A low-cost IoT network to monitor microclimate variables in ecosystems

Microclimatic and macroclimatic data differ, and microclimatic data are most useful at short time intervals (30-min scales rather than daily/monthly scales). We developed an end-to-end system to acquire such data at a high temporal resolution, transfer them to a server through an Internet of Things network using low-cost technologies, and make them available with dynamic graphical visualizations and download capabilities. The system has been used for 2 years to monitor environmental variables in contrasting agroecosystems in France, Bolivia and Kenya. It has been proven to be reliable and supports the mismatch between macro- and microclimates. This low-cost Internet of Things system can capture the microclimate in contrasting environments with accuracy comparable to commercial solutions, and great flexibility in data processing. It thus constitutes a possible solution in an academic context and has the potential to be used by a broad audience of scientists interested in capturing environmental variables in real time and at a high temporal frequency.