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The ecological importance of the accuracy of environmental temperature measurements

Version 2 2024-06-19, 15:07
Version 1 2022-11-23, 03:41
journal contribution
posted on 2022-11-23, 03:41 authored by MN Staines, DT Booth, JO Laloë, IR Tibbetts, Graeme HaysGraeme Hays
The implications of logger accuracy and precision are rarely considered prior to their application in many ecological studies. We assessed the accuracy and precision of three temperature data loggers widely used in ecological studies (Hobo®, iButton® and TinyTag®). Accuracy was highest in TinyTags (95% of readings were within 0.23°C of the true temperature) and lowest in HOBOs and iButtons (95% of were readings within 0.43°C and 0.49°C of the true temperature, respectively). The precision (standard deviation of the repeat measurements) was greatest in TinyTags (0.04°C), followed by iButtons (0.17°C) and then HOBOs (0.22°C). As a case study, we then considered how modelled estimates of sea turtle hatchling sex ratios (derived from temperature), could vary as a function of logger accuracy. For example, at 29°C when the mean sex ratio derived was 0.47 female, the sex ratio estimate from a single logger could vary between 0.40 and 0.50 for TinyTags and 0.29 and 0.56 for both HOBOs and iButtons. Our results suggest that these temperature loggers can provide reliable descriptions of sand temperature if they are not over-interpreted. Logger accuracy must be considered in future ecological studies in which temperature thresholds are important.

History

Journal

Biology Letters

Volume

18

Article number

20220263

Pagination

1-6

Location

London, Eng.

ISSN

1744-9561

eISSN

1744-957X

Language

English

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Issue

8

Publisher

Royal Society Publishing