GPS wildlife tracking
Encyclopedia
GPS wildlife tracking is a process whereby biologists, scientific researchers or conservation agencies can remotely observe relatively fine-scale movement or migratory patterns in a free-ranging wild animal using the Global Positioning System
and optional environmental sensors or automated data-retrieval technologies such as Argos
satellite uplink, mobile data telephony
or GPRS and a range of analytical software tools.
A GPS-enabled device will normally record and store location data at a pre-determined interval or on interrupt
by an environmental sensor. These data may be stored pending recovery of the device or relayed to a central data store or internet-connected computer using an embedded cellular
(GPRS), radio
, or satellite
modem. The animal's location can then be plotted against a map or chart in near real-time or, when analysing the track later, using a GIS package or custom software.
While GPS tracking devices may also be attached to domestic animals such as pets
, pedigree
livestock
and working dogs, and similar systems are used in fleet management
of vehicles, wildlife tracking can place additional constraints on size and weight and may not allow for post-deployment recharging or replacement of batteries
or correction of attachment.
As well as allowing in-depth study of animal behaviour and migration, the high-resolution tracks available from a GPS-enabled system can potentially allow for tighter control of animal-borne communicable diseases
such as the H5N1
strain of avian influenza.
, where the foot is much larger than the ankle.
Large, long-necked, birds such as the Greylag Goose
(Anser anser) may also need to be fitted with a harness to prevent removal of the tag by the subject.
In the case of birds, the GPS unit must be very lightweight to avoid interfering with the bird's ability to fly or swim. The device is usually attached by gluing or, for short deployments, taping to the bird. The unit will then naturally fall off when the bird next moults.
In the case of reptiles such as crocodiles and turtles, gluing the unit onto the animal's skin or carapace
using epoxy
(or similar material) is the most common method and minimises discomfort.
In deployments on marine mammals such as phocids or otariids, the device would be glued to the fur and fall off during the annual moult
. Units used with turtles or marine animals have to resist the corrosive effects of sea water and be waterproof to pressures of up to 200bar.
tracking, for which a hole may be drilled in the animal's horn and a device implanted. Compared to other methods, implanted transmitters may suffer from a reduced range as the large mass of the animal's body can absorb some transmitted power.
Scheduling - GPS devices typically record data about the animal's exact location and store readings at pre-set intervals known as duty-cycles.
By setting the interval between readings, the researcher is able to determine the lifespan of the device - very frequent readings drain battery power more rapidly, whereas longer intervals between readings might provide lower resolution but over a longer deployment.
Release Timers - Some devices can be programmed to drop off at a set time/date rather than requiring recapture and manually retrieval. Some may also be fitted with a low-power radio receiver allowing a remote signal to trigger the automatic release.
or plotted and prepared for display on the World Wide Web using packages such as Generic Mapping Tools (GMT)
or Maptool.
Statistical software such as R
can be used to display and examine data and may reveal behavioural patterns or trends.
, a scientific satellite system which has been in use since 1978. Users can download their data directly from Argos via telnet
and process the raw data to extract their transmitted information.
Where satellite uplink fails due to antenna damage, it may be possible to intercept the underpowered transmission locally using a satellite uplink receiver.
messages or internet protocols over a GPRS session.
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
and optional environmental sensors or automated data-retrieval technologies such as Argos
Argos System
Argos is a satellite-based system which collects, processes and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect...
satellite uplink, mobile data telephony
Circuit Switched Data
Circuit Switched Data is the original form of data transmission developed for the time division multiple access -based mobile phone systems like Global System for Mobile Communications...
or GPRS and a range of analytical software tools.
A GPS-enabled device will normally record and store location data at a pre-determined interval or on interrupt
Interrupt
In computing, an interrupt is an asynchronous signal indicating the need for attention or a synchronous event in software indicating the need for a change in execution....
by an environmental sensor. These data may be stored pending recovery of the device or relayed to a central data store or internet-connected computer using an embedded cellular
Cellular network
A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area...
(GPRS), radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, or satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
modem. The animal's location can then be plotted against a map or chart in near real-time or, when analysing the track later, using a GIS package or custom software.
While GPS tracking devices may also be attached to domestic animals such as pets
PETS
PETS may be an acronym for:* Pet Travel Scheme, which allows animals to travel internationally without quarantine* Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act...
, pedigree
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and working dogs, and similar systems are used in fleet management
Fleet management
Fleet management is the management of a company's vehicle fleet.Fleet management includes commercial motor vehicles such as cars, vans and trucks. Fleet management can include a range of functions, such as vehicle financing, vehicle maintenance, vehicle telematics , driver management, speed...
of vehicles, wildlife tracking can place additional constraints on size and weight and may not allow for post-deployment recharging or replacement of batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
or correction of attachment.
As well as allowing in-depth study of animal behaviour and migration, the high-resolution tracks available from a GPS-enabled system can potentially allow for tighter control of animal-borne communicable diseases
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
such as the H5N1
H5N1
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species...
strain of avian influenza.
