Abstract

The wireless sensor network "macroscope" offers the potential to advance science by enabling dense temporal and spatial monitoring of large physical volumes. This paper presents a case study of a wireless sensor network that recorded 44 days in the life of a 70-meter tall redwood tree, at a density of every 5 minutes in time and every 2 meters in space. Each node measured air temperature, relative humidity, and photosynthetically active solar radiation. The network captured a detailed picture of the complex spatial variation and temporal dynamics of the microclimate surrounding a coastal redwood tree. This paper describes the deployed network and then employs a multi-dimensional analysis methodology to reveal trends and gradients in this large and previously-unobtainable dataset. An analysis of system performance data is then performed, suggesting lessons for future deployments.

Keywords

MicroclimateComputer scienceWireless sensor networkEnvironmental scienceTree (set theory)Node (physics)Photosynthetically active radiationMeteorologyRemote sensingReal-time computingComputer networkGeologyGeography

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Publication Info

Year
2005
Type
article
Pages
51-63
Citations
775
Access
Closed

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Gilman Tolle, Joseph Polastre, Robert Szewczyk et al. (2005). A macroscope in the redwoods. , 51-63. https://doi.org/10.1145/1098918.1098925

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DOI
10.1145/1098918.1098925