News - United States of America
GLOBE Paper Data Sheet Updates
The GLOBE U.S. Coordination Office, in collaboration with the GLOBE Implementation Office, is working to update and streamline GLOBE’s paper data sheets. We are pleased to announce that nearly all of the data sheets have been updated, including most recently all of the Pedosphere.
As part of the paper data sheet update process, the GLOBE Biometry: Vegetative Covers Field Guide (previously known as Canopy Cover and Ground Cover) was simplified, eliminating steps to “decide which canopy and ground cover data sheet is appropriate,” as the two data sheets had been combined into one in 2014. The calculations found in the field guide were moved to the data entry sheet. The field guide steps are now much clearer, and the field guide and data sheets are aligned.
The updates also include a new Soil Characterization data sheet (previously only found in the site definition sheets; print a page for each horizon) and data sheets for individual atmosphere and hydrosphere protocols (previously only available as integrated all-protocol data sheets).
Protocols with Updated Data Sheets
Atmosphere
- Air Temperature
- Liquid Precipitation
- Relative Humidity
- Surface Temperature
Biosphere
- Biometry
- Graminoid Biomass
- Vegetative Covers
- Trees on Level Ground (height and circumference)
- Trees with Simplified Clinometer Method (height and circumference)
Hydrosphere
- Alkalinity
- Conductivity
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Nitrates
- Salinity
- Water Temperature
- Water Transparency (Secchi Disk and Transparency Tube)
- Water pH
Pedosphere (Soil)
- Bulk Density
- Frost Tube
- Soil Characterization (new!)
- Soil Fertility
- Soil Infiltration
- Soil Moisture – Gravimetric Transect Method
- Soil Moisture – SMAP Block Pattern
- Soil Particle Density
- Soil Particle Size Distribution
- Soil pH
- Soil Temperature
How to Find the Updated Data Sheets
The updated data sheets can be found in the Data Sheets sections of the protocol pages. Depending on the protocol, the existing data sheet was either replaced with the new version or added in addition to existing ones. The updated data sheets have “2026” appended to the title. The Atmosphere and Hydrosphere “integrated” data sheets are still available but have been renamed “All Protocols” to make it clearer what they include.
What to Expect in the Updated Paper Data Sheets
- The data sheets are streamlined, simplified, and consistent with GLOBE data entry.
- Each data sheet has multiple options to choose from within the PDF file. A cover page links to each option, which may include the individual protocol data sheet, a data sheet with site definition included, a data sheet for multiple days of data collection, a data sheet with the field guide integrated, and a data sheet for young researchers.
What's Next?
The GLOBE U.S. Coordination Office will soon be wrapping up data sheet revisions for the other GLOBE protocols.
Thank you to the GLOBE community members that provided recommendations and feedback during the data sheet revision process!
News origin: United States of America