Highlands Biological Station
Research Data
Welcome to the Highlands Biological Station’s Research Data page. As both a research laboratory and a repository for southern Appalachian biodiversity, HBS supports and promotes open, collaborative science. Researchers working at the Station are encouraged to follow our Data Management Policy, which includes sharing data in a timely and accessible way. Explore the links below to view research data connected to HBS projects and studies.
Data Sets
Near-Real Time Environmental Sensor Data
Live climate and water quality monitoring at HBS
Explore current data from a suite of environmental sensors deployed at the Highlands Biological Station, including a state-of-the-art Campbell Scientific weather station, soil moisture monitors, and a YSI EXO3 water quality sonde. These instruments track parameters like temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and water quality in near-real time.
Aquatic Fauna Surveys: Peeks Creek & Reference Streams
Long-term fish and crayfish monitoring in Macon County
Following a catastrophic debris flow in 2004, researchers conducted electrofishing surveys in Peeks Creek and six reference streams to monitor the recovery of aquatic communities. Data from 2005–2014, 2019, and 2022 are archived through the Environmental Data Initiative (EDI).
MAPS Bird Banding Station at HBS
Since 2020, the Highlands Biological Station has hosted a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) station in partnership with the Blue Ridge Bird Observatory. Banding efforts help assess avian demographics during the breeding season. Annual summaries are available, and full data access is available by request.
Stream Temperature Monitoring in Mountain Watersheds
Climate and land use impacts on stream ecosystems
This project monitors stream temperatures in nine headwater streams in the upper Little Tennessee and Chattooga River watersheds. Initiated in 2020, the data help evaluate how riparian changes and climate shifts affect aquatic environments. Data are updated annually and archived through EDI.
Databases
Air Quality Monitoring
Real-time air quality data at HBS
In collaboration with Clean Air Carolina, Highlands Biological Station hosts a PurpleAir PA-II-SD air quality sensor located outside the Coker Laboratory. This sensor measures real-time levels of particulate matter (PM2.5), offering insight into local air quality conditions.
Herbarium Specimens Database
Digitized plant collections from Highlands and beyond
The HBS Herbarium contains approximately 3,000 pressed plant specimens, including some dating back to the 1880s. These specimens have been digitized and made available through the Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC), where users can search by species, collector, location, and more.
Historical & Automated Climate Data
Decades of weather and climate data from Highlands
Highlands Biological Station has been collecting weather data since 1961, beginning as the official U.S. Weather Bureau station for the town. Climate monitoring has continued through multiple generations of instruments, including our current Campbell Scientific climate station.
View annual summaries and explore decades of climate data, including temperature extremes and precipitation records.