about the past half a century. Some of the localities or their parts are subject of non-intervention regime at present. This has affected the age of the forest stands, which has increased by several times. Today, many stands are 100+ years old. All monitored localities are parts of conservation areas, often multiple combinations - national nature reserves (NNR), national nature monuments (NNM), nature reserves (NR), national park (NP), protected landscape area (PLA), EU Site of Community Importance (SCI). The main strategy of the nature conservation is the management reduction at most sites. In several cases, however, restoration of the traditional ways of forest management has been introduced in the past years. The Thermophilous forests site consists of the following five areas and sixteen localities: 1. Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area Monitoring of the dynamics of tree communities (including 3D scanning), vegetation including the communities of vascular plants, fungi, saproxylic beetles and soil processes. Data are available from 1976, 1999, 2004 and annually since 2004 (localities Velká Pleš and Týřov), or since 1993 (locality Červený kříž) - Velká Pleš: 10 ha of continuous forest stand monitoring, 400 microplots (20 x 20 cm) and monitoring of game impact on rocky steppes (pleše = balds). - Týřov: 400 microplots (20 x 20 cm) in xerothermic treeless habitats and in enclosures. - Červený kříž: focus on the impact of game on the diversity of plant communities. 2. Český kras Protected Landscape Area Monitoring of the dynamics of plant communities, soil and tree overstory in five-year intervals, using a network of 190 permanent plots. Microclimatic measurements in part of the plots. Data from 2005, 2009, 2014, 2019. Focus on the tree dynamics at one locality (Doutnáč). Part of the area left for spontaneous development, part subject of the traditional management restoration. Additionally, 57 historical vegetation plots resurveyed after 50 years. - Karlštejn NNR: three localities Prostřední vrch, Vysoká stráň and Doutnáč; collective area 166 ha. - Koda NNR: three localities Tobolský vrch, Za lípou and Kodská stěna, collective area 95 ha. 3. Podyjí National Park Monitoring of the dynamics of several forest ecosystem components, focusing on natural processes and the restoration of traditional management forms. Continuously measured tree stands, yearly monitoring of plant communities, invertebrates, bryophytes, snails, fungi and soil variables by using a network of plots. Data available from 2010 and 2014-onwards. A network of 50 permanent plots with five-year monitoring interval was established in 2018. - Four localities in the eastern part of the national park: Lipina, Šobes, Popice and Hnanice, collective area 309 ha. 4. Pálava Protected Landscape Area Monitoring of the dynamics of plant communities, soil and tree overstory in five-year intervals, using a network of 160 monitoring plots. Microclimatic measurements in part of the plots. Monitoring of spider, beetle and ant communities in addition to that. Data available from 2008-onwards. Next to it, about 230 historical vegetation plots resurveyed after 50-60 years, and a detailed research on the management history. - Děvín NNR: 380 ha, 85 permanent plots and about 180 resurveyed historical plots. - Milovický les: 2051 ha, 75 permanent plots a 46 resurveyed historical plots. 5. Dúbrava Monitoring of the dynamics of plant communities, soil and tree overstory in five-year intervals, using a network of 75 monitoring plots. Data from 2011, 2012 and 2017. In addition to that, 56 historical vegetation plots resurveyed after 50 years, covering a larger area. Detailed research on the management history and a paleoecological research covering the entire Holocene. - Hodonínská Dúbrava: 4820 ha, 75 permanent plots and 56 resurveyed historical plots.

SCI IT7222217 Foce Saccione-Bonifica Ramitelli (Campobasso) The site includes 1 Natura 2000 site along the central Adriatic coast, where the last fragments of natural vegetation zonation on sand coastal dunes occur (shore vegetation, embryo and mobile dune vegetation, annual Mediterranean grasses, costa dunes with Juniperus spp and wet dune slacks).

The Seine estuary is a megatidal estuary located in northern France. It is the third largest estuarine ecosystem in the country after the Gironde and Loire along the French Atlantic coast; its waters flow into the English Channel. The geographical zone of influence of the Seine estuary runs from just upstream of the Poses dam, at the limit of the tidal penetration into the estuary — 160 km upstream of Le Havre —to the eastern part of the Bay of Seine. It can be divided into three sections: the fresh water upstream section (125 km), the mixing zone characterized by varying salinity levels (35 km), and the marine downstream section under the influence of the Seine River. The megatidal regime generates a turbidity maximum in the mixing zone (middle estuary) between the marine and fluvial sections of the estuary. The Seine estuary is a typical estuarine ecosystem: highly stressed by natural fluctuations and anthropogenic pressures, and hosting a rich ecological system. The Seine valley and its estuary are of major economic importance for France, with the presence of two maritime ports. It’s watershed (79,000 km2) is the home to 17 million people, and accounts for 50 % of the river traffic in France, 40 % of the country's economic activity, and 30 % of its agricultural activities. In addition to the Greater Paris area (> 11 million inhabitants), which contributes heavily to the Seine estuary's upstream inputs, two other major river settlements — Rouen (500,000 inhabitants) and Le Havre (300,000 inhabitants) — are maritime ports of international importance. Due to economic development, the Seine estuary has been subjected to major hydrodynamic, ecological, biogeomorphological and biogeochemical changes. The importance of studying the effects of anthropogenic impacts on estuarine ecosystems has increased in the last decade, especially under the Water Framework Directive, which aims to achieve “good environmental status” of all European water bodies.