Pondi: A low-cost logger for long-term monitoring of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide in aquatic and terrestrial systems.

• DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/54rd2
• Publication Date: 2024-05-03T13:56:13Z
• Authors: Martino E. Malerba; Blake Edwards; Lukas Schuster; Omosalewa Odebiri; Josh Glen; Rachel Kelly; Paul Phan; Alistair Grinham; Peter I. Macreadie
• Keywords: Nitrous oxide; Data logger

Understanding the complex dynamics of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in terrestrial aquatic ecosystems requires extensive monitoring campaigns to capture spatial temporal variations adequately. However, conventional commercial GHG analysers limit data collection due their high costs, limited portability, cumbersome weight, restricted field autonomy. To overcome these challenges, we developed ‘Pondi’ – a lightweight (0.8 kg) logger from cost-effective components tailored for long-term (weeks months) continuous CO2, CH4, N2O environments. The Pondi features solar panels indefinite runtime, GPS tracking, gyroscope motion detection, an optional microcontroller support self-venting additional sensors. It can be deployed on floating chambers monitor emissions, or land net primary productivity. maintains connectivity cloud-based system, facilitating real-time access enabling remote configuration. are readily available most countries, standard engineering IT skills sufficient assemble device. By offering practical, cost-effective, reliable solution flux monitoring, contributes efforts assess mitigate anthropogenic emissions that cause climate change.