Collar attachment
Collar attachment is the primary attachment technique where the subject has a suitable body type and behaviour. Collars would normally be used on the animal's neck (assuming the head has a larger circumference than the neck) but also on a limb, perhaps around an ankle. Suitable animals for neck attachment would include primates, large cats, some bears etc. Limb attachment would work well in animals such as KiwiKiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
, where the foot is much larger than the ankle.
Harness attachment
Harness attachments may used in situations where collar attachment is not suitable, such as animals neck diameter may exceed that of the head. Examples of this type of animal may include pigs, Tasmanian Devils, etc.Large, long-necked, birds such as the Greylag Goose
Greylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
(Anser anser) may also need to be fitted with a harness to prevent removal of the tag by the subject.
Direct attachment
Direct attachment is used on animals where a collar cannot be used, such as birds, reptiles and marine mammals.In the case of birds, the GPS unit must be very lightweight to avoid interfering with the bird's ability to fly or swim. The device is usually attached by gluing or, for short deployments, taping to the bird. The unit will then naturally fall off when the bird next moults.
In the case of reptiles such as crocodiles and turtles, gluing the unit onto the animal's skin or carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
using epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
(or similar material) is the most common method and minimises discomfort.
In deployments on marine mammals such as phocids or otariids, the device would be glued to the fur and fall off during the annual moult
Moult
In biology, moulting or molting , also known as sloughing, shedding, or for some species, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body , either at specific times of year, or at specific points in its life cycle.Moulting can involve the epidermis , pelage...
. Units used with turtles or marine animals have to resist the corrosive effects of sea water and be waterproof to pressures of up to 200bar.
Other attachment methods
Other applications include RhinocerosRhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
tracking, for which a hole may be drilled in the animal's horn and a device implanted. Compared to other methods, implanted transmitters may suffer from a reduced range as the large mass of the animal's body can absorb some transmitted power.
Embedded
Duty CycleDuty cycle
In engineering, the duty cycle of a machine or system is the time that it spends in an active state as a fraction of the total time under consideration....
Scheduling - GPS devices typically record data about the animal's exact location and store readings at pre-set intervals known as duty-cycles.
By setting the interval between readings, the researcher is able to determine the lifespan of the device - very frequent readings drain battery power more rapidly, whereas longer intervals between readings might provide lower resolution but over a longer deployment.
Release Timers - Some devices can be programmed to drop off at a set time/date rather than requiring recapture and manually retrieval. Some may also be fitted with a low-power radio receiver allowing a remote signal to trigger the automatic release.
Analytical
Locational data provided by GPS devices can be displayed using GIS packages such as the open-source GRASSGRASS GIS
GRASS GIS is a free, open source geographical information system capable of handling raster, topological vector, image processing, and graphic data....
or plotted and prepared for display on the World Wide Web using packages such as Generic Mapping Tools (GMT)
Generic Mapping Tools
The Generic Mapping Tools are an open-source collection of computer software tools for processing and displaying xy and xyz datasets, including rasterisation, filtering and other image processing operations, and various kinds of map projections...
or Maptool.
Statistical software such as R
R (programming language)
R is a programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. The R language is widely used among statisticians for developing statistical software, and R is widely used for statistical software development and data analysis....
can be used to display and examine data and may reveal behavioural patterns or trends.
Argos
GPS tracking devices have been linked to an Argos Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) enabling them to transmit data via the Argos SystemArgos System
Argos is a satellite-based system which collects, processes and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect...
, a scientific satellite system which has been in use since 1978. Users can download their data directly from Argos via telnet
TELNET
Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
and process the raw data to extract their transmitted information.
Where satellite uplink fails due to antenna damage, it may be possible to intercept the underpowered transmission locally using a satellite uplink receiver.
GSM
GPS location data can be transmitted via the GSM mobile/cell phone network, using SMSSMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
messages or internet protocols over a GPRS session.
UHF/VHF
GPS data may be transmitted via short-range radio signals and decoded using a custom receiver.See also
- Argos SystemArgos SystemArgos is a satellite-based system which collects, processes and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect...
- Automatic Position Reporting SystemAutomatic Position Reporting SystemAutomatic Packet Reporting System is an amateur radio-based system for real time tactical digital communications of information of immediate value in the local area. In addition, all such data is ingested into the APRS Internet system and distributed globally for ubiquitous and immediate access...
- Electronic taggingElectronic taggingElectronic tagging is a form of non-surreptitious surveillance consisting of an electronic device attached to a person or vehicle, especially certain criminals, allowing their whereabouts to be monitored. In general, devices locate themselves using GPS and report their position back to a control...
- Geographic Information SystemGeographic Information SystemA geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
- SurveillanceSurveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
- TelematicsTelematicsTelematics typically is any integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, also known as ICT...
- TelemetryTelemetryTelemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...