Acquisition and management of data from remote locations

Background:  The Sevilleta LTER possesses a large network of diverse research sites, weather stations, and webcams interconnected by a wireless network that can be remotely accessed by researchers around the world. Presently, there are approximately thirty networked research sites comprising of over fifty dataloggers, thousands of sensors, and several webcams distributed over more than 100 square miles of the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. This network includes several hundred miles of wireless links which extend to Sevilleta LTER research sites near Mountainair and Willard, more than 60 miles from the UNM Sevilleta Field Station. The two group leaders (Brown and Natvig) have hands-on experience with all aspects of this system, from remote wireless networking to the instrumentation of long-term manipulative experiments. This system is therefore a valuable springboard for training.