Open AccessTracking microhabitat temperature variation with iB utton data loggers
Author(s) -
Fawcett Susan,
Sistla Seeta,
DacostaCalheiros Manny,
Kahraman Abdullah,
Reznicek Anton A.,
Rosenberg Rachel,
Wettberg Eric J. B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
applications in plant sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 23
ISSN - 2168-0450
DOI - 10.1002/aps3.1237
Subject(s) - biology , phenology , microclimate , range (aeronautics) , data logger , ecology , species distribution , habitat , computer science , materials science , composite material , operating system
Premise of the Study Fine‐scale variation in temperature and soil moisture contribute to microhabitats across the landscape, affecting plant phenology, distribution, and fitness. The recent availability of compact and inexpensive temperature and humidity data loggers such as iB uttons has facilitated research on microclimates. Methods and Results Here, we highlight the use of iB uttons in three distinct settings: comparisons of empirical data to modeled climate data for rare rock ferns in the genus Asplenium in eastern North America; generation of fine‐scale data to predict flowering time and vernalization responsiveness of crop wild relatives of chickpea from southeastern Anatolia; and measurements of extreme thermal variation of solar array installations in Vermont. Discussion We highlight a range of challenges with iB uttons, including serious limitations of the Hygrochron function that affect their utility for measuring soil moisture, and methods for protecting them from the elements and from human interference. Finally, we provide MATLAB code to facilitate the processing of raw iB utton data.