Wildlife observation

Wildlife observation is the practice of noting the occurrence or abundance of a dead or living animal species at a specific location and time.[1] The process of scientific wildlife observation includes the reporting of what (diagnosis of the species), where (geographical location), when (date and time), who (details about observer), and why (reason for observation, or explanations for occurrence). This outlines the basic information needed to collect data for a wildlife observation; which can also contribute to scientific investigations of distribution, habitat relations, trends, and movement of wildlife species. One example of this type of activity is bird watching. Wildlife observation allows for the study of organisms with minimal disturbance to their ecosystem depending on the type of method or equipment used. The use of equipment such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, may disturb and cause negative impacts on wildlife.[2] Specialized equipment can be used to collect more accurate data.[3]

There are a variety of projects and websites devoted to wildlife observations. One of the most common projects are for bird observations (for example: e-bird). For those who enjoy bird watching, there are a variety of ways one can contribute to this type of wildlife observation. The National Wildlife Refuge System has volunteer opportunities, citizen science projects, and if one is limiting in time; could purchase a Federal Duck Stamp that donates money to the wildlife refuge lands[4] In the past few years, websites dedicated to reporting wildlife across broad taxonomic ranges have become available. For example, the California Roadkill Observation System provides a mechanism for citizen-scientists in California to report wildlife species killed by vehicles. The Maine Audubon Wildlife Road Watch allows reporting of observations of both dead and live animals along roads. A more recent addition to wildlife observation tools are the web sites that facilitate uploading and management of images from remote wildlife cameras. For example, the Smithsonian Institution supports the eMammal and Smithsonian Wild programs, which provide a mechanism for volunteer deployment of wildlife cameras around the world. Similarly, the Wildlife Observer Network hosts over a dozen wildlife-camera projects from around the world, providing tools and a database to manage photographs and camera networks.

Monitoring programs for wildlife utilize new and easier ways to monitor animal species for citizen scientists and research scientists alike. One such monitoring device is the automated recorder. Automated recorders are reliable way to monitor species such as bird, bats, and amphibians as they provide ability to save and independently identify a specific animal call. [5] The automated recorder analyzes the sounds of the species to identify the species and how many there are. [5] It was found that using the automated recorders produced larger quantity and even more quality data when compared with traditional, point-count data recording. [6] While providing better quality, it also provides a permanent record of the census which can be continually reviewed for any potential bias. [6] This monitoring device can improve wildlife observation and potentially save more animals. Using this device can allow for continued tracking of populations, continued censusing of individuals within a species, and allow for faster population size estimates. [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Davis, D. E. and R. L. Winstead, 1980. Estimating the numbers of wildlife populations. Pp. 221-247. In S.D. Schemnitz (editor). Wildlife Management and Techniques Manual. The Wildlife Society,Washington, D.C.
  2. ↑ Hodgson, Jarrod C.; Koh, Lian Pin (2016-05-23). "Best practice for minimising unmanned aerial vehicle disturbance to wildlife in biological field research". Current biology: CB. 26 (10): R404–405. ISSN 1879-0445. PMID 27218843. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.001.
  3. ↑ "605 FW 4, Wildlife Observation, Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  4. ↑ System, National Wildlife Refuge. "Get Involved | National Wildlife Refuge System". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  5. 1 2 3 Furnas, Brett J. (February 2015). "Using Automated Recorders and Occupancy Models to Monitor Common Forest Birds Across a Large Geographic Region". Journal of Wildlife Management. vol. 79: pp. 325–337.
  6. 1 2 Acevedo, Miguel A.and; Villanueva-Rivera, Luis J. (2006). "Using Automated Digital Recording Systems as Effective Tools for the Monitoring of Birds and Amphibians". Wildlife Society Bulletin. vol. 34(1): pp. 211–214.


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