TRACKING WILDLIFE BY SATELLITE 49 



n=lO n=50 



1 ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i r i/iii i i r 



10 20 30 40 50 100 300 



Locations/Year 



Fig. 45. Cost-benefit analysis of satellite versus conventional VHP telemetry. Idaho mule deer example. 



rate telemetry error into statistical analyses of location, 

 concerns about using imprecise data for habitat analysis 

 may be partially alleviated. 



Other areas for future development no doubt exist. This 

 document has been prepared not only to report on the 

 current state of the art but to encourage others to consider 

 the potentials of the technology with an eye toward 

 improvement. 



Summary and Conclusions 



Satellite telemetry can circumvent many of the defi- 

 ciencies encountered with conventional telemetry. Factors 

 such as hazardous weather, darkness, international bound- 

 aries, and extensive animal movements do not hinder sat- 

 ellite telemetry systems. In addition to location informa- 

 tion, sensors within satellite-compatible transmitters can 

 monitor aspects of an animal's environment and behavior. 

 For some applications, satellite telemetry, despite high 

 initial costs, is more cost effective than conventional tel- 

 emetry. Perhaps most importantly, in areas where aerial 



location is the only alternative, satellite telemetry can 

 substantially reduce the risk of flying during the hazardous 

 conditions frequently encountered in wildlife work. 



The appropriateness of satellite telemetry depends on 

 study objectives. Advantages of satellite telemetry are 

 notable in cases where objectives require intensive data on 

 individual animals, where movement information is de- 

 sired daily, or where animals move long distances, espe- 

 cially at night or during inclement weather. Advantages 

 are minimized where objectives require modest amounts 

 of data on many individuals or where animals either move 

 only slightly or are otherwise easily tracked from the 

 ground or air. The lack of accuracy and precision of loca- 

 tions obtained from the current system limits its appli- 

 cability for habitat selection studies to those in which 

 coarse-grained definitions of habitat types are used. 



Using these techniques, we have greatly increased our 

 ability to monitor northern species, such as caribou, polar 

 bears, and muskoxen. New applications await other re- 

 searchers. Despite limitations, satellite telemetry has 

 unique potential as an operational tool for wildlife re- 

 searchers. 



