🐦 Birdcall Sensor
Laughing Kookaburra detected at dawn
Bird call detected: Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). Resident species; dawn calls are typical territorial behaviour. Detection rate 2.1/day vs baseline 2.4/day.
94% confidence
Welcome to the Mt Coot-tha Observatory
Real-time environmental monitoring of Brisbane's most iconic urban forest. 5 sensor stations · air, soil, light, wildlife, and trees · updated every few minutes
How is Mt Coot-tha today?
Weather
☀️
21.1°CFine · 74.9% RH
36°20°
FriSatSunMonTueWedThuNowSatSunMonTueWedThuFri
Daily highDaily lowForecast
Forest Conditions
Comfortable
The forest is comfortable — conditions are close to seasonal norms.
Tell me more
55th percentile for this time of year Typical
VPD↓Soil moisture↓Air temp↓
Forest Stress Index is 0.10 (±0.12) — low stress. All key indices are within ±1 SD of the 2019–2024 seasonal baseline. No significant anomalies detected.
Technical detail
| Index | Value | Trend | z-score | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPD | 0.55 kPa | ↓ | -1.41 | 8th |
| Soil Moisture | 25.2 % VWC | ↓ | -0.85 | 20th |
| Air Temp | 21.1 °C | ↓ | -1.38 | 8th |
| Humidity | 77.9 % | ↑ | 0.99 | 84th |
| PM2.5 | 6.6 µg/m³ | ↓ | -0.28 | 39th |
| CO₂ | 452 ppm | ↑ | 1.29 | 90th |
| Ambient Light | 0.177 lux (moon 81%) | ↔ | — | 0th |
Forest Stress Index0.10 (0.00–0.22)
Confidence70% (60–80%)
Sensor coverage40% · 10 sensors · 5 sites
Baseline2019–2024 · 30-day rolling window, seasonal detrend
Model composition
FSI = Σ(wᵢ · zᵢ), seasonally detrended, 30-day rolling
VPD35%
Soil Moisture35%
Temperature20%
Humidity10%
Each zᵢ is the standardised anomaly vs the 2019–2024 climatology. Aggregation: weighted z-score mean. Band: propagated ± from sensor coverage uncertainty.
Flora Health
Averaged across 5 sites: all physiological indicators within normal operating range. Trees are photosynthesising, growing, and transpiring as expected for this time of year.
How do we know?
Water Uptake0.78 g·m⁻²·s⁻¹normal
Sap flow at 47th percentile — within normal operating range
Growth Rate2.8 µm/daynormal
Radial growth at 36th percentile — normal cambial activity
Water Reserves75% RWCnormal
Hydration adequate — trees fully recharging overnight
Leaf Breathing0.82 index (0–1)normal
Stomata open — photosynthetic gas exchange operating normally
Water Conservation0.98 relativenormal
Normal WUE — carbon uptake and water use in balance
Trees are actively photosynthesising with open stomata (0.82) and healthy sap flow (0.78 g·m⁻²·s⁻¹). Stem growth is averaging 2.8 µm/day — consistent with the seasonal baseline.
Averaged across 5 monitored sites over 7 days. Tree response metrics derived from sap flow, dendrometer, and soil-plant-atmosphere modelling. Baselines: 2019–2024 seasonal climatology.
Recent Sightings
View all →residentexpected
Territorial dawn calling indicates stable population and adequate food resources
🦎 iNat
Eastern Water Dragon at JC Slaughter Falls
Intellagama lesueurii observed near the creek edge. Resident species; common in riparian zones year-round. Presence indicates healthy waterway habitat.
96% confidence
residentexpected
Riparian indicator species — presence suggests healthy creek ecosystem with adequate prey
👤 Community
Lace Monitor spotted on western slopes
Large Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) basking on a fallen log along the fire trail. Resident species; sightings increase in warm weather as reptiles thermoregulate.
residentexpected
Apex predator presence indicates healthy trophic structure in forest ecosystem
📡 IoT
Soil moisture dropping on Ridge
Summit station soil moisture fell to 18% VWC — approaching the mild stress threshold of 20%. No rain in the 7-day forecast.
📡 IoT
High VPD alert — Summit
VPD exceeded 2.5 kPa at Summit Lookout, indicating strong evaporative demand.
📡 IoT
CO₂ drawdown during midday photosynthesis
Forest canopy CO₂ dropped to 395 ppm between 10:00–14:00 (ambient baseline: 420 ppm), indicating active photosynthetic carbon fixation across all sites.