That’s a solid idea—get a single thread that stitches the biology and the tech together, so you can pull a complete picture every time you pull the data. Start with a core set of variables: photosynthesis rate, leaf chlorophyll, soil moisture, microclimate, and then add the synthetic layers—gene expression tags, nutrient injection logs, and any external stimuli you feed into the system. Make the sensors tiny and low‑power so they don’t disturb the micro‑ecosystem, and use a time‑stamp that syncs with both natural cycles and your lab clocks. Then you can run a simple model that flags anomalies before they turn into disasters. Just remember, the protocol needs to be flexible enough to evolve with the forest, so keep a modular design. That way, when you tweak a synthetic input, the data stream knows how to adjust without losing continuity.