PAR and Sunflecks
This screen is used to view the current PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) intensity and sunflecks value. There are 24 PAR sensors positioned along the top of the CI-110 arm. The light intensity over these sensors is average together to provide the PAR value.
Sunflecks are brief periods of an increased amount of solar radiation reaching below the canopy. Sunflecks are caused by wind moving leaves in the canopy or by the sun’s movement throughout the day. The fraction of the ground covered by sunflecks can be useful to researchers when determining the amount of canopy cover. The sunfleck value can also be directly related to canopy structure characteristics.
The sunfleck value is a percentage of the PAR sensors exposed to a radiation level greater than the set threshold. The default sunfleck minimum PAR is set at 300 μmol/m2 s. Adjustments to the PAR and sunfleck calibrations can be made through the Advanced Settings tab.