FairCarboN
Calls & Recruitments
International mobility call
Mobilities 2026
Abdoul MBaye : Sapflow TTD-Process

Abdoul MBaye: Sapflow TTD-Process: Finalisation of the sap flow data processing software

Finalisation of software for processing tree sap flow data obtained using the transient thermal dissipation (TTD) method, utilising big data and artificial intelligence techniques

Abdoul MBaye

 

  • Engineer (fixed-term contract) / Responsible for implementing and optimising the processing of sap flow data at the FaidherbiaFlux Observatory site in Niakhar, Senegal, which contributes to two FairCarbon projects (RIFT and SLAM-B) and an EU-African Union ‘Galileo’ project.
  •  3 month : 03/30 au 06/30/2026
  • Affiliation: International Joint Laboratory; Ecological Intensification of Soils and Agroecosystems in West Africa (IESOL) and the École Supérieure Polytechnique of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (Department of Mathematics and Computer Science)
  • Destination: Joint Research Unit for Functional Ecology and Soil and Agroecosystem Biogeochemistry (Eco&Sols)
  • Links with FairCarboN: Area 2: Coupling of biogeochemical cycles / Projects: SLAM-B, RIFT 

 

Abdoul Mbaye

Summary of the mission

Sapflow TTD-Process

Finalisation of software for processing tree sap flow data obtained using the transient thermal dissipation (TTD) method, utilising big data and artificial intelligence techniques

Thermodynamic measurement of sap flow is the key method for quantifying tree transpiration at the individual tree level. This transpiration is a major component of the water balance in agroforestry systems. Its relationship with potential transpiration is an indicator of stomatal regulation and the level of stress, which affects carbon assimilation, growth and the survival of trees. 
The project aims to finalise the TTD-Process software for the standardised processing of sap flow data measured continuously using the transient thermal dissipation (TTD) method on a sample of trees at the Faidherbia Flux site of the Niakhar Population, Health and Environment Observatory in Senegal. The TTD method (Do et al. 2002, 2011) is a further development of Granier’s method (1985); its advantages include being less sensitive to natural temperature gradients, being more energy-efficient, and being capable of operating with a simple needle-type sensor. The new software will incorporate a proven empirical solution and an innovative physical solution based on periodic signal processing (De Sousa et al. 2020). Data cleansing and data completeness will be based on the most appropriate big data and AI approaches. 

This mobility programme will enable closer supervision by F. Do, the method’s developer, and interaction with laboratories in Montpellier specialising in thermal engineering, signal processing and AI. It will also enable participation in the CORDIALL (Convergence of Research in Digital Agriculture Leading Labs) conference, scheduled for 14–17 April 2025 in Montpellier, to which an abstract has been submitted. The availability of standardised, open-source software on the internet should make it easier for the French community – and beyond – to use the TTD method and develop it further.

 

Keywords: Senegal, Niakhar, Instrumented site, carbon-water coupling, sap flux metrology, computing, AI

Modification date: 30 July 2026 | Publication date: 11 December 2025 | By: Abdoul MBaye