Real Jardin Botanico de Madrid 2 articles published in JoVE Environment BtM, a Low-cost Open-source Datalogger to Estimate the Water Content of Nonvascular Cryptogams María Leo*1, Angel Lareo*2, Carlos Garcia-Saura2, Joaquín Hortal3,4, Nagore G. Medina5 1Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC-RJB), 2Grupo de Neurocomputación Biológica, Dpto. de Ingeniería Informática, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 3Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 4Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 5Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia We present a simple and cost-effective method to build an open-source datalogger that measures the conductance of nonvascular cryptogams together with the environmental temperature and humidity. We describe the hardware design of the datalogger and provide step-by-step assembly instructions, the list of required open-source logging software, the code to run the datalogger, and a calibration protocol. Biology Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Protocols for Problematic Plant, Oomycete, and Fungal Samples M. Angélica Bello1, Yolanda Ruiz-León2, J. Vladimir Sandoval-Sierra3, Svetlana Rezinciuc4, Javier Diéguez-Uribeondo3 1Biodiversity and Conservation Department, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, 2Research Support Unit, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, 3Mycology Department, Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, 4Division of Glycoscience, AlbaNova University Center, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) Problems in the processing of biological samples for scanning electron microscopy observation include cell collapse, treatment of samples from wet microenvironments and cell destruction. Low-cost and relatively rapid protocols suited for preparing challenging samples such as floral meristems, oomycete cysts, and fungi (Agaricales) are compiled and detailed here.
