An Open-Source, Durable, and Low-Cost Alternative to Commercially Available Soil Temperature Data Loggers

Soil temperatures play an important role in determining the distribution and function of organisms. However, soil temperature is decoupled from air temperature and varies widely in space. Characterizing and predicting soil temperature requires large and expensive networks of data loggers. We develop...

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Veröffentlicht in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jg. 22; H. 1; S. 148
Hauptverfasser: Curasi, Salvatore R., Klupar, Ian, Loranty, Michael M., Rocha, Adrian V.
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Switzerland MDPI AG 27.12.2021
MDPI
Schlagworte:
Arduino
Cold Temperature
data logger
DIY
Graduate students
Humans
Internet resources
low-cost
microclimate
Online tutorials
open-source
Preventive maintenance
Printed circuit boards
Semiconductors
Sensors
Software
Soil
Temperature
Alaska
Toolik Lake
United States > US
North Slope
microclimate
DIY
low-cost
open-source
soil temperature
data logger
Arduino
ISSN:1424-8220, 1424-8220
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Zusammenfassung:Soil temperatures play an important role in determining the distribution and function of organisms. However, soil temperature is decoupled from air temperature and varies widely in space. Characterizing and predicting soil temperature requires large and expensive networks of data loggers. We developed an open-source soil temperature data logger and created online resources to ensure our design was accessible. We tested data loggers constructed by students, with little prior electronics experience, in the lab, and in the field in Alaska. The do-it-yourself (DIY) data logger was comparably accurate to a commercial system with a mean absolute error of 2% from −20–0 °C and 1% from 0–20 °C. They captured accurate soil temperature data and performed reliably in the field with less than 10% failing in the first year of deployment. The DIY loggers were ~1.7–7 times less expensive than commercial systems. This work has the potential to increase the spatial resolution of soil temperature monitoring and serve as a powerful educational tool. The DIY soil temperature data logger will reduce data collection costs and improve our understanding of species distributions and ecological processes. It also provides an educational resource to enhance STEM, accessibility, inclusivity, and engagement.
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ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s22010148