Sensing biological environments with a portable radiation thermometer.
The radiation environment in which plants and animals live is described. The coupling of the organism to the radiation field and the energy budget of the organism surface are discussed. A prototype of a portable ir radiation thermometer is described. This is an exceedingly useful instrument for the measurement of surface temperatures of organisms and of the thermal radiation of the environment. Field observations of plant and animal surface temperatures are reported for diverse and unusual ecological situations. The theory of measurement of surface temperatures using a radiation thermometer is discussed.
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