Week 2 - Discussion

GPS has countless applications in all aspects of our lives. In conservation biology, there are also numerous applications. Recently, professionals have figured out how to use GPS for studying animal foraging or predation habits. From herbivores to carnivores, we can track their metabolism and foraging behavior with the combination of GPS and other instruments. GPS receivers are commonly attached to wildlife in present-day research and field studies. Collars on wolves, ankles on rhinos, etc. contain receivers that invoke the trilateration of 3-4 GPS satellites.

Bennison et al. (2017) used GPS tracking data in conjunction with depth recorders to measure the search behavior of Morus bassanus. Although this study focused on the search behavior, other studies let us know more specific foraging and energy habits. Deer were equipped with GPS recorders that also had sound recorders in them. The GPS movement allowed for the scientists to recognize where the deer were in relation to vegetation, and the sound allowed them to see if they were eating at the moment in time. Additionally, the GPS movement was used with spatial data of the surrounding ecosystem to calculate specific energy expenditures across their range of habitat (Campbell, 2018). Furthermore, rangeland scientists tracked the foraging behavior of grazing animals using similar methods aforementioned. The discoveries allow rangeland management to form optimal grazing habitats (Augustine and Derner, 2013). It doesn’t seem too far a stretch that we could apply this technology in researching how to optimally provide for animals in silvopasture.

On cheetahs, GPS collars with accelerometers helped figure out specific hunting behaviors. Scientists were able to figure out the minimum and maximum speed of the cheetah, and the specific movements that accounted for success in a chase. The GPS data also allowed professionals to see which type of vegetation the cheetahs utilized during a chase, and the chance of success between the types of vegetation. Interestingly they found that cheetahs could hunt in both open and dense vegetation, but open-field success was higher (Bennison et al., 2017). GPS tracking has been used in accounting for wolf migration paths. In Oregon it allowed us to track the influx of new wolf packs into the state, or old wolf packs into central Oregon. Modern GPS allows us to not only track their movement even more precisely, but also allows us to monitor their constant actions (like eating) throughout the day when combined with other modern instruments.

The uses I have covered demonstrate how even on a specific topic like eating habits, GPS provides many uses. In addition to the above, GPS collars have been equipped with anti-poaching measures. The collars are dense and resistant to snare traps that poachers might use, and the many other instruments attached allow scientists to see if an animal is in distress. Traditionally, GPS has been used to track migration patterns and broad animal movements. With the development of new technologies, we can now track animals with higher precision and knowledge. Although gyroscopes, accelerometers, GIS, and sound recorders all help refine the data, they could not do so without the invaluable technology that is GPS.

Sources

Augustine, David & Derner, Justin. (2013). Assessing Herbivore Foraging Behavior with GPS Collars in a Semiarid Grassland. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). 13. 3711-23. 10.3390/s130303711.

Bennison, A., Bearhop, S., Bodey, T. W., Votier, S. C., Grecian, W. J., Wakefield, E. D., … Jessopp, M. (2017). Search and foraging behaviors from movement data: A comparison of methods. Ecology and Evolution, 8(1), 13–24. doi:10.1002/ece3.3593

Campbell, Michael. (2018). GPS, animal tracking and conservation biology.