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

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216223
• Publication Date: 2019-05-09T17:33:11Z
• Authors: M. P. G. Hofman; M. W. Hayward; M. Heim; P. Marchand; C. M. Rolandsen; J. Mattisson; F. Urbano; M. Heurich; A. Mysterud; J. Melzheimer; N. Morellet; U. Voigt; B. L. Allen; B. Gehr; C. Rouco; W. Ullmann; Ø. Holand; N. H. Jørgensen; G. Steinheim; F. Cagnacci; M. Kroeschel; P. Kaczensky; B. Buuveibaatar; J. C. Payne; I. Palmegiani; K. Jerina; P. Kjellander; Ö. Johansson; S. LaPoint; R. Bayrakcismith; J. D. C. Linnell; M. Zaccaroni; M. L. S. Jorge; J. E. F. Oshima; A. Songhurst; C. Fischer; R. T. Mc Bride; J. J. Thompson; S. Streif; R. Sandfort; C. Bonenfant; M. Drouilly; M. Klapproth; D. Zinner; R. Yarnell; A. Stronza; L. Wilmott; E. Meisingset; M. Thaker; A. T. Vanak; S. Nicoloso; R. Graeber; S. Said; M. R. Boudreau; A. Devlin; R. Hoogesteijn; J. A. May-Junior; J. C. Nifong; J. Odden; H. B. Quigley; F. Tortato; D. M. Parker; A. Caso; J. Perrine; C. Tellaeche; F. Zieba; T. Zwijacz-Kozica; C. L. Appel; I. Axsom; W. T. Bean; B. Cristescu; S. Périquet; K. J. Teichman; S. Karpanty; A. Licoppe; V. Menges; K. Black; T. L. Scheppers; S. C. Schai-Braun; F. C. Azevedo; F. G. Lemos; A. Payne; L. H. Swanepoel; B. V. Weckworth; A. Berger; A. Bertassoni; G. McCulloch; P. Šustr; V. Athreya; D. Bockmuhl; J. Casaer; A. Ekori; D. Melovski; C. Richard-Hansen; D. van de Vyver; R. Reyna-Hurtado; E. Robardet; N. Selva; A. Sergiel; M. S. Farhadinia; P. Sunde; R. Portas; H. Ambarli; R. Berzins; P. M. Kappeler; G. K. Mann; L. Pyritz; C. Bissett; T. Grant; R. Steinmetz; L. Swedell; R. J. Welch; D. Armenteras; O. R. Bidder; T. M. González; A. Rosenblatt; S. Kachel; N. Balkenhol
• Keywords: SELECTION; 0106 biological sciences; data acquisition; uspeh snemanja; VDP::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480; 590; 599; 01 natural sciences; Movement ecology; animal performance; sesalci; satellite telemetry; Telemetry; R PACKAGE; Spacecraft; HABITAT; Centre for Ecological Sciences; gps; Q; R; GPS-TELEMETRY; Multidisciplinary Sciences; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; data reduction; satelitska telemetrija; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Medicine; BEHAVIOR; Research Article; Environmental Monitoring; 570; Animals; Animals, Wild; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Geographic Information Systems; Spacecraft; Telemetry; zanesljivost; wildlife; Science; Animals, Wild; GPS telemetry; 333; COLLAR PERFORMANCE; FIX SUCCESS; Settore BIO/07 - ECOLOGIA; global positioning system; LOCATION; Animals; info:eu-repo/classification/udc/630*1; Ecosystem; forests; GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM; Bio-logging; Science & Technology; questionnaires; GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM;GPS-TELEMETRY;COLLAR PERFORMANCE;FIX SUCCESS;R PACKAGE;HABITAT;BEHAVIOR;SELECTION;LOCATION;PATTERNS; wild life; Wildlife conservation; okoljski dejavniki; PATTERNS; Geographic Information Systems; temperate forests; VDP::Zoology and botany: 480; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology

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