An Integrated Observatory for Redwood Forest Health and California Carbon Neutrality

Coastal redwood forests are among California’s most productive and largest carbon-storing natural ecosystems. However, there is a gap in knowledge on their water and carbon fluxes due to the lack of direct flux measurements. We received funding and advisory support from the State of California in order to address the water and carbon fluxes from redwood forest under declining fog conditions, different forest floor management, increasing droughts and other climate change threats during the period when the State is preparing for carbon neutrality goals (to be accomplished by 2045). Two tall eddy covariance towers will be installed in summer of 2024 to continuously monitor forest health at early and mid-seral growth stages (91 % of the coastal redwood forest ). Due to the complexity of terrain, we will equip the towers with the additional profile measurements throughout the canopy and downslope from the main towers to address the advection and  flux drainage. Occasional ancillary forest inventory surveys will be conducted within the flux footprint for improved data interpretation.  The study results will be uploaded to AmeriFlux and FLUXNET data repositories, and regularly communicated to the State agencies, advisory board and local communities through meetings and cooperative extension events. We invite suggestions for collaboration for continuing this project beyond the current timeline for long-term study and broader impact.