Zeitschriftenaufsatz | 2019 Open Access

Right on track? Performance of satellite telemetry in terrestrial wildlife research

Autor:in

Hofman, M. P. G.; Hayward, Matt; Heim, Morten; Marchand, Pascal; Rolandsen, Ch. M.; Mattisson, Jenny; URBANO, F; Heurich, Marco; Mysterud, Atle; Melzheimer, J.; Morellet, Nicolas; Voigt, Ulrich; Allen, Benjamin; Gehr, Benedikt; Rouco, Carlos; Ullmann, Wiebke; Holand, O.; Jørgensen, Nicolai; Steinheim, G.; Cagnacci, Francesca; Kroeschel, Max; Kaczensky, Petra; Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar; Payne, John; Palmegiani, Ivan; Jerina, K.; Kjellander, Petter; Johansson, O.; LaPoint, Scott; Bayrakcismith, Rana; Linnell, John; Zaccaroni, Marco; Jorge, Maria; de Faria E. F. Oshima, Júlia; Songhurst, Anna C.; Fischer, C.; McBride, R. T.; Thompson, Jeffrey; Streif, Simon; Sandfort, Robin; Bonenfant, Christophe; Drouilly, Marine; Klapproth, M.; Zinner, Dietmar; Yarnell, Richard; Stronza, Amanda; Wilmott, L.; Meisingset, Erling L.; Thaker, Maria; Vanak, Abi; Nicoloso, Sandro; Graeber, R.; Said, S.; Boudreau, M. R.; Devlin, Allison Loretta; Hoogesteijn, Rafael; May-Junior, Joares; Nifong, James; Odden, John; Quigley, Howard; Tortato, Fernando Rodrigo; Parker, Daniel; Arranz Caso, Alberto; Perrine, J.; Tellaeche, C.; Zieba, Filip; Zwijacz-Kozica, T.; Appel, Cara; Axsom; Bean, William; Cristescu, Bogdan; Périquet-Pearce, Stéphanie; Teichman, Kristine J.; Karpanty, Sarah M.; Licoppe, A.; Menges; Black, K.; Scheppers, Thomas; Schai-Braun, Stéphanie; Azevedo, Fernanda; Lemos, Frederico; Payne, A; Swanepoel, L; Weckworth, Byron; Berger, Anne; Bertassoni, Alessandra; McCulloch, Graham P.; Šustr, Pavel; Athreya; Bockmuehl, Dirk P.; casaer, jim; Ekori, A.; Melovski, Dime; Richard-Hansen, Cecile; van de Vyver, D. B.; Reyna-Hurtado, Rafael; Robardet, Emmanuelle; Selva, Nuria; Sergiel, Agnieszka; Farhadinia, Mohammad; Sunde, Peter; Portas, R.; Ambarlı, Hüseyin; Berzins, Rachel; Kappeler, Peter; Mann, Gareth; Pyritz, Lennart; Bissett, Charlene; Grant, T.; Steinmetz, Robert; Swedell, Larissa; Welch, Rebecca; Armenteras, Dolors; Bidder, Owen; González, Tania; Rosenblatt, Andrew; Kachel, Shannon; Balkenhol, Niko

Publikationen als Autor:in / Herausgeber:in der Vetmeduni

Kaczensky, Petra

Journal

PLoS One

Schlagwörter

Animals; Animals, Wildphysiology; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Geographic Information Systems; Spacecraft; Telemetry

Dokumententyp

Originalarbeit

CC Lizenz

CC 0

Open Access Type

Gold

ISSN/eISSN

1932-6203 -

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0216223

WoS ID

WOS:000467552100032

PubMed ID

MEDLINE:31071155

Weitere Details

Band

Nummer

Seitenanzahl

Satellite telemetry is an increasingly utilized technology in wildlife research, and current devices can track individual animal movements at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. However, as we enter the golden age of satellite telemetry, we need an in-depth understanding of the main technological, species-specific and environmental factors that determine the success and failure of satellite tracking devices across species and habitats. Here, we assess the relative influence of such factors on the ability of satellite telemetry units to provide the expected amount and quality of data by analyzing data from over 3,000 devices deployed on 62 terrestrial species in 167 projects worldwide. We evaluate the success rate in obtaining GPS fixes as well as in transferring these fixes to the user and we evaluate failure rates. Average fix success and data transfer rates were high and were generally better predicted by species and unit characteristics, while environmental characteristics influenced the variability of performance. However, 48% of the unit deployments ended prematurely, half of them due to technical failure. Nonetheless, this study shows that the performance of satellite telemetry applications has shown improvements over time, and based on our findings, we provide further recommendations for both users and manufacturers. Satellite telemetry is an increasingly utilized technology in wildlife research, and current devices can track individual animal movements at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. However, as we enter the golden age of satellite telemetry, we need an in-depth understanding of the main technological, species-specific and environmental factors that determine the success and failure of satellite tracking devices across species and habitats. Here, we assess the relative influence of such factors on the ability of satellite telemetry units to provide the expected amount and quality of data by analyzing data from over 3,000 devices deployed on 62 terrestrial species in 167 projects worldwide. We evaluate the success rate in obtaining GPS fixes as well as in transferring these fixes to the user and we evaluate failure rates. Average fix success and data transfer rates were high and were generally better predicted by species and unit characteristics, while environmental characteristics influenced the variability of performance. However, 48% of the unit deployments ended prematurely, half of them due to technical failure. Nonetheless, this study shows that the performance of satellite telemetry applications has shown improvements over time, and based on our findings, we provide further recommendations for both users and manufacturers.