Deployment of a large-scale soil monitoring geosensor network

Abstract

We provide an overview of our practical experience with developing a distributed sensor network to monitor soil response to climate change and increase our understanding of the complex interactions of the surrounding ecological, biogeochemical and meteorological processes. The network consists of seven sites with unique topographical, and land-use characteristics, spread across a large area in the state of New Hampshire (US). The system was designed to measure soil moisture, soil CO 2 efflux and make other ancillary measurements (air temperature, precipitation, wind speed etc.). The system design encompasses sensor and hardware selection, customization and the overcoming design constraints such as the need to operate a power hungry sensing system at remote locations with access only to solar power. The data we collect streams to the web as an outreach and teaching resource, provides input to ecosystem models used to predict how ecosystems in the region will respond to climate and land-use change, and directly monitors soil properties and processes in a changing climate.