Modernizing sensor data workflows to leverage Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud-based technologies

Drought is a major problem in the American Southwest that is expected to worsen under the effects of climate change. Currently, the Southwest Biological Science Center is monitoring the effects of drought with soil moisture probes in a range of ecosystems across an elevational gradient on the Colorado Plateau. These data are used in multiple studies to analyze the effects of drought on vegetation composition and demography. Accessing and analyzing that data still relies on traditional site visits, which can result in delayed recognition of erroneous data, a common pitfall in many field-science operations. We propose to improve upon this traditional data workflow by leveraging the use of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and multiple services provided within the AWS-CHS environment. We will demonstrate this idea at a field site close to our science center and develop innovative practices, methods, and strategies to better exploit collected data resources.



Principal Investigator : Thomas Gushue

Cooperator/Partner : Caitlin M Andrews, James W Hensleigh, Timothy Andrews, John B Bradford