2015-2013 | TRACE

Canopy Access Tower Installation

Noviembre 2015

Molly Cavaleri came back from Michigan Tech to supervise the tower installation.

Area for the base of the tower.

An excited Molly Cavaleri is satisfied with the selected tower site!

Construction workers think about the upcoming work!

Concrete is used for the base of the tower.

Aura and Molly leave their mark!

TRACE walk of fame.

Using trigonometry to see how the slope affects where to install the guy wires.

Construction workers start to make the holes for the guy anchors.

After the hole is made, the anchor is installed.

Four anchors were installed, one for each side of the tower.

The tower is installed level by level. This one has 11 levels, for a total of 66 feet!

Each level is hoisted up by a pulley system.

Then each new level is attached to the previous one.

Tensiometers are used to check the tension of the guy wires that provide support to the tower.

The completed tower will be used to study the temperature threshold of tropical foliage along the height of the trees.

Molly Cavaleri came back from Michigan Tech to supervise the tower installation.

Area for the base of the tower.

An excited Molly Cavaleri is satisfied with the selected tower site!

Construction workers think about the upcoming work!

Concrete is used for the base of the tower.

Aura and Molly leave their mark!

TRACE walk of fame.

Using trigonometry to see how the slope affects where to install the guy wires.

Construction workers start to make the holes for the guy anchors.

After the hole is made, the anchor is installed.

Four anchors were installed, one for each side of the tower.

The tower is installed level by level. This one has 11 levels, for a total of 66 feet!

Each level is hoisted up by a pulley system.

Then each new level is attached to the previous one.

Tensiometers are used to check the tension of the guy wires that provide support to the tower.

The completed tower will be used to study the temperature threshold of tropical foliage along the height of the trees.

New Sensors Installation

Otoño 2015

The group from ORNL is back again. They just can't stay away from our awesome study site!

Joanne Childs, Jeff Warren, and Rich Norby are selecting eight adult trees to install sapflow sensors.

Sapflow sensors.

Jeff Warren installs a new datalogger enclosure for the sapflow sensors.

Holly and Rich are using a big slingshot to collect a few leaves from the top of adult trees.

It's quite hard to find where the slingshot ended up after it's up in the canopy.

Nice work team!

The group from ORNL is back again. They just can't stay away from our awesome study site!

Joanne Childs, Jeff Warren, and Rich Norby are selecting eight adult trees to install sapflow sensors.

Sapflow sensors.

Jeff Warren installs a new datalogger enclosure for the sapflow sensors.

Holly and Rich are using a big slingshot to collect a few leaves from the top of adult trees.

It's quite hard to find where the slingshot ended up after it's up in the canopy.

Nice work team!

Pretreatment Field Work

Verano 2015

Lichenologist Joel Mercado and botanist Chris Bonefont visit TRACE to conduct a preliminary lichen survey.

There are no adult trees inside the plots, so the lichen was surveyed in some of the trees surrounding the plots.

Joel identifies the lichen while Chris draws them and takes notes.

Jennifer Pett-Ridge and Ashley Campbell from Lawrence Livermore National Lab visit TRACE to sample surface soils for microbial analysis.

Jennifer Pett-Ridge shows us how to sample soils from different profiles.

Ashley learns to sample tropical soils.

Jennifer's very stylish footwear.

Samples are preserved in dry ice for transport.

Bene Bachelot from Duke University visits TRACE to survey seedlings inside the plots.

She measures size, height, damage, and other factors.

There are many many seedlings to tag and measure!

Andrew Quebbeman from Columbia University is helping us with setting up a grid around the plots and measuring the trees inside it.

Dev Harrington from Columbia University is also helping with the tree grid!

Some trees are very hard to measure which requires teamwork!

Kelsey Carter comes back to PR to collect pre-treatment data. This is only some of the equipment she carries to the field every day!

She also carries a car battery up and down the hill with a smile on her face.

Kelsey programs the LI-6400 to start her measurments.

She clamps the leaf on the chamber to measure the photosynthetic response to CO2 and temperature changes.

Volunteer Carl Carter helps with troubleshooting the LI-8100.

Carl also helps with the LI-6400 night measurements.

He is measuring the leaf respiration response to different temperatures.

Kelsey also uses the LI-6400 to measure leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence response to different temperatures.

This requires a very complicated setup.

Deb Kennard from Colorado Mesa University comes to help Kelsey with the LI-6400.

Deb measures leaf responses to changes in light and CO2.

Daniela Yaffar collects leaves for mass and area measurements.

The leaves are scanned to measure leaf area.

The fresh weight of leaves is recorded.

Kelsey takes apart the leaf chamber to exchange the chamber type.

Kelsey installs a larger chamber in order to measure leaf respiration

Example of a leaf clamped in the respiration chamber.

Stephen Farrington from Transcend Engineering comes to TRACE to test their prototype soil moisture sensors called PRISMS.

PRISMS (Profile Resolving In Situ Soil Moisture Sensor) are designed for continuous moisture profiling of the top 1-meter of the soil subsurface.

The prototypes will be installed in one control plot and in one warmed plot at the TRACE site.

