Environmental monitoring

Reference Climate

Reference climate is monitored at all experimental forests (only during the summer in Ätnarova). The baseline measurement program includes air and soil temperatures, air humidity, global radiation, and precipitation.

Measurements are conducted and processed automatically, with 10-minute and daily values being saved. Current weather can be monitored graphically, based on raw data. Reference climate data from the stations is stored and quality controlled, before made available to the public.

The objectives of the reference climate monitoring at the experimental forests can be summarized as follows:

• To provide the foundation for long-term climate measurements with high quality and continuity, in close proximity to each experimental forest.
• To provide projects and other interested parties with meteorological background data.
• To serve as a reference for other climate-related assessments within the experimental forests.

The unit publishes annual weather reports.Data can be viewed and downloaded on the following pages:

• Current climate at the experimental forests
• Download climate reference data

Phenology

The Unit for Field-based Forest Research hosts the Swedish National Phenology Network and has a program for monitoring of forest phenology at the experimental forests in Asa, Tönnersjöheden, Siljansfors, and Vindeln. Observations are made weekly on Silver birch, Downy birch, Norway spruce, Scots pine, as well as on Bilberry and Lingonberry shrubs. Tree observations include budburst, shoot elongation, autumn leaf coloring, shedding of leaves and flowering. The number of flowers, unripe and ripe berries are counted on the berry shrubs.

Using the forest phenology data collected at the experimental forests, combined with reference climate measurements, forecasting tools have been developed to predict how the year’s weather affects some of the phenological events occurring in the forest.

Other phenology observations are also made and reported to Naturens kalender (Nature's Calendar).

Links:

• Naturens kalender (Nature's Calendar)
• Forecasting budburst and shoot and leaf development
• Forecasting flowering and ripening of forest berries

Water Measurements

Several of the experimental forests monitor flow and water chemistry in catchment areas within forest environments. Water levels are continuously measured, and water samples for chemical analysis are taken at least once a month.

The Asa Experimental Forest has a special task of monitoring water chemistry in several streams within the Asa High-yield Experimental Forest (Kronoberg), where extraordinary measures are applied to enhance forest growth, including forest soil fertilization. Similarly, runoff and water chemistry are monitored in the Undersvik High-yield Experimental Forest  (Gävleborg), where Siljansfors Experimental Forest monitors the water runoff.

The Svartberget Experimental Forest hosts the Krycklan Project, a well-developed and highly recognized catchment area where water chemistry and physical variables are continuously monitored at 16 sampling sites.

Ozone

At Svartberget, total ozone in the atmosphere has been monitored since 1991. The measurement is done both manually with a Dobson spectrophotometer and automatically with a Brewer spectrophotometer. The data is presented on the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) website with current and historical ozone data.

Near-surface ozone are monitored at two of our stations: Svartberget since 1985 and Asa since 2011, to inform the public during high concentrations. This data is part of a national network of measurement stations, and the data is made available on SMHI's Air Data Service page.