Camera Trapping at Long Point National Wildlife Area & Exploring Practical Applications of GIS
Faculty
Faculty of Social Science
Supervisor Name
Dr. Jed Long
Keywords
Camera trap, deer, coyote, viewshed, wildlife tracking
Description
Through the USRI program, I engaged in varying research topics that involve the use of GIS to better understand the behaviour and movement of wildlife. I explored these concepts through hands-on work in the field, and by learning new GIS techniques and programs to expand the range of my analysis abilities. Early in the program, I participated in a period of field work where camera traps were used to study coyote and deer populations. Camera trapping is an effective method of remote data capture and will serve to provide an accurate outline of the population conditions with minimal human intervention. Further, I used GIS methods to perform analysis on the visibility of hikers to deer, providing insight to the impact of human presence on wildlife behaviour. In addition, I applied a GIS-based visualization software to study the interactions of wild pigs (or lack thereof). Through each project, I expanded my knowledge of GIS techniques and the varying ways in which they can be applied.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Dr. Jed Long for his guidance throughout my placement, and to Western University and the USRI program for allowing me the chance to engage in this research opportunity.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Document Type
Poster
Camera Trapping at Long Point National Wildlife Area & Exploring Practical Applications of GIS
Through the USRI program, I engaged in varying research topics that involve the use of GIS to better understand the behaviour and movement of wildlife. I explored these concepts through hands-on work in the field, and by learning new GIS techniques and programs to expand the range of my analysis abilities. Early in the program, I participated in a period of field work where camera traps were used to study coyote and deer populations. Camera trapping is an effective method of remote data capture and will serve to provide an accurate outline of the population conditions with minimal human intervention. Further, I used GIS methods to perform analysis on the visibility of hikers to deer, providing insight to the impact of human presence on wildlife behaviour. In addition, I applied a GIS-based visualization software to study the interactions of wild pigs (or lack thereof). Through each project, I expanded my knowledge of GIS techniques and the varying ways in which they can be applied.