Wireless sensing technologies for environmental monitoring

为了充分了解碳循环，我们需要对森林物候学（季节活动）进行精确测量——这是本研究的中心目标。该提案寻求支持，以现有网络（TROPI-DRY、SpecNet和FLUXNET Canada）的设计为基础，为森林物候监测系统建立一个试验台。目前在加拿大或热带地区还不存在这样的试验台，因为目前的大部分工作都是在温带环境中的短期实地活动中进行的。拟议工作的具体目标是建立一个物候监测系统，以便详细监测森林冠层上下的辐射环境，并准确估计通过冠层传播和被冠层吸收的辐射（APAR）。这将使我们能够在多个空间尺度上获取有关叶片冲洗、光合作用活动和叶片脱落周期的详细信息，并可以改进对森林净初级生产力（NPP）的估计。这项技术在北方和热带环境中的成功示范将为利用现有网络（SpecNet、加拿大FLUXNET和TROPI-DRY）发展森林物候监测网奠定坚实的基础。该物候监测系统将由四个部分组成：1)安装在移动“有轨电车系统”上的移动辐射传感器，2)基于塔的微气象和归一化植被指数（NDVI）， 3)测量辐射、温度、土壤湿度和相对湿度的无线传感器网络，以及4)处理工作站集群。这些组成部分将能够精确监测森林辐射吸收（APAR），这是森林碳交换模型中的一个关键变量，也是森林对扰动响应的敏感指标。

To fully understand the carbon cycle, we need accurate measurements of forest phenology (seasonal activity) - the central goal of this study. This proposal seeks support to build a testbed for a forest phenology monitoring system, based on the design of existing networks (TROPI-DRY, SpecNet, and FLUXNET Canada). Such a testbed does not exist at this time in Canada or in the tropics since much of the current work is conducted within short term field campaigns in temperate environments. The specific objectives of the proposed work will be to build a phenology monitoring system that will enable detailed monitoring of the radiation environment above and below the forest canopy as well as to accurately estimate radiation transmitted through the canopy, and absorbed by the canopy (APAR). This will allow the capture of detailed information regarding the periods of leaf flushing, photosynthetic activity, and leaf fall at multiple spatial scales, and can improve estimates of forest Net Primary Productivity (NPP). The successful demonstration of this technology in boreal and tropical environments will provide a strong foundation for the development of a forest phenology monitoring network, using existing networks (SpecNet, FLUXNET Canada and TROPI-DRY).This phenology monitoring system will comprise four components: 1) a mobile radiation sensor mounted on a mobile "tram system", 2) a tower based micro-meteorological and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 3) a wireless sensors network measuring radiation, temperature, soil moisture and relative humidity and 4) a processing workstation cluster. Together, these components will enable accurate monitoring of forest radiation absorption (APAR) a critical variable in forest carbon exchange models and sensitive indicator of forest responses to perturbations.