Speaker
Description
This contribution presents a digital biomonitoring network developed to monitor forest growth dynamics in the Dinaric Alps, a mountain region of the Western Balkans where Adriatic, montane and continental climatic influences meet over short distances. This strong spatial heterogeneity makes the region suitable for studying how forest ecosystems respond to local differences in temperature, precipitation, soil water availability and elevation.
The network is designed to connect high-frequency field measurements with environmental data and derived ecosystem indicators. It integrates dendrometer measurements, meteorological observations, site-level information and digital analytical tools to support the interpretation of tree growth, tree water status and carbon dynamics. Instead of relying only on periodic field observations, the approach enables continuous monitoring and comparison of forest responses across plots, species, elevations and habitat types.
A pilot implementation in Plitvice Lakes National Park is used as the first operational case study. During the first monitoring year, data from ten research plots, 90 dendrometers and ten meteorological stations were harmonised, quality-checked and integrated into a WebGIS-based platform for data visualisation, management and analysis. The workflow links raw dendrometer signals with meteorological variables and converts them into indicators such as cumulative radial growth, daily growth dynamics, Tree Water Deficit (TWD), annual biomass increment and CO2-equivalent carbon sequestration.
A key advantage of this approach is the separation of reversible water-related stem fluctuations from irreversible growth, allowing a more precise interpretation of tree responses to precipitation, temperature and drought stress. By transforming field measurements into harmonised, modelling-ready indicators, the network provides a basis for future modelling of forest ecosystem responses to climatic stress.
Conceptually aligned with the AnaEE-ERIC approach, which connects ecosystem observations, data integration and predictive understanding, this network represents a practical step towards regional digital ecosystem infrastructure. It can support long-term assessment of forest resilience, carbon dynamics and climate sensitivity in protected mountain landscapes of Croatia and comparable forest ecosystems across the Dinaric region.
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