CHASY LOCO: low-cost measurement of GHG fluxes in tropical peatlands

GHG flux measurement techniques have been around for decades, but field measurements still rely on expensive analyzers. This may be one of the reasons for the relatively low number of GHG exchange studies from tropical peatlands compared to temperate peatlands. CHASY LOCO (chamber system low-cost) is a new device with the mission to change that. Based on Arduino and low-cost sensors for CO₂ (Senseair K30 FR) and CH₄ (Figaro TGS2611-C00), a whole chamber system should become available for less than €1,000. The first edition (built in 2025 at ZALF) contains a well-transportable transparent chamber with the dimensions of 30x30x50 cm³, so natural and drained peatlands with small vegetation can be surveyed.

In 2026, CHASY LOCO’s use cases are being tested in tropical non-forested peatlands of three countries: Starting with Rwanda and Uganda, the high percentage of drained peatlands causes potentially more than 50% of the national emissions, but so far, they are calculated based on international emission factors. Hence, as part of the project "Peat4People", GHG flux data acquired by CHASY LOCO could specify these numbers. Furthermore, there are no GHG emission data from pristine Andean peatlands in Bolivia yet, which is why CHASY LOCO will be applied there in the second half of 2026.

Here, we would like to discuss the initial results, challenges, and chances of CHASY LOCO for measuring GHG fluxes in tropical peatlands.