An autonomous GPS geofence alert system to curtail avian fatalities at wind farms

Abstract

Background: Wind energy developments are increasingly proliferating as nations seek to secure clean and renewable energy supplies. Wind farms have serious impacts on avifauna populations through injuries sustained by collisions with turbines. Our aim was to develop new biotelemetric technologies to minimize collision risks, particularly for threatened and endangered bird species whose ranges overlap with current and future wind farm sites. Results:We report on the development and application of an autonomous alert system that successfully miniaturizes and integrates virtual geofence capability into solar-powered biotelemetry devices used to track species of large birds currently impacted by wind farms, such as cranes and raptors. These units combine a GPS receiver with a GSM communications system that transmits acquired high-resolution location data via cellular networks in near real-time. Custom sized geofences can be placed around wind farms. When a telemetered bird ingresses one of these virtual boundaries the GPS location fix rate decreases from 15-min to 30 s and an SMS alert is automatically transmitted to a user group within 2-min. When the bird egresses the geofence zone, a second alert is sent and the fix rate returns to 15-min to conserve transmitter energy and data acquisition costs. Conclusions:Combining GPS level accuracy, a high fix sampling rate, location data received in near real-time, and automated SMS alerts into an integrated, flexible and cost-effective geofence biotelemetry system will provide conservation managers and wind farm operators with sufficient warning and time to implement mitigative actions to curtail avian collision fatalities.

Lions at the Gates: Trans-disciplinary Design of an Early Warning System to Improve Human-Lion Coexistence

“…Beyond the mere tracking of fauna, innovative integrations of geofences (i.e., virtual boundaries that can trigger alerts when transgressed), automated data processing, and modern communication networks offer opportunities for use of wildlife tracking technology in various conservation contexts (Wall et al, 2014). For example, geofence applications can be designed to reduce human-induced wildlife mortalities (e.g., Sheppard et al, 2015). Dynamic geofencing can improve human safety by integrating near real-time processing of situational awareness, i.e., the continuous evaluation of relative risk (Zimbelman et al, 2017).…”

Accuracy of WAAS-Enabled GPS-RF Warning Signals When Crossing a Terrestrial Geofence

“…Geofences coupled with GNSS tracking have been deployed in remote monitoring of sites for security purposes, tracking patients with Alzheimer’s disease, wildlife encroachment onto farmland, alerting guards to the escape of prisoners, ensuring children stay in safe areas, creating security boundaries for wireless signals, transportation management, and tagging animals covering large ranges in remote locations [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. New uses of geofences in wildlife management are developing [ 7 , 8 ]. An emerging application area for global position system (GPS) tracking is forestry, where multi transmitter GPS systems may be useful for logging safety, boundary and silvicultural marking, controlling herbicide applications, and production and cost tracking [ 9 ].…”

Evaluating Contributions of Recent Tracking-Based Animal Movement Ecology to Conservation Management

“…Human-wildlife conflict issues also have been addressed with real-time alerts generated by tracking technologies commonly used in movement ecology. For example, alerts were created when California condors (Sheppard et al, 2015) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana; Wall et al, 2014) were near to human-driven threats (wind turbines and subsistence farms, respectively). These alerts can lead to actions to reduce risk (by shutting down wind turbines) or to change the animal's trajectory (aversive conditioning to keep the elephant out of a farm).…”

“…This may be because of ethical concerns associated with tracking rare species (Cooke et al, 2017). However, that is not a universal sentiment and, in some countries rare species may be preferentially tracked [e.g., California condor Gymnogyps californianus (Sheppard et al, 2015) and gray wolf Canis lupus (Bergman et al, 2006) in North America]. Therefore, the goal of this review is to evaluate the realized contribution to conservation science of terrestrial (i.e.…”