The PRISMS probes will be connected to our existing CR1000 datalogger.

A drill is used to make the hole in the exact size and length of the probes.

Emma Farrington from Transcend Engineering starts one of the holes.

Steve helps Emma keep the hole steady and straight down.

Steve also removes the soil from the drill each time it is pulled up from the hole.

When the hole is finished, the probe is inserted all the way down to 1 meter with a rubber mallet.

PI Tana Wood helps Emma with the next hole inside a control plot.

Emma and Steve are connecting each probe to a TDR100 that was installed by each plot, which then gets connected to our datalogger.

Steve teaches Aura Alonso how to splice the cables of the soil moisture sensors.

He also teaches her how to solder the ends of the cables before connecting to the datalogger.

Aura continues on her own to extend the lengths of the soil moisture sensors.

Lichenologist Joel Mercado and botanist Chris Bonefont visit TRACE to conduct a preliminary lichen survey.

There are no adult trees inside the plots, so the lichen was surveyed in some of the trees surrounding the plots.

Joel identifies the lichen while Chris draws them and takes notes.

Jennifer Pett-Ridge and Ashley Campbell from Lawrence Livermore National Lab visit TRACE to sample surface soils for microbial analysis.

Jennifer Pett-Ridge shows us how to sample soils from different profiles.

Ashley learns to sample tropical soils.

Jennifer's very stylish footwear.

Samples are preserved in dry ice for transport.

Bene Bachelot from Duke University visits TRACE to survey seedlings inside the plots.

She measures size, height, damage, and other factors.

There are many many seedlings to tag and measure!

Andrew Quebbeman from Columbia University is helping us with setting up a grid around the plots and measuring the trees inside it.

Dev Harrington from Columbia University is also helping with the tree grid!

Some trees are very hard to measure which requires teamwork!

Kelsey Carter comes back to PR to collect pre-treatment data. This is only some of the equipment she carries to the field every day!

She also carries a car battery up and down the hill with a smile on her face.

Kelsey programs the LI-6400 to start her measurments.

She clamps the leaf on the chamber to measure the photosynthetic response to CO2 and temperature changes.

Volunteer Carl Carter helps with troubleshooting the LI-8100.

Carl also helps with the LI-6400 night measurements.

He is measuring the leaf respiration response to different temperatures.

Kelsey also uses the LI-6400 to measure leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence response to different temperatures.

This requires a very complicated setup.

Deb Kennard from Colorado Mesa University comes to help Kelsey with the LI-6400.

Deb measures leaf responses to changes in light and CO2.

Daniela Yaffar collects leaves for mass and area measurements.

The leaves are scanned to measure leaf area.

The fresh weight of leaves is recorded.

Kelsey takes apart the leaf chamber to exchange the chamber type.

Kelsey installs a larger chamber in order to measure leaf respiration

Example of a leaf clamped in the respiration chamber.

Stephen Farrington from Transcend Engineering comes to TRACE to test their prototype soil moisture sensors called PRISMS.

PRISMS (Profile Resolving In Situ Soil Moisture Sensor) are designed for continuous moisture profiling of the top 1-meter of the soil subsurface.

The prototypes will be installed in one control plot and in one warmed plot at the TRACE site.

The PRISMS probes will be connected to our existing CR1000 datalogger.

A drill is used to make the hole in the exact size and length of the probes.

Emma Farrington from Transcend Engineering starts one of the holes.

Steve helps Emma keep the hole steady and straight down.

Steve also removes the soil from the drill each time it is pulled up from the hole.

When the hole is finished, the probe is inserted all the way down to 1 meter with a rubber mallet.

PI Tana Wood helps Emma with the next hole inside a control plot.

Emma and Steve are connecting each probe to a TDR100 that was installed by each plot, which then gets connected to our datalogger.

Steve teaches Aura Alonso how to splice the cables of the soil moisture sensors.

He also teaches her how to solder the ends of the cables before connecting to the datalogger.

Aura continues on her own to extend the lengths of the soil moisture sensors.

Warming Trial Run

Mayo 2015

Bruce Kimball is here to configure the heaters and set up our understory weather and datalogger station.

Daniela and Carlos Estrada work on grounding the datalogger station.

Bruce is getting ready to start installing the understory weather station on the top of the post where the datalogger is.

Bruce works long hours getting the sensors installed.

Understory weather station.

Understory weather station and datalogger area.

Bruce also installed an infrared thermometer in each plot, which will let us measure the warming.

Aura wires the sensors to the datalogger.

Our electrician Silvo is here to make sure everything has been well connected while Bruce begins to configure the control panels.

Aura reads the configuration instructions to Bruce.

Daniela helps Silvo check the current of the heaters. The heaters are still not working.

Tana communicates with Bruce from the forest to the research station through a walkie-talkie.

Bruce at the computer room of the research station.

Inside of a control panel.

Silvo and Bruce trying to figure out why the heaters are not turning on.

Success!!! A 4C difference between the warmed and the control plots was finally reached!! (note red line)

Bruce is showing us how the system works.

