A Sensor Network for Microclimatic Soil Variables on the Alpine Tundra

Study Background:

• Alpine plant traits vary based on microhabitat within the tundra.
• Current data collection is limited due to harsh conditions and remote locations.
• Researchers seek year-round access to soil temperature and moisture data at multiple locations.

Sensor Network Development:

• Prototypes developed for underground soil moisture and temperature sensing.
• LoRa radio used for data transmission to a main node connected to the internet via Iridium satellites.
• Challenges encountered with prototype design and implementation (cost, size, power consumption, data transmission reliability).
• Field testing conducted at three Montana sites.

Key Findings:

• Year-round data access can improve research scalability and collaboration.
• Sensor data can explain plant species distribution and functional traits.
• PCB-based prototypes significantly improve build speed and reliability compared to perf boards.

Next Steps:

• Deploy multiple sensor nodes for winter testing.
• Investigate solutions for improved signal transmission through soil.
• Develop and test dedicated soil moisture sensors.

Overall:

This presentation describes the development and testing of a sensor network for collecting year-round soil data in the harsh alpine tundra environment. The network design addresses limitations of current data collection methods and aims to improve understanding of plant species distribution and functional traits. Future work focuses on optimizing sensor design, deployment, and data transmission for long-term, reliable operation.