Linking Technology and Wildlife Conservation: Applications for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The goal of this project is to integrate expertise across two degree programs on campus, Wildlife Science and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), to develop a research program focused on applying technological solutions to problems in wildlife conservation. UAS can aid wildlife biologists in a variety of ways, for example, they can be used to track animals over long distances, deploy remote sensing technology to characterize wildlife habitats, and for security purposes to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking. We propose four pilot studies to provide familiarity with these applications. First, we will use Telonics GPS and Iridium satellite collars to track the movements of cattle on a local ranch, which will allow us to practice GPS tracking techniques. In return for providing cattle for the first study, we will use UAS to monitor the integrity of fencelines on the ranch, which has practical applications for rangeland management. Third, we will use multispectral cameras to characterize forest habitat at the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve, which is a 126 acre forest restoration in the heart of Prescott. Finally, we will use UAS to monitor waterfowl populations at the Willow/ Watson Lakes Important Bird Area. We received funding in support of this research from EPI-USE, Inc. in March 2019 and plan to begin these projects during the Fall 2019 semester. POSTER PRESENTATIO