Long-term monitoring
Ecosystem Processes
Under the guiding theme "Life at the Edge of Existence in the High Mountains," eight scientific disciplines are united with a common goal. Through long-term observation, changes in alpine ecosystems caused by environmental shifts are to be made visible. The focus of the long-term monitoring is intentionally placed on mountain ecosystems, as changes in high-altitude regions are only detectable over extended periods and can be accurately interpreted in both their causes, effects, and consequences. The observations are designed to be simple enough to allow future generations of researchers to continue collecting data decades later. Since 2016, research teams have been working based on methodological handbooks to ensure that sampling can be consistently carried out in the same location using the same methods over the years. This ensures that the results remain comparable over the long term. The uniqueness of this project lies in the fact that different scientific fields are collecting samples at the same location, at the same time, and under the same conditions in the untouched core zone of the national park, capturing data over the long term and documenting changes.
