Objective
Rising temperatures and prolonged droughts are intensifying vegetation water stress, tree mortality, and wildfires. Earth science still lacks a direct, consistent, and globally scalable framework to monitor vegetation water stress. Existing approaches and early warning systems rely on indirect proxies to estimate forest thresholds and risks. A direct and global view is urgently needed to address Science Questions (SQs): (1) Where and how does forest water stress emerge across biomes and climate zones? (2) Which environmental drivers amplify/mitigate stress dynamics? (3) How do forests respond across drought timescales?
In FROND, I propose a paradigm shift using Vegetation Water Content (VWC), a direct, species-independent indicator of plant hydration, as the basis for global stress monitoring. VWC reveals whether plants recover overnight from daytime water loss, offering a mechanistic signal of stress onset. Conventional remote sensing cannot resolve these (sub-)diurnal dynamics due to low revisit rates and sensor constraints. I unlock the potential of GNSS Reflectometry (GNSS-R), a disruptive technique that repurposes signals from over 120 navigation satellites reflected off Earth’s surface. Using multi-constellation GNSS-R data, I will track global VWC cycles with unprecedented sub-daily sampling (up to every three hours). My proof-of-concept in the Amazon, based on only a subset of available data, demonstrates GNSS-R’s transformative potential to monitor water stress.
FROND will (i) produce the first global, sub-daily VWC dataset and, based on it, deliver a set of novel stress indices; (ii) develop F@urora, an AI-driven global coupled atmosphere–vegetation model, to map and forecast water stress and fire risk; and (iii) use these advances to address the SQ1–3. FROND replaces indirect proxies with direct plant moisture observations and opens a new frontier in Earth system monitoring, enabling early fire warning systems with unprecedented accuracy and timeliness.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9220 Aalborg
Denmark
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