Above-ground biomass and NDVI for Sensor Node Array, 2017 - ongoing.

Spatial and temporal variability characterizes virtually all ecosystems, with resource supply changing over the course of growing season and across years due to climate variation. To better understand spatial heterogeneity in ecological response across landscape positions, we established a 16-node sensor array within a 45-hectare catchment landscape that measures temporal variability of important biogeochemical and hydrological controls on ecosystem processes. The array was established at the Niwot Saddle catchment in order to accompany long term water quality and discharge records taken at the top and bottom of this catchment. The region forms an important ecological linkage between the terrestrial areas of the Niwot Ridge LTER and the aquatic component in the Green Lakes Valley. Over two years (2017 – 2018), above-ground biomass data were sampled adjacent to each of the 16 sensor nodes to characterize plant productivity. Beginning in 2023, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was measured at each node.

空间与时间变异性是几乎所有生态系统的典型特征，受气候变异影响，生态系统的资源供给在生长季进程中以及不同年份间均会发生动态变化。为深入理解不同景观位置下生态响应的空间异质性，我们在一片面积为45公顷的集水区景观内搭建了一套含16个节点的传感器阵列，用于监测调控生态系统过程的关键生物地球化学与水文因子的时间变异性。该传感器阵列搭建于尼沃特鞍部（Niwot Saddle）集水区，旨在配套该集水区顶端与底端长期记录的水质与径流数据。该区域是连接尼沃特岭长期生态研究（Niwot Ridge LTER）陆地区域与格林湖谷（Green Lakes Valley）水生生态组分的重要生态纽带。在2017至2018年的两年间，我们在16个传感器节点的周边区域采集了地上生物量数据，以表征植物生产力水平。自2023年起，我们在每个传感器节点开展归一化植被指数（Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI）的监测工作。