Xylem-to-soil potential of 50–200 mV
Peer reviewed
Validation
How we are testing the claim
The existence of the potential is established in peer-reviewed literature. Its quantitative relationship to fuel moisture is not, and we do not present it as though it were. This page sets out the programme that will settle it.
Programme
Four steps, in this order
Control experiments Bench and plot work that separates a plant signal from an electrode effect, using identical electrodes, dead-wood controls and soil-only controls.
Pre-registered protocol A protocol registered in advance with an independent academic partner, including the pass criteria, before any field data is collected.
Field deployment Instrumented stands with paired reference sampling on a fixed schedule, across more than one species and more than one season.
Publication Release of the interim analysis, whatever it shows, with the raw series available to the reviewing partner.
Method
What is measured against what
| Sensor reading | Reference method | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Xylem-to-soil potential | Gravimetric fuel moisture, oven-dried samples | Reference weekly, sensor continuous |
| Xylem-to-soil potential | Stem water potential, pressure chamber | Reference weekly, midday |
| Node-local conditions | Co-sited temperature and humidity logger | Continuous |
| Node-local conditions | Nearest official weather station record | Hourly |
Status
Claim by claim, where the evidence stands
Under-canopy conditions differ from open-clearing weather readings
Peer reviewed
Correlation of the signal with fuel moisture
In evaluation
Multi-season electrode stability
In evaluation
Maintenance-free multi-year operation
Target
Research partners
We are looking for an independent group to hold the protocol and review the analysis. If your work touches plant electrophysiology, fuel moisture or in-situ sensing, we would like to hear from you.