The r4photobiology suite: spectral irradiance

Abstract

This article describes R packages for photobiological calculations that I have developed over the last few years. The different R packages implement calculations related to handling of spectral data as used in photobiology. The main purpose of this software is to make it easier for biologists to quantify and describe the visible and ultraviolet radiation conditions used in experiments or monitored in nature, in a standardized and consistent way. In accordance with the ideas of “repeatable science†all the code is open-software and all algorithms and data used, unless original, are linked to the original sources. The code is fully commented and written using consistent naming conventions and a consistent formatting style. The packages are fully documented and include usage examples for all functions.