The heaters were angled down to direct the warming towards the understory vegetation and soil.

Thank you Bruce!

Bruce Kimball is here to configure the heaters and set up our understory weather and datalogger station.

Daniela and Carlos Estrada work on grounding the datalogger station.

Bruce is getting ready to start installing the understory weather station on the top of the post where the datalogger is.

Bruce works long hours getting the sensors installed.

Understory weather station.

Understory weather station and datalogger area.

Bruce also installed an infrared thermometer in each plot, which will let us measure the warming.

Aura wires the sensors to the datalogger.

Our electrician Silvo is here to make sure everything has been well connected while Bruce begins to configure the control panels.

Aura reads the configuration instructions to Bruce.

Daniela helps Silvo check the current of the heaters. The heaters are still not working.

Tana communicates with Bruce from the forest to the research station through a walkie-talkie.

Bruce at the computer room of the research station.

Inside of a control panel.

Silvo and Bruce trying to figure out why the heaters are not turning on.

Success!!! A 4C difference between the warmed and the control plots was finally reached!! (note red line)

Bruce is showing us how the system works.

The heaters were angled down to direct the warming towards the understory vegetation and soil.

Thank you Bruce!

Plant Physiology Team

Marzo 2015

The Michigan Tech team visits TRACE for a week of pre-treatment sampling. Welcome Alida, Molly, and Kelsey!

Working in the Bisley canopy tower.

Alida Mau working with the LI-6400.

View of El Yunque from atop the tower.

PI Molly Cavaleri.

Kelsey Carter reaches the top of the tower for the first time.

Project manager Aura Alonso

Kelsey measuring leaf temperature.

Daniela measures leaf temperature of upper canopy leaves

Kelsey teaching Daniela how to use the LI-6400 Portable Photosynthesis System.

Alida setting up the leaf in the LI-6400 chamber.

LI-6400 Leaf Chamber.

Protecting the LI-6400 from the rain with very colorful umbrellas!

Tagging of saplings inside the experimental plots.

Aura and Molly beside one of the warming plots.

PIs Molly Cavaleri and Tana Wood

Molly Cavaleri with Ariel Lugo

The Michigan Tech team visits TRACE for a week of pre-treatment sampling. Welcome Alida, Molly, and Kelsey!

Working in the Bisley canopy tower.

Alida Mau working with the LI-6400.

View of El Yunque from atop the tower.

PI Molly Cavaleri.

Kelsey Carter reaches the top of the tower for the first time.

Project manager Aura Alonso

Kelsey measuring leaf temperature.

Daniela measures leaf temperature of upper canopy leaves

Kelsey teaching Daniela how to use the LI-6400 Portable Photosynthesis System.

Alida setting up the leaf in the LI-6400 chamber.

LI-6400 Leaf Chamber.

Protecting the LI-6400 from the rain with very colorful umbrellas!

Tagging of saplings inside the experimental plots.

Aura and Molly beside one of the warming plots.

PIs Molly Cavaleri and Tana Wood

Molly Cavaleri with Ariel Lugo

Heaters Installation

Primavera 2015

The heaters have arrived!

Our awesome volunteers setting up the frames that are going to be attached to the heaters.

Sasha Reed and the volunteers getting the heaters ready for installation.

The first two heaters have been installed in one of the warmed plots!

These are the heaters from the front, where the infrared heat will come out.

Construction workers installing the infrared heaters.

Four heaters are now installed!

And finally, one of the warmed plots has all six heaters installed. These heaters will later be raised above the vegetation.

And now its time to install the 200 pound control panels. Here are the construction workers getting ready to carry it up the forest.

It took five men to carry each control panel.

There is one control panel for each warmed plot, so three control panels had to be installed.

And now its time to connect the control panels to power.

Underground conduits.

The underground conduits connect both the control panels and the heaters to the power source.

Each heater has a junction box associated to it, where all the cables can be joined and protected.

Each plot has a bigger junction box, that receives all the cables coming from the control panel.

A lot of cables are needed to distribute all the power around the plot!

Now that everything is connected, the heaters can be raised.

The construction of the warming plots has finally been completed!

These stainless steel planks were built to resemble the infrared heaters and are ready to be installed in the control plots.

Volunteers Angie and Michael help mount the dummy heaters in the control plots.

Michael and Angie taking a nice break in the forest.

The control plots are ready!

The heaters have arrived!

Our awesome volunteers setting up the frames that are going to be attached to the heaters.

Sasha Reed and the volunteers getting the heaters ready for installation.

The first two heaters have been installed in one of the warmed plots!

These are the heaters from the front, where the infrared heat will come out.

Construction workers installing the infrared heaters.

Four heaters are now installed!

And finally, one of the warmed plots has all six heaters installed. These heaters will later be raised above the vegetation.

And now its time to install the 200 pound control panels. Here are the construction workers getting ready to carry it up the forest.

It took five men to carry each control panel.

There is one control panel for each warmed plot, so three control panels had to be installed.

Canopy Access Tower Installation

New Sensors Installation

Pretreatment Field Work

​

Warming Trial Run

Plant Physiology Team

​

Heaters Installation