Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Instrument Handbook
Three photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurement instruments were deployed at the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility’s Bankhead National Forest (BNF) observatory, installed on three different instrument towers within the forest. Each of the three instruments comprises an enclosure at the base of the tower, containing a datalogger and internal humidity sensor, connected to external PAR sensors mounted at various heights and vertical orientations on the same tower. PAR sensors measure radiation reaching the sensor with wavelengths from 400-700 nm, per unit area, per unit time, or the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD, µmol photons m -2 s -1 ). On the 43-meter tower of BNF supplemental site S10, sensors are located 43 m, 22 m, 10 m, and 5 m from ground level. Downwelling radiation is measured with upward-facing sensors at all heights, and upwelling radiation is measured with downward-facing sensors at 43 m and 5 m. On the two 10-m towers of BNF supplemental sites S13 and S14, upwelling radiation is measured at 8 m and 2 m, and downwelling radiation is measured at 8 m.