Field Notes

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Other sites visited today: West Pond | East End | Bouldin Corn
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Bouldin Alfalfa: 2020-08-21 13:35:00 (DOY 234)
Author: Daphne Szutu
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Summary: Regular data collection and cleaning, terrible air quality because of wildfire smoke, swapped 7500 for calibration, broke serial connector so didn't download FD chamber

2020-08-21
Bouldin Alfalfa

I arrived at 13:35 PDT. The day was warm and the air quality was terrible because of wildfires that started earlier this week. The sky was murky brown and the sunlight was reddish. Weâ€™re now into month 6 of coronavirus shelter-in-place.

There were many wasps buzzing about the tower, but they didnâ€™t pay me much attention as I walked and climbed around. I downloaded met, cam, and USB GHG data. I checked the eddy clock and adjusted it slightly: when it was 13:12 I reset it to 13:15. I swapped the LI-7500A for calibration: sn 75H-2667 came off and sn 0065 went on. I updated the configuration file, changed the pressure coefficient, and reset the box.

I connected to the newer FD chamber (sn FD20190028), downloaded the data, and cleared the chamber. I couldnâ€™t connect to the older FD chamber (sn FD20160001); I broke the serial connector on the main USB-RS232 cable, and using the FD serial connector as a screw terminal wasnâ€™t working either. The data will still be there next time, so Iâ€™ll try again at the next visit with a new serial connector.

I cleaned flux and rad sensors and topped off the wash reservoir.

The zPAR sensor is in an unusually exposed area of the canopy (see photo below).

LI-7500 readings (sn 75H-2667 --> sn 75H-2667 after cleaning --> sn 0065):
CO2 384ppm --> 397 --> 408
H2O 850ppm --> 868 --> 747
T 31.1C --> 31.5 --> 32.1
P 100.9kPa --> 100.9 --> 101.0
SS 98--> 101 --> 99
LI7700 readings:
CH4 2.0ppm
RSSI 48-->79 after cleaning

I left at 14:20 PDT.

Next Mowing: 2020-09-05

2 photos found

20200821BA_zPAR.jpg ( 2020-08-21 14:23:22 ) Full size: 1440x1920
Undercanopy PAR sensor is an an unusually open part of the canopy. Maybe all my digging around in the multiple installations has affected alfalfa growth.