Non-invasive environmental monitoring of the coniferous forests using statistical analysis and data modelling

Climate plays a pivotal role in construction of relationships between coniferous forest health and water balance for efficient biosynthesis under changing meteorological variables. Here we identify that the age of the forest (young 200 years old) confers an improved ecophysiology for the maintenance of water balance through the response of trees to weather conditions (precipitation, temperature and water balance in different seasons). Global climate change, of the rise in temperatures, has an impact on the environment of mountain ecosystems in the Alps. Subalpine forests enhance partitioning precipitation inputs, with interception processes in the tree canopy determining the stability of the proportion of water reaching the ground and its quantity in the form of evaporation. These processes support global improvements in forest ecosystems at the catchment scale, as interception is influenced by the structure and density of the tree canopy and the presence of epiphytes. This study revealed that coniferous forests (spruce, fir and pine) have a significant influence on how much water is retained and discharged in the soil and plants. Interception in dense subalpine forests can account for a significant proportion of precipitation. Data analysis using Python-based modeling revealed that forest age increases biosynthesis by enhancing water fluxes. This study highlights the significance of uncovering hidden climate-environment determinants leading to improved forest hydrology and ecophysiology to enhance the biosynthesis and water balance in coniferous forests of the Alps.