The global grand challenges such as climate change, air pollution and biodiversity loss are not occurring in isolation in time or space – they are closely interconnected and have potential to amplify each other, create nonlinear feedbacks and result in significant loss of ecosystem services that eventually affect societal well-being and humanity. While immediate impacts sometimes receive considerable attention, little is known about their long-term and systemic effects often resulting from cross-scale interactions. Closing these knowledge gaps requires an improved, transdisciplinary understanding of the multifaceted environmental system - a prerequisite for the development of appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures. It also requires advanced tools and concerted efforts for integration of the data originating from diverse sources.

European-scale research infrastructures and networks, e.g., ESFRI RIs like ACTRIS, AnaEE, Danubius, eLTER, ICOS, and other observation systems like WMO-GAW and ICP-IM, support the delivery of consistent, standardized data based on harmonized methodologies. The more RI networks are integrated through co-location of individual observation sites, the better understanding can be achieved on ecosystem state (e.g., terrestrial carbon storage), biogeochemical constraints (e.g., macronutrient cycles), societal drivers (e.g., land use change) and tradeoffs (e.g. biodiversity). This session will call upon presentations addressing the benefits and challenges of co-located in-situ observations, enabling researchers to address the systemic changes in a holistic manner and to advise the policymakers on cost-efficient tools for mitigation of environmental change.