The article I read is titled “Bear Trackers use GPS in Bid to Preserve the Animals.” The article follows the work of Dr. John Cox, the head of the South-Central Florida Bears Project as he addresses the issue of black bear movements or lack thereof throughout the state of Florida. As a result of increased development, the habitats of these bears have been significantly reduced. Road construction especially has chopped up the remaining habitat. The fragmented habitat limits mobility and causes the populations to become isolated, ultimately leading to inbreeding within the secluded populations. In order to analyze the animals’ movements, each bear is fitted with a GPS collar that uses cell phone technology to send a text message of the bear’s location in fifteen minute intervals. The locations are then stored in a computer database for researchers to organize and analyze. As of September 7th, fifty-five bears have been fitted with collars.
In this situation, the researchers are applying pre-existing technologies to pinpoint the exact locations of the bears. Although not necessarily a new use of information technology, the greatest advantage lies in determining the detailed movements of the bears and connecting the data to man-made obstacles that threaten their survival. With specific locations, researchers map the natural habitat and analyze areas that need to be preserved. They are not only able to identify land that should be sought for potential conservation, but also protect the health of the species as a whole. Restoring the black bear habitat will conserve the healthy genes within the population and enable their transmission to future generations by eliminating the barriers that cause isolation. Since the black bear population is declining as a result of a broken habitat, the GPS tracking devices can also function as a way to monitor the population size. By analyzing mobility, researchers can observe reproduction and male/female interaction. As the habitat conditions improve, the population will no doubt begin to increase. In addition, I believe that habitat restoration for bears will supply the necessary conditions to support other forms of wildlife.
The development and implementation of information systems in the environmental field possess great potential for in-depth research and the ability to share data across a variety of specialized fields. As the use of these GPS tracking devices continues to mature, precise data of a species in its natural habitat will supply further knowledge that can lead to a better understanding of wildlife patterns. Additionally, it may also limit removal of an animal for research purposes. Applications of these devices continue to be a great asset to wildlife research initiatives. In this case, they gather and store accurate data points that outline wildlife habitats and provide solid evidence needed to pursue lands that should be set aside, but the tracking systems could be used to gather data on behavior and population. The trackers act like a two-way communication system in that the bears are “telling” the researchers what lands to preserve. With information system technology advancing and becoming more sophisticated perhaps, in the future, it could be possible to track the pathways or migration of animal-borne diseases.
I enjoyed this article because it exemplifies the evolution of global positioning systems. The uses of these devices go beyond automobiles, aircraft, ships, etc. Using these systems with animals is great and using them to track patterns of animals is even greater. Perhaps this practice could be applied to other animal studies-maybe aquatic life or several species of birds. Depending on the study, incorporating an accelerometer (tri-axis) would seem beneficial as well by providing more data on the movement of the species and possibly lead to the discovery of sub-patterns of already discovered animal routines.
ReplyDeleteI find this article extremely interesting and uplifting. Sometimes I feel as though new technologies are solely invented to benefit humans. The use of GPS systems to track animals, however, is certainly helpful to endangered species. In today's society, the environment is suffering significantly due to man-made actions. Through the use of this tracking system, researchers can obtain information regarding wildlife patterns and hopefully start improving the living conditions for these bears specifically. This article illustrates that GPS systems can do more than navigate a driver to a destination. Hopefully, researchers will develop new ways to incorporate GPS systems to benefit the habitats of other endangered animals.
ReplyDeleteThis technology and the methods used gives great hope and optimism to endangered animals and habitats around the world. By using tracking devices as this GPS system, it could lead to figuring out the best habitats and methods to preserving animal life in a particular habitat. This article did a great job of explaining how the technology was used and expressed the optimism it provides for these endangered bears by allowing researchers and wildlife preservers to find the best way to increase the population through breeding and living in a particular habitat. It will be interesting to see if this type of tracking technology will be used in the future with other animals to help hunting preserves, wildlife preservations, and any type of endagered species.
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