Data Collection Module for Improved Measurement of Microclimates in Dense Forest Canopies

Forest canopy research is one of the more recent frontiers of scientific research. Many methods have been devised to obtain data from the treetops, including the use of canopy cranes. Access to regions beneath the canopy surface of dense forests, however, is restricted to canopy gaps large enough for passage of the crane gondola. Often the result is a reduced selection of sample sites and hence reduced randomization. The data collection module (DCM) described in this technical note provides a solution to eliminate most problems facing other means of canopy access, such as poles, for microclimate measurements. Examples of canopy photosynthetically active radiation gradients measured in a lowland tropical rain forest in northeastern Australia in 1999 illustrate the use of the data collection module under field conditions.