The program is called the Environmental-Data Automated Track Annotation (Env-DATA). In addition to collecting GPS tracking data, the program also records weather and terrain information to provide a more whole sense of the subject’s environment. The program was used by a team researching the migration habits of Galapagos Albatross, which revealed vital information, and is currently being used to monitor great egrets in North Carolina.
“This is a powerful tool for understanding how weather and land forms affect migration patterns,” explained Dr. Roland Kays, co-founder of the program and zoologist at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. “Ultimately it will help us answer global questions about how changes to our planet affect animal populations and movement.”
The data collection system is a big improvement for wildlife tracking studies. As opposed to recording the locations of various wildlife, the team can take into consideration how the animals relate to the weather and landscapes along their path. Considering all this information can also reveal interesting theories as to why animals choose the habitats and migration paths they do. For example, in the Galapagos Albatross study, the Env-DATA system showed that the birds migrate from the Galapagos Islands to the Peruvian coast. The environmental data showed that the birds migrated in a clockwise direction, taking advantage of tailwinds along the way.
In addition to providing more than just the data from GPS devices, the Env-DATA program also automatically compiles the findings. What would normally take graduate students hours to record and analyze, is now done with a simple click of a button. The program is available to the public and it’s design is simple enough for an amateur to conduct his or her own study.
Researchers Develop New GPS Data Collection Program
No comments:
Post a Comment