High-Resolution Climate Monitoring on
a Mountain Island: The Saguaro
National Park Pilot Study
Mike Crimmins
Department of Geography and Regional Development
The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
Project Background
•NPS-Sonoran Desert Network I&M exploring climate
monitoring strategies as part of the Natural Resource
Challenge and Park Vital Signs Monitoring
•Ecosystem Monitoring Framework for the Sonoran
Desert recognizes the need for climate monitoring and
has assessed needs through an expert working group
•Are existing park-level climate monitoring systems
effective for natural resource management activities?
•Saguaro National Park excellent location for pilot study
(diversity of management issues, steep environmental
gradients, protected area)
Project Design
• Evaluate how climate information is used by different
users at Saguaro National Park (meetings, informal
interviews)
• Catalog all different research and management
activities at park; climate data used or needed?
• Work with park staff to design and develop a temporary
climate monitoring network (Which variables? Where?
Why?)
• Develop climate data mining and visualization tools
with guidance from park staff
• Determine how data from new network is being used
(formal surveys, interviews)
• Evaluate utility of network for long-term monitoring
Climate Information and Park
Level Management
•Hydrological monitoring
•Wildfire management
•Wildlife studies
•Invasive species
management
•Air quality management
•Education
Monitoring Strategy
• Coupling high-resolution climate monitoring
with ecological monitoring
– Datalogging weather stations (10 min sampling)
– Vegetation sampling (monthly to seasonally)
• Broad approach – many variables at many
sites
• Coordination with other natural resource
management activities and research projects
Weather Station Specifications
• Wind speed/direction (10
minute average speed, gust)
• Rainfall (0.01 tip)
• Air Temperature
• Relative Humidity
• Atmospheric Pressure
• Solar Radiation (300-1100 nm)
• Photosynthetically Active
Radiation (400-700 nm)
• Soil Moisture (10 cm depth)
• Soil Temperature (10 cm
depth)
Vegetation Sampling
• Modular plots (4,10m x
10m)
• Percent canopy cover
•Three height classes
(<0.5m,0.5-2m,>2m)
•Monthly to seasonal
sampling
Additional Site Monitoring
• Specialized
meteorological
measurements
– shaded surface
temperature at ground
level
– soil moisture profiling
• Repeat Photography
• Dendrometers
• Snow
Study Area
Monitoring Sites
Station
Installation
Elevation
Aspect
Ecotone/Community
Type
1 - MADRAN
September 2003
1052 m
(3450 ft.)
S
Upper Sonoran Desert
Scrub
2 - SHIDAG
December 2003
1402 m
(4599 ft.)
S
Madrean Evergreen
Woodland/Chapparal
3 - GRASHA
February 2004
1607 m
(5500 ft.)
Level
Madrean Evergreen
Woodland
4 - MANZAN
May 2004
1980 m
(6500 ft.)
S
Pinyon/Juniper
Woodland
5 - RAWSDN
February 2004
2417 m
(7929 ft.)
S
Ponderosa Pine Forest
6 - MICMEA
March 2004
2325 m
(7627 ft.)
Level
Ponderosa Pine
Forest/Open Meadow
7 - NORSLO
March 2004
2430 m
(7972 ft.)
N
Mixed Conifer Forest
8 – HAPVAL
May 2004
1923 m
(6309 ft.)
W
Pinyon/Juniper
Woodland
9 - RINPEA
May 2004
2166 m
(7106 ft.)
N
Mixed Conifer Forest
Madrona Ranger Station (1052m), Upper Sonoran Desert Scrub
Along Madrona trail (1402m), Madrean evergreen woodland/chapparal
Mica Meadow (2325m), Open meadow/Ponderosa pine forest
North slope of Mica Mountain (2430m), Post-fire/mixed conifer
RAWS comparison site (1052m), open meadow/Ponderosa pine forest
Preliminary Data: Air Temperature
35
30
25
Deg. C.
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
30-Mar-04
31-Mar-04
1-Apr-04
MADRAN
2-Apr-04
SHIDAG
3-Apr-04
GRASHA
4-Apr-04
RAWSDN
5-Apr-04
6-Apr-04
Winter Storm, Late March 2004
35
30
Cold front passage
25
Deg. C.
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
30-Mar-04
31-Mar-04
1-Apr-04
MADRAN
2-Apr-04
SHIDAG
3-Apr-04
GRASHA
4-Apr-04
RAWSDN
5-Apr-04
6-Apr-04
Preliminary Data: Temperature
Wind
MADRAN
(Station #1, 1052 m)
SHIDAG
(Station #2, 1402 m)
N
N
25.02
25.69
6.61
9.62
10.51
5.61
3.60
2.70
W
3.60
1.70
4.80
E
W
5.51
2.18
0.69
4.76
2.78
7.01
8.73
4.56
S
9.03
9.62
S
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
GRASHA
(Station #3, 1670 m)
RAWSDN
(Station #5, 2417 m)
N
N
1.12
3.85
17.74
5.09
1.55
3.35
0.44
0.11
1.99
6.58
W
10.17
5.96
7.57
4.22
8.93
2.11
10.42
2.36
2.98
0.44
5.19
E
W
2.43
4.08
E
11.81
6.84
7.17
7.57
26.71
3.75
3.75
3.75
19.98
S
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
E
6.15
1.49
5.41
5.71
1.49
1.59
3.30
6.21
8.04
3.57
2.70
S
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
7-day Wind
Climatology
MADRAN
(Station #1, 1052 m)
N
25.02
25.69
6.61
9.62
10.51
5.61
3.60
2.70
W
•Complex wind flows across
study area
•MADRAN, SHIDAG, &
GRASHA all dominated
by drainage flows
•RAWSDN at top of
drainage, but different
wind regime
•Important to wildfire and air
quality management (wildfire
suppression, prescribed
burns)
N
7
March 30-April 6, 2004
SHIDAG
(Station #2, 1402 m)
2.70
3.60
1.70
4.80
E
W
5.51
2.18
0.69
4.76
2.78
7.01
8.73
4.56
S
9.03
9.62
S
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
GRASHA
(Station #3, 1670 m)
RAWSDN
(Station #5, 2417 m)
N
N
1.12
3.85
17.74
5.09
1.55
3.35
0.44
0.11
1.99
6.58
W
10.17
5.96
7.57
4.22
8.93
2.11
10.42
2.36
2.98
0.44
5.19
E
W
2.43
4.08
E
11.81
6.84
7.17
7.57
26.71
3.75
3.75
3.75
19.98
S
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
E
6.15
1.49
5.41
5.71
1.49
1.59
3.30
6.21
8.04
3.57
S
0.1
1.5
3
5
8
10
Wind Speed ( Meters Per Second)
Future Steps
• Continue data collection and site maintenance
through Fall 2005(?)
• Development of Java based data mining and
visualization tool
• Pursue funding to establish sites for long-term
ecological research
– Upgrade weather stations for real-time data access
– Establish base funding for field technicians dedicated
to site maintenance and data collection
• Develop outreach component
Acknowledgements
Nina Chambers, Sonoran Institute
Andy Hubbard, National Park Service – I&M
Theresa Mau-Crimmins, National Park Service – I&M
Jeff McGovern, National Park Service – I&M
Kristen Beaupre’, National Park Service – I&M
Amy Tendick, RNR-University of Arizona
Pepe Iniguez, LTRR-University of Arizona
Chris Baisan, LTRR-University of Arizona
Dennis Crimmins, MMI
Jim Nunnold, MMI