Gasvoda, David S.; Tinus, Richard W.; Burr, Karen E.; Trent, Andy . 2002. Monitoring the Temperature of Tree Seedlings with the Thermochron iButton Data Logger. 0224 2311. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Technology and Development Program. 1 p.
Describes the use of a small (3.4- by 1.4-inch), durable data logger to record the temperatures to which tree seedlings are exposed when they are transported from the nursery to the planting site. Seedlings enter and leave nursery storage with easily documented levels of cold hardiness, root growth potential, and general stress tolerance. The temperatures to which seedlings are exposed after leaving the nursery, and the duration of the exposure, can dramatically alter these levels. The Thermochron iButton data logger, manufactured by Dallas Semiconductor Corp., measures temperatures in increments of 1 °C with an accuracy of ±1 °C. The real-time clock calendar is accurate to ±2 minutes per month within a 0 to 40 °C range. The recording interval can range from 1 to 255 minutes in 1-minute intervals, with a starting offset of 0 minutes to 46 days. After 2,048 time-stamped temperature values have been logged, recording stops or values are overwritten (depending on the alternative selected). Nurseries and field units receiving seedlings should find that this device could help determine whether temperatures have affected tree survival and performance.
Keywords: nurseries, shipping, transportation
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