RENNEO

Regional Network of Natural Ecosystem Observations

Project information

Project	Regional Network of Natural Ecosystem Observations (RENNEO)
Duration	1.1.2026 – 31.12.2028
Partners	Häme University of Applied Sciences, Finnish Meteorological Institute
Funders	Research Council of Finland 2025 Thematic research infrastructures: Local research infrastructures to strengthen regional R&D activities
Budget	Total budget 1.6 million €, of which HAMK’s share is 680 000 €.

In this project funded by the Research Council of Finland, we are building and developing research infrastructure to strengthen regional R&D activities in Kanta-Häme. Our aim is to gain a better understanding of carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems and to provide broader measurement data to support carbon calculations. The activities will especially benefit researchers and the scientific community, but will also be valuable to stakeholders both domestically and internationally. We will also make the data available to all interested parties through the Forest Observatory.

Finland’s goal is to be carbon neutral by 2035. However, achieving this target is challenging because the carbon sink of forests has decreased. In particular, drained peatland forests are a significant source of carbon due to decomposing peat. Determining the carbon balance of forests is difficult, and the reliability of calculations has been publicly debated. Therefore, we must constantly develop and refine the methods used, which requires investment in research infrastructure. Accurately determining emissions from peatland forests is especially important for improving the national greenhouse gas inventory and developing effective mitigation strategies.

The purpose of the RENNEO project is to build a regional network for natural ecosystem observations in Häme region. The research infrastructure will be constructed in cooperation between Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), but we also collaborate widely with researchers, companies, and other stakeholders. The infrastructure will serve as a research and testing laboratory for greenhouse gas accounting. We will update and develop the existing forest and peatland carbon balance measurement network, operated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, and connect it as part of the new Häme Carbon Innovation Laboratory. To support fixed measurement stations, we will build portable and stand-alone instrumentation, enabling data collection from a wider range of sites.

To share and visualize the collected data and results, we will establish the Forest Observatory service, which will utilise real-time measurement data. This online service platform will be openly accessible to everyone. The Forest Observatory will facilitate the effective use and easy illustration of collected research data for various stakeholders. A similar solution, Field Observatory, has previously been produced for research into soil carbon sequestration.

RENNEO project will focus especially on peatland forests. Through this research, we aim to impact the development of the land use sector greenhouse gas inventory and improve forest carbon balance calculations. The funding represents a significant investment in improving forest carbon inventories. Thanks to the data provided by the network, we will gain a better understanding of carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems and how land use affects it.

Target group

The research infrastructure will produce new information for researchers, the scientific community, and a growing number of cleantech companies, who will gain opportunities to test various methods and measurement technologies. The new data will also benefit teaching and students. The target groups also include the forest industry and forestry operators, who will benefit from more accurate carbon calculations related to various forest management activities. The established Forest Observatory will allow all interested citizens and decision-makers to freely access the collected information.

Operating area

The research infrastructure (Häme Carbon Innovation Laboratory) is a network consisting of several sites located throughout Häme region. Among these sites are continuous cover forests, various types of peatland forests, and pristine mires. Some of these sites have already been the subject of research and various measurements for a longer period.

Although the developed sites are located in Häme region, the results from the research infrastructure can be utilised both nationally and internationally. The network provides valuable information to support the national greenhouse gas inventory. Researchers and research groups from Finland and abroad are very welcome to conduct their own research at the sites.

The Forest Observatory online service will be openly available.

Expected Results

Forest Observatory, an open-access digital platform for sharing information, visualization, and stakeholder collaboration.
New estimate of forest carbon sinks. The network’s data will play a central role in developing methods to complement the traditional, often criticized greenhouse gas inventory approach.
Novel data from rewetted peatlands. The rewetted sites at the area are globally leading in producing information after rewetting and offer opportunities for other research as well.
Improved understanding of the full greenhouse gas budget in peatland forests. The network will increase knowledge of the temporal and spatial variability of emissions in fertile peatland forests and the factors influencing them. Also, the RI offers an excellent platfrom to study the impacts of emission mitigation methods, such as controlled water level by managing ditches.
Provision of valuable and harmonized in situ data on water level, soil moisture, and tree biomass to support the remote sensing community in validating and developing their products.
A set of portable, stand-alone measurement devices for scalable and agile greenhouse gas measurements in different research settings, which are not dependent on existing infrastructure. They complement the existing continuous measurement settings of soil C fluxes that depend on continuous power supply.
Soil decomposer community and functionality for modeling. Soil biodiversity has a significant impact on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, but yet their functions are not included in soil models because of their ecological and taxonomical complexity. In the project, we will collect data on soil microbes, micro- and mesofauna at a functional level to improve decomposition models and to identify new predictive indicators of the impacts of climate change or land-use disturbances on forest soil carbon dynamics. The infrastructure built in project will facilitate future projects aiming to link forest soil biodiversity and soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics under different ecological conditions and land use-based disturbances.

News

Here you can read the latest updates from the project.

The project’s launch announcement was published on HAMK’s website on 2 December 2025, and it also gained visibility in the media. You can read the announcement via this link.

The project’s launch announcement

Check out HAMK’s social media channels focusing on research!