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.