TER 2: AMARSS: Automated Minirhizotron Coupled With Continuous Monitoring of Soil CO2

Author(s): Rodrigo Vargas; William Swenson; Mike Taggart; Michael F. Allen; Michael Hamilton | Abstract: Human-powered minirhizotrons have been used to estimate root and hyphal turnover rates, but recording and image analysis processes are time consuming. Minirhizotron images and CO2 measurements usually have been taken with the available instruments at time intervals longer than the timescales at which ecological processes happen. We are developing an automated minirhizotron capable to record images at user-defined intervals that will be able to capture short-term ecological changes. Image data alone is not enough to understand ecological processes (e.g. root and hyphal turnover), so coupled with the automated minirhizotron we installed a network of soil sensing instruments. We present variations observed in manual long-term monitoring in a minirhizotron tube and continuous soil CO2 concentration and flux to show a potential application of this technology to identify meaningful temporal scales.