Boundary-First Ecological Sensing: A Fractal Hex–Toroidal Architecture for Passive Coherence Monitoring

This preprint proposes a boundary-first ecological sensing architecture inspired by recurrent geometric and functional motifs observed in biological systems. The framework integrates spiral growth logic, hexagonal local interaction, radial boundary sensing, inward regional compression, and toroidal phase-based integration to create a distributed system for passive environmental monitoring. Rather than focusing on object detection or high-resolution imaging, the architecture emphasizes coherence detection across distributed rhythmic signals as an indicator of ecological stability or stress. Local sensing units arranged in hexagonal lattices summarize regional states through central channels that feed a toroidal integration core, where timing and phase relationships are compared. A gyroscopic stability reference separates internal structural motion from external environmental disturbance, while passive fir-cone-like actuators provide low-energy environmental gating based on humidity and temperature conditions. Time is interpreted as continuous phase rather than segmented zones, enabling natural accommodation of variable day-length environments including polar regions. The paper presents architectural principles, conceptual implementation pathways, and a coherence-based monitoring framework intended to support low-impact, Gaia-aligned ecological observation systems. KEYWORDS boundary-first sensing; ecological coherence; hexagonal lattice; toroidal integration; phyllotaxis; passive sensing; distributed monitoring; ecological rhythm analysis; phase-based time; hygromorphic actuation; biomimetic geometry; Gaia-aligned systems; environmental signal processing; coherence monitoring.