|
Demonstration of Satellite/GPS Telemetry for Monitoring Fine-Scale Movements of Lesser Prairie-Chickens
Rey Farve, Project Leader
Results Of Demonstration Deployment
Calender Year 2011
As mentioned previously, we were able to capture three male LPCs on the Cimarron National Grasslands (Lek 4) and fitted them with PTTs. One bird each was captured on April 7, 13, and 29. The trapping effort was discontinued on May 9.
1. Data collected
The Solar Satellite/GPS PTTs functioned as advertised by Microwave Telemetry, Inc. The PTTs collected and stored approximately 10 GPS locations onto the device for 3 days and then uploaded the data to the Argos satellite. Argos stores the data for 9 days, so every 9th day we downloaded the GPS locations from the Argos Web site. As such, we had no real time access to location data.
The data that is downloaded from the Argos Web site is in a raw form (text file) and consist of a hodgepodge of information on: latitude, longitude, date, time, temperature, speed, battery voltage, and satellite ID. (Note: Argos provides satellite/GPS data based on the universal Greenwich Mean Time. Dates and times must be converted to local time.)
Microwave Telemetry, Inc. provides parsing software that arranges Argos data into more manageable text file folders. These parsed files can then be imported into Excel spreadsheets.
Table 3 is a spreadsheet that can be generated from the GPS location data.
| GMT1 date |
GMT time |
Central2 Date |
Central Daylight Time3 |
Latitude |
Longitude |
| 6/10/2011 |
11:00 |
6/10/2011 |
4 |
37.1275 |
-101.736 |
| 6/10/2011 |
13:00 |
6/10/2011 |
6 |
37.125 |
-101.743 |
| 6/10/2011 |
15:00 |
6/10/2011 |
8 |
37.12767 |
-101.741 |
| 6/10/2011 |
17:00 |
6/10/2011 |
10 |
37.12733 |
-101.74 |
| 6/10/2011 |
19:00 |
6/10/2011 |
12 |
37.1275 |
-101.74 |
| 6/10/2011 |
21:00 |
6/10/2011 |
14 |
37.1275 |
-101.74 |
| 6/10/2011 |
23:00 |
6/10/2011 |
16 |
37.1275 |
-101.74 |
| 6/11/2011 |
1:00 |
6/10/2011 |
18 |
37.12733 |
-101.74 |
| 6/11/2011 |
3:00 |
6/10/2011 |
20 |
37.118 |
-101.736 |
| 6/11/2011 |
5:00 |
6/10/2011 |
22 |
37.118 |
-101.736 |
| 6/11/2011 |
11:00 |
6/11/2011 |
4 |
37.1205 |
-101.733 |
| 6/11/2011 |
13:00 |
6/11/2011 |
6 |
37.12433 |
-101.732 |
| 6/11/2011 |
15:00 |
6/11/2011 |
8 |
37.12467 |
-101.738 |
| 6/11/2011 |
17:00 |
6/11/2011 |
10 |
37.1245 |
-101.738 |
| 6/11/2011 |
19:00 |
6/11/2011 |
12 |
37.12433 |
-101.738 |
| 6/11/2011 |
21:00 |
6/11/2011 |
14 |
37.12433 |
-101.738 |
| 6/11/2011 |
23:00 |
6/11/2011 |
16 |
37.1245 |
-101.738 |
| 6/12/2011 |
1:00 |
6/11/2011 |
18 |
37.1235 |
-101.727 |
| 6/12/2011 |
3:00 |
6/11/2011 |
20 |
37.12717 |
-101.737 |
| 6/12/2011 |
5:00 |
6/11/2011 |
22 |
37.12717 |
-101.737 |
| 6/12/2011 |
11:00 |
6/12/2011 |
4 |
37.12717 |
-101.738 |
| 6/12/2011 |
13:00 |
6/12/2011 |
6 |
37.1265 |
-101.737 |
| 6/12/2011 |
15:00 |
6/12/2011 |
8 |
37.12683 |
-101.737 |
| 6/12/2011 |
17:00 |
6/12/2011 |
10 |
37.12567 |
-101.739 |
| 6/12/2011 |
19:00 |
6/12/2011 |
12 |
37.12767 |
-101.738 |
| 6/12/2011 |
21:00 |
6/12/2011 |
14 |
37.12767 |
-101.738 |
| 6/12/2011 |
23:00 |
6/12/2011 |
16 |
37.12767 |
-101.738 |
| 6/13/2011 |
1:00 |
6/12/2011 |
18 |
37.12667 |
-101.736 |
| 6/13/2011 |
3:00 |
6/12/2011 |
20 |
37.12533 |
-101.734 |
| 6/13/2011 |
5:00 |
6/12/2011 |
22 |
37.1255 |
-101.734 |
| 1GMT = Greenwich Mean Time.2Central = Central Time Zone. |
| 3Time is in military (24 hr) time. |
Table 3—GPS location (latitude and longitude) by date and time of a male Lesser Prairie-Chicken (PPT # 100861) during June 10–12, 2011
As with any GPS device, on occasion a GPS fix was not made; also on a rare occasion the voltage of the solar battery became drained and the device was incapacitated until it recharged. These were very rare occurrences.
