Challenges and Opportunities for Research Infrastructure Co-location to Improve Understanding of Terrestrial Carbon Cycling in Northern European Forests

Forest carbon sequestration is a key part of the European transition to carbon neutrality. Quantification of forest carbon sequestration rates relies on relies on successful integration of high volumes of remote sensing and in-situ data arriving at ever increasing velocities with a bewildering variety of “long tail” and legacy data. Research Infrastructures (RIs) can add value to these data by supporting their harmonised, cross-site collection, curation and publication and by providing a platform for assessing data veracity. Integration of RI networks through site co-location and standardised observation methods has been proposed as one way of dealing with the Big Data needed to quantify societally relevant environmental processes including those related to the carbon cycle. However, the full potential of RI network integration as a tool to improve environmental understanding has yet to be realised.

Here, we review current successes, identify challenges to better integration, and suggest ways forward. We provide recommendations for scientists, site managers and policy makers that will support the transition to a Big Data approach to quantifying and communicating forest carbon sequestration using the Swedish situation as an example.