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

Abstract

The Pondi loggers address significant logistical and methodological challenges in monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Given the intricate dynamics of carbon and nitrogen cycles, achieving precise quantification of their fluxes requires extensive, prolonged monitoring campaigns to capture spatial and temporal variations adequately. However, conventional commercial greenhouse gas (GHG) analysers pose significant limitations due to their high cost, limited portability, cumbersome weight, and restricted field autonomy, hindering effective data collection. To overcome these challenges, we developed the Pondi – a logger developed from cost-effective components tailored for long-term CO2, CH4, and N2O monitoring in the field. The Pondi has GPS for tracking and solar panels to ensure indefinite power autonomy. It can be deployed on floating chambers to monitor aquatic emissions or mounted on land for terrestrial systems. Crucially, the Pondi maintains continuous connectivity to a cloud-based system, facilitating real-time data access and enabling remote configuration. By offering a practical, cost-effective, and reliable solution for greenhouse gas flux monitoring, the Pondi contributes to efforts to assess and mitigate anthropogenic climate change.