2. Recovery of PTTs
PTTs were retrieved only after they became detached from birds. We routinely monitored LPC-movement data to determine if the PTTs had not moved for a day (or two). A stationary PTT would indicate that it was no longer attached to a bird or that the bird was dead.
In mid-July 2011, we observed that one of the PTTs (#100858) was no longer moving and that its battery was drained. Andy Chappell (CNG) used a Trimble Geo XT to visit the last reported location (latitude/ longitude) and found the PTT within 20 feet of the location. No bird body parts were near the PTT. Parts of the harness were still on the PTT, and the harness appeared to be cut or chewed.
In late October 2011, we observed that another PTT (#100861) was not moving. After several searches at the last reported location of the PTT (even with the assistance of a metal detector), we failed to recover this PTT during 2011. This PTT was eventually recovered in August 2012 (see table 4)2.
So, by early November 2011, only one PTT (#100860) (of the three deployed in the previous spring) remained active. Below is a summary of the fate of PTTs in 2011.
Table 4 - Fate of PTTs during 2011
| PTT |
Date deployed |
Date transmissions stopped |
Days of deployment |
| 100858 |
not deployed |
n/a1 |
n/a |
| 100859 |
4/29/2011 |
7/18/20111 |
80 |
| 100860 |
4/13/2011 |
Still active |
2622 |
| 100861 |
4/7/2011 |
10/9/20113 |
185 |
1 PTTs 100858 and 100859 were eventually deactivated and stored for reuse in spring 2012.
2 Also see table 5
3 This PTT was presumed permanently lost during 2011 until eventually located in August 2012. |
3. LPC Movement Data
We used ArcGIS Online (free ESRI software) to plot LPC movement and to demonstrate a simple, inexpensive means of graphically presenting and sharing location data of birds.
Figure 11 shows locations/movements on the Cimarron National Grassland of each of the three male LPCs in the spring of 2011.
Figure 11 - Movements of (male) LPC's (PTT nos. 859, 860, and 861) during spring 2011 on Cimarron National Grasslands. Each point is a GPS location of the bird taken every other hour (between 0400 and 2200) of the day during spring.
See links below for the more detailed presentation of movements (locations) during spring, summer, and fall of 2011 using ArcGIS Online.
Spring 2011->
http://explorer.arcgis.com/?present=225466045cb14592bc0c
19789b424e7b
Summer 2011->
http://explorer.arcgis.com/?present=82a5fbe619154cc69a46
27950ef0f89a
Fall 2011->
http://explorer.arcgis.com/?present=e6c4de0f38644d618560
aa0e45615198
Calender Year 2012
During 2012, the team continued the second year of the demonstration deployment. Prior to spring 2012, SDTDC purchased two additional PTTs for the demonstration. Also, Chaparral Oil Company donated funds that enabled us to purchase two additional PTTs for the demonstration.
During April to May 2012, we were able to capture and attach PTTs to four male LPCs. The bird with PTT 100860 (attached in April 2011) was still alive and continued to transmit data during FY 2012. Throughout 2012, the PTTs collected data and perform as they had the previous year (see table 5).
Table 5 - Fate of PTTs from April 2012 to Oct 1, 2012.
| PTT |
Date deployed |
Date transmissions stopped |
Days of deployment (as of 10/1/2012) |
| 100858 |
4/3/2012 |
--- |
181 |
| 100859 |
4/4/2012 |
4/29/2012
(found: 6/5/2012) |
25 |
| 100860 |
4/13/20111 |
--- |
5372 |
| 100861 |
not deployed |
n/a |
n/a |
| 100862 |
4/7/2012 |
---- |
177 |
| 100863 |
not deployed |
n/a |
n/a |
| 112784 |
not deployed |
n/a |
n/a |
| 112785 |
4/5/2012 |
--- |
179 |
1Note: PTT #100860 was deployed in 2011.
2Total days, including days during 2011. |
Beginning Oct. 1, 2012 (start of FY 2013), SDTDC turned all aspects of the project over to the Cimarron National Grasslands for their continued funding and management.
2It should be noted that during the course of this demonstration deployment, all PTTs were
recovered; all were eventually found within 20–30 feet of their last reported locations.
|
