Parker and his colleagues climb ropes, ladders and scaffolding and use hoists and cranes both hydraulic and tower for direct access to the canopy. At various levels and at the top, it is equipped with instruments to measure light, wind speed, relative humidity, temperature and carbon-dioxide fluctuations in the atmosphere surrounding the forest canopy. Much as conventional observatories use a variety of instruments to study stars, Parker points out, we use many approaches to understand forest canopies. He has launched sensors mounted on balloons, as well as a camera equipped with a telephoto lens. These evaluations are best made from above, where a technique called remote sensing works best.
Lidar works like radar but uses pulsed laser light rather than radio waves.
SERC is coordinating its Deciduous Canopy Observatory research with similar programs elsewhere in the United States and around the world. This collaboration promotes greater understanding of forest dynamics on a global basis and allows for comparisons between forests. Patricia Acton contributed to this article.