A Critique of Wildlife Radio-tracking
and its Use in National Parks
Appendix D
| Comparative Characteristics of VHF, Satellite, and GPS Collar Telemetry1. | |||
| Characteristics | VHF | Satellite | GPS Collar |
| Collar Weight2 | 560 g | 520 g | 830-920 g |
| Initial investment per collar | $300 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Cost per 100 locations | high | medium | low |
| Data retrieval potential | high | high | low to high depending on likelihood of dispersal |
| Accuracy | medium to high depending on effort | (± 500 m) | high; usually accurate to 20 m |
| Longevity | ≤6 | 1-12 month depending on interval between location attempts | 