Exam 2

Telemetry Lab Terms and Problems

Key Terms:

• Telemetry: Tracking animals using transmitters that emit signals.
  
  

• VHF Telemetry: Very High Frequency radio signals (older, widely used).
  
  

• GPS Telemetry: Satellites record animal positions.
  
  

• Signal Bounce: When the signal reflects off objects (like cliffs, buildings) and misleads the receiver.
  
  

• Signal Attenuation: Signal weakens with distance or vegetation density.
  
  

• Triangulation: Estimating location by getting bearings from at least 2–3 different positions.
  
  

Problems:

• Terrain interference (hills, rocks block signals).
  
  

• Dense vegetation (weakens or distorts signals).
  
  

• Human error (bad bearing measurements).
  
  

• Animal movement between bearings (wrong triangulation).
  
  

• Equipment failure (dead batteries, broken antennas).
  

Animal Tracks and Gait Types

Know whether each track is:

• Digitigrade: Walking on toes. (E.g., cats, dogs)
  
  

• Plantigrade: Walking on full foot. (E.g., bears, humans, raccoons)
  
  

• Unguligrade: Walking on the tips of toes (hooves). (E.g., deer, cows)

Camera Trap Questions and Setups

Questions camera traps can answer:

• Presence/absence: Is the species there?
  
  

• Occupancy: What habitats do they use?
  
  

• Abundance/density: How many are there?
  
  

• Behavior: What are they doing? (e.g., feeding, mating, fighting)
  
  

• Activity patterns: Time of day movement.
  
  

How to set them up:

• Occupancy surveys: Systematic grid across habitats.
  
  

• Density estimation: Individual recognition is needed (e.g., two cameras per station for both sides of an animal).
  
  

• Activity monitoring: Set to record 24/7 with timestamped photos.
  
  

• Behavioral studies: Cameras near dens, watering holes, trails.

Alternatives to Camera Traps

Alternatives:

• Direct observation: Watching animals (needs more labor).
  
  

• Track surveys: Following footprints.
  
  

• Acoustic monitors: Recording calls.
  
  

• Scat surveys: Collecting feces.

Advantages of Camera Traps:

• Non-invasive.
  
  

• Continuous sampling (day and night).
  
  

• Permanent photographic records.
  
  

• Less human presence = less disturbance.

Disadvantages:

• Expensive startup cost.
  
  

• Vulnerable to theft/damage.
  
  

• False triggers (moving vegetation, rain).
  
  

• Requires data management (lots of images!).

Maslow’s Hammer

"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

• In wildlife science, it means over-relying on one method or tool rather than selecting the right tool for the job.
  
  

• Key idea: Choose methods based on the research question — not just because it's familiar or easy.
  

Primary Literature

• Primary Literature:
  
  

  • Original research articles presenting new data, methods, or findings.
    
    

  • Peer-reviewed.
    
    

  • Example: Journal of Wildlife Management research paper.
    
    

• Not Primary Literature:
  
  

  • Review articles, textbooks, popular articles (e.g., National Geographic).
    
    

Tip:
If it has methods, results, and original data ➔ it’s primary!

Choosing Camera Features for Specific Objectives

Example:

• Goal: Identify individual jaguars.
  
  

• Setup: 2 cameras per station, angled to capture both sides.
  
  

• Camera: Use white flash (better color photos) rather than infrared (black and white blurry at night).
  
  

Other features to consider:

• Trigger speed: Fast animals need quick triggers.
  
  

• Battery life: Long studies in remote areas need good batteries.
  
  

• Memory size: High activity areas need big memory cards.
  
  

Laws of Association in Wildlife Management

• Definition:
  
  

  • Patterns where species consistently associate with certain conditions or species.
    
    

  • Based on observation and experience over time (long-term empirical knowledge).
    
    

• Compared to:
  
  

  • Controlled experiments (which are newer and focus on cause-and-effect relationships).
    
    

Which is better?

• Neither is inherently better — both are important.
  
  

• Laws of association build foundational knowledge; experiments test mechanisms.
  

Genetics Quizzes and Methods

Advancements in Genetic Methods:

• eDNA sampling: Detects species from water/soil.
  
  

• Microsatellites & SNPs: Track individuals, relatedness.
  
  

• Metabarcoding: Analyzing whole communities from DNA samples.
  
  

• Genomic sequencing: Studying whole genomes.
  
  

Compared to conventional methods:

• Less invasive.
  
  

• Sometimes more cost-effective.
  
  

• Broader coverage of species (even rare/cryptic ones).
  
  

• Requires specialized lab work and analysis.
  
  

Biological Species Concept and ESUs

• Biological Species Concept:
  
  

  • Groups that interbreed naturally and produce fertile offspring.
    
    

• ESUs:
  
  

  • Distinct populations important for preserving evolutionary processes.
    
    

  • Two axes:
    
    

    • Molecular diversity (genetic distance from other populations).
      
      

    • Adaptive diversity (differences in traits due to environment).

Identifying Axis:

• If separated by ancient events ➔ Molecular.
  
  

• If showing present-day adaptations ➔ Adaptive.
  
  

Research Hypotheses and Study Types

Which are better?

• Manipulated experiments are strongest for cause-effect.
  
  

• Descriptive and natural experiments are crucial for generating hypotheses.
  
  

Identifying Study Type from a Description

• If researchers manipulate something ➔ Manipulated experiment.
  
  

• If nature causes differences and researchers observe ➔ Natural experiment.
  
  

• If just observing and recording ➔ Descriptive research.
  
  

Best Practices for Surveying Wildlife with Drones

• Fly at appropriate altitudes (low for detail).
  
  

• Fly at 90° straight down camera angles for better counts.
  
  

• Fly midday to avoid shadow distortion.
  
  

• Standardize flight patterns (e.g., lawnmower pattern).
  
  

Variables Affecting Drone Accuracy

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