DOI: 10.5061/dryad.3n5tb2rh4
title: Microclimate measurements (15-minute intervals) at Fish Lake Environmental Education Center (Eastern Michigan University; Lapeer County, Michigan, USA)

description: Longitudinal microclimate data provide essential information on seasonal
 and annual trends in important measures of the physical environment. Here,
 we provide data sets from two independent microclimate stations reporting
 air temperature, soil temperature (at three depths), soil volumetric water
 content (VWC), and precipitation in an open forest clearing near Lapeer
 Michigan. This data is versatile and has multiple applications. 
 For example, this data has been used in an environmental education setting
 to teach college students how to explore, analyze, and report on climate
 patterns including, but not limited to, the following: 1) attenuation of
 air temperature fluctuations at increasing soil depths, 2) linking
 discrete precipitation events with shifts in volumetric water content, and
 3) using time series analysis to summarize and compare air and soil
 temperatures between seasons and years.  This data is also useful
 for environmental research exploring recent changes in climate conditions
 in the United State Midwest region and could be used to help independently
 validate model-based predictions of climate conditions (e.g.,
 BIOCLIM). 
description: <i>Data
 Type</i>:  Data collected was collected from microclimatic sensors
 installed in May 2018 (sensor location and the position of each sensor
 summarized below).  All data was collected and stored on Em50® data
 loggers purchased from METER USA/Decagon Devices (Pullman, WA). All
 sensors listed below were also purchases from METER USA/Decagon Devices
 (Pullman, WA). Excel output summarizing environmental variables (listed
 below) for each METER environmental sensing station set up near Lapeer
 Michigan (USA). <i>Data Collection Location
 and Intervals</i>: Microclimate stations were installed in the
 center of a large forest clearing on the Fish Lake Environmental Education
 Center property (Eastern Michigan University).  Vegetation in this
 clearing is low stature (&lt;1m high) consists predominantly of
 rhizomatous and caespitose grasses and introduced forbs.  Each station was
 &gt;70m from the forested edge of the clearing and stations were
 positioned ~30m apart.  Data from all sensors was collected at 15-minute
 intervals except where noted in the Usage Notes below.  The soil
 association for the region is characterized as a Boyer-Montclam-McBride
 association with well-drained soils tending towards loamy sand to sandy
 clay loam subsoil (Earle 1972).  At the site of sensor installation, soils
 have been characterized as Montclam loamy sand with shallow (2-6 %) slopes
 (Earle 1972). Citations: 1. Earle, Jr., G.H. (1972). Soil
 survey of Lapeer County, Michigan. U.S. Government Printing
 Office.   <i>Data collection and
 update policy</i>:  Data collection will be ongoing and data will be
 posted on an annual basis.  Please contact Brian Connolly if you need data
 that are more recent.  
 <i>FL#1 Sensor Location:</i>
             Lapeer, Michigan (USA) Latitude:          
 43.114888° Longitude:      
 -83.248558°   <i>Microclimate sensors
 installed at FL#1 sensor station:</i> -<b>Port
 1</b> [VP-4 Sensor]: Measurement of Relative Humidity, Air
 Temperature (°C), and Barometric Pressure (kPA) at 1.5 meters above the
 soil’s surface. -<b>Port
 2</b> [ECRN-100 Precipitation Gauge]:  Measurement of High
 Resolution Precipitation (mm); funnel collection diameter: 16
 cm. -<b>Port
 3</b> [ECT/RT-1 Temperature Probe]: Measurement of Mineral Soil
 Temperature (°C) at 5 cm depth -<b>Port 4
 </b>[5TM Moisture/Temperature Probe]: Measurement of Mineral Soil
 Temperature (°C) and Volumetric Water Content (m<sup>3</sup>/
 m<sup>3</sup> VWC) at 10 cm depth. -<b>Port 5
 </b>[5TM Moisture/Temperature Probe]: Measurement of Mineral Soil
 Temperature (°C) and Volumetric Water Content (m<sup>3</sup>/
 m<sup>3</sup> VWC) at 20 cm depth.   <i>FL#2 Sensor Location:
 </i> Lapeer,
 Michigan (USA) Latitude:          
 43.114854° Longitude:      
 -83.248258°   <i>Microclimate sensors
 installed at FL#2 sensor station:</i> -<b>Port
 1</b> [VP-4 Sensor]: Measurement of Relative Humidity, Air
 Temperature (°C), and Barometric Pressure (kPA) at 1.5 meters above the
 soil’s surface. -<b>Port
 2</b> [ECT/RT-1 Temperature Probe]: Measurement of Mineral Soil
 Temperature (°C) at 5 cm depth -<b>Port 3
 </b>[5TM Moisture/Temperature Probe]: Measurement of Mineral Soil
 Temperature (°C) and Volumetric Water Content (m<sup>3</sup>/
 m<sup>3</sup> VWC) at 10 cm depth. -<b>Port 4
 </b>[ECT/RT-1 Temperature Probe]: Measurement of Mineral Soil
 Temperature (°C) at 20 cm depth  
description: <strong>FL1 date
 ranges</strong> 2018: 10 Jun 2018 - 31 Dec
 2018 2019: 1 Jan
 2019 - 31 Dec 2019* 2020: 1 Jan 2020 - 31 Dec
 2020* 2021: 1 Jan
 2021 - 26 Mar 2021 * -See notes below about data
 collection notes during these ranges.  “Data_collection_error_check”
 column has been added to excel output: scores of “0” in this column
 indicate values that reflect accurate data collection as the intervals
 outlined in data set methods (i.e., 15 minute intervals); scores of “1”
 indicate either extreme values or periods of time where sampling was
 intermittent and consistent with a 15-minute sampling interval.  This
 column has been included to facilitate data handling and review for
 potential users.   Data
 notes for FL#1 sensor: A. 2019 FL1:  plug in
 precipitation gauge, last normal recorded precip in mid-June, best to
 double check with VWC for incoming precipitation. B.
 2019 FL1:  large precipitation value on 8-23 related to draining of
 accumulated water in gauge C. 2019 FL:  batteries start
 to fail at 12-31-2019 @6:30 AM.  Accurate scans continue, but intervals
 lengthen and are not always recorded every fifteen minutes
 D. 2020 FL1: Battery power failure resulted in intermittent
 sampling at increasingly irregular intervals from 1-1-2020 until
 4-8-2020 E. 2020 FL1: extreme reading during data
 collection on 7-21-2020  
 <strong>FL 2 date
 ranges</strong> 2018: 11 Jun 2018 - 31 Dec
 2018 2019: 1 Jan
 2019 - 31 Dec 2019* 2020: 1 Jan 2020 - 31 Dec
 2020* 2021: 1 Jan
 2021 - 26 Mar 2021   * -See notes
 below about data collection notes during these ranges. 
 “Data_collection_error_check” column has been added to excel output:
 scores of “0” in this column indicate values that reflect accurate data
 collection as the intervals outlined in data set methods (i.e., 15 minute
 intervals); scores of “1” indicate either extreme values or periods of
 time where sampling was intermittent and consistent with a 15-minute
 sampling interval.  This column has been included to facilitate data
 handling and review for potential users. Data
 notes for FL#2 sensor: A. 2019 FL2: extreme
 reading during data collection on 5-13-2019 B. 2020
 FL2: extreme reading during data collection on 7-21-2020