Using Weatherbug, Davis Instruments and Pasco for teaching about Forest Meteorology, Agrometeorology, and Micrometeorology

The present communication intends to share the results of combining different instrumentation produced by three different companies: Weatherbug, Davis, and Pasco. All of them share a wide recognition in education nowadays. On the other hand, St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida has an integrated School of Science with majors in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. Additionally, the main campus is located side by side with the 826 Highway and is in the neighborhood of two very congested avenues, the 27th and the 57th. The campus contains a large forest area located in the northern side of it with a horticulture experimental center on its southern portion. At the same time, the university in partnership with Weatherbug has an automated weather station operating for more than 8 years 24/7 year round. Therefore, enough weather statistics had been recorded over all these years. Recently, two agro-meteorological weather stations were acquired from Davis and installed around the horticultural center and at the center of the forest. These two stations are sensing the microclimates around these portions and then compared with the meso-scale readings from the Weatherbug station. Besides that, Pasco Company produces the data-logger Explorer GLX, enabling point measurements and further transfer of the data to spreadsheets. With such a devices a detailed description of the forest and the entire microenvironment is possible, including readings about the concentration of CO2 within. This integration of technologies has been of great benefit for programs of Plant Biology, Biometeorology, Physics and Mathematics.