What We Do

Campbell Scientific's rugged, low-power data-acquisition systems can be configured to support the full spectrum of ecological research. Our data loggers are compatible with most sensors, and commonly measure meteorologic, hydrologic, and soil conditions. Data is often used in research facilities and applications evaluating relationships between different organisms as climate and other conditions change. Learn more

Check out some awesome examples of what our equipment can do in this area

Systems

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Customise a System

In addition to our standard systems available, many of the systems we provide are customised. Tell us what you need, and we’ll help you configure a system that meets your exact needs.

Instrumentation

We offer a variety of products that can be used to create systems for Environmental Monitoring Systems. Many of the major components used to create these systems are listed below. Please let us know if we can help you configure a system.

More Details about Our Environmental Monitoring Systems Systems

Our systems are used in a variety of environmental monitoring applications including:

  • Micro-, meso-scale climate monitoring
  • Global warming/ecoindicators
  • Reclamation/reforestation
  • Soils research
  • Animal behavior monitoring
  • Carbon budget
  • Pest and disease control
  • Canopy research/sap flow
  • Surface flux research
  • Below ground/duff layer monitoring
  • Habitat characterization
  • Pollution monitoring

For example, our environmental systems can help characterize and monitor aquatic systems by providing data on water level, flow, temperature, and a variety of water quality parameters. In animal behavior applications, our equipment has monitored the behavior and habitat of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and even invertebrates such as insects and marine crustaceans. Parameters such as animal temperature, animal weight, movement patterns within confined spaces, food consumption, and gas exchange have been monitored. With large species, projects have included GPS and radiotelemetry devices to monitor animal movements.

Battery and solar power allow our systems to provide remote, unattended data collection over long periods of time. Our instrumentation has been proven in some of the harshest environments in the world.

Data Loggers

At the core of our systems is a programmable data logger that measures the sensors, then processes, stores, and transmits the data. These data loggers have programmable execution intervals, wide operating temperature ranges, and on-board instructions for commonly used sensors. If needed, channel capacity can be expanded using multiplexers.

Data are typically displayed and stored in the units of your choice (e.g., wind speed in kph, m/s, knots). Measurement processing and data storage are programmable, but measurements are typically made every minute then processed and stored at hourly and daily intervals (e.g., maximum, minimum, average). Data can be measured and stored more or less frequently (depending on the application and conditional sampling) based on events such as increased wind speeds, torrential rainfall, or diurnal cycle.

Battery power and solar power allow our dataloggers to provide remote, unattended data collection over long periods of time. Our instrumentation has been proven in some of the harshest environments in the world.

PC-based software is customized to simplify datalogger programming, data retrieval, and report generation. The datalogger program can be modified at any time to accommodate different sensor configurations or data processing requirements.

Sensors

Almost any sensor can be measured by our data loggers, allowing monitoring systems to be customized for each site. Typical sensors used on our stations include, but are not limited to: wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation of various types, air temperature, water temperature, soil temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, snow depth, barometric pressure, soil moisture, soil electrical conductivity, and soil heat flux. Our systems interface to a variety of sensors that measure water level and water flow, as well as water quality parameters such as pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. Our data loggers can interface directly to most air flow sensors, opacity meters, particle samplers, and gas analyzers.

Communications

We offer multiple communications options for data retrieval, allowing monitoring systems to meet specific application requirements. On-site data retrieval options include storage module, laptop computer, PDA, and datalogger keyboard/display. Telecommunication options include short-haul, voice synthesized telephone, cellular telephone, radio frequency, multidrop, and satellite. Options can be mixed within the same network. Robust error-checking and low power-use ensure your data arrives uncorrupted and as scheduled. You can even automate the process of putting your data on the Internet.

Case Studies

Costa Rica: Tropical Biodiversity
A long-term scientific study to monitor trends in the biodiversity and structure of ecosystems of......read more
Delaware: Environmental Observing System
The Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) is a real-time system dedicated to monitoring environmental conditions......read more
Solar Decathlon
The Solar Decathlon takes place every other year on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.......read more
Pocono Comparative Lakes Program: Aquatic Research
The Pocono Comparative Lakes Program (PCLP) is part of the Aquatic Ecosystems Program at Lehigh......read more
Bahamas: Marine Ecology
The Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC) of Vero Beach, FL, launched a comprehensive, long-term program......read more
ZERO: High Arctic Ecosystem Research
Researchers from the Danish Polar Center in Copenhagen are using Campbell Scientific instrumentation in a......read more
Antarctica: Dry Valley Ecosystems
The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, monitors ecological phenomena......read more