The Development of New Monitoring Techniques Flashcards
What is a drone?
An unmanned aerial vehicle
How are drones used in wildlife monitoring?
to track wildlife
to conduct wildlife surveys
to map vegetation
to collect biological samples
to plant trees
to study remote locations (e.g. Galapagos Islands)
Why would we use drones over more traditional techniques?
quick results
less invasive
more likely to capture natural behaviours
access remote areas
large amounts of data quickly
Are there any drawbacks to using drones?
limited battery life
loud - disturbs organisms
limited range
expensive
restriction on use
Case study: the use of drones in rhino conservation
tool for anti-poaching
uses analytics to identify poaching hotspots
drone operators can be bribed to give out sensitive information
sends clear information to hunters they’re being monitored
Why are drones more effective at wildlife monitoring than humans?
counts of populations are more accurate than those on land
digitally review counts
develop algorithms that count automatically
gathers data fast
Negatives of using drones to monitor populations
causes stress on animals - increases heart rate
approach angle has a significant impact on birds’ reactions
What is a satellite?
An artificial body placed in orbit to collect information or for communication
How are satellites used in wildlife monitoring?
high resolution images
geospatial data
wildlife migration patterns
habitat mapping
tracking endangered species using GPS collars
monitoring ice cover
measure population size
Why would we use satellites instead of more traditional techniques?
covers vast areas
fast data collection
large amounts of data collected
cost per piece of date is extremely low
Are there any drawbacks to using satellites?
high initial cost
complex programmes to process data
affected by cloud cover
Different methods of tracking animals
GPS collars and tags - transmit location to satellites at set frequencies
marine organisms only transmit locations when at surface
radio tracking - requires a receiving antenna to be in the area
Satellite tracking case study: Sea Turtles
GPS tags
aims to understand their biology and their conservations
tracks broad scale migration
establishes key foraging grounds and habitats
Satellite tracking case study: Elephants
GPS tags
looks specifically for elephants that become unnaturally mobile
aims to tackle poaching
builds knowledge of ranging behaviours
key to preserving habitats and green corridors
Environmental DNA (eDNA) databases
swab environment to find out how many organisms have been present in last few days (saliva, faeces, skin)
lowers time spent collecting data
uses DNA sequencing
cost effective
only shows present or absent in that time period
