A system for collecting spatially variable terrain data
Data describing spatially variable parameters and state-variables is required to better understand catchment behaviour and to improve land management. Remote sensing can provide some of this data economically; however, there exists a need for cheaper methods of ground based measurement of variables which cannot be remotely sensed, both for ground truth data and for high resolution data. A system for ground based collection of spatially variable data has been developed. It is based on an all terrain vehicle fitted with a position fixing system and a variety of instruments including a Time Domain Reflectometry soil moisture meter, a soil penetrometer, soil corer, and infrared and near-infrared/visible radiometers. Field testing of the position fixing system and of the soil moisture monitoring equipment is described. Example soil moisture data sets are presented.
spatial variability soil moisture precision agriculture field measurements costs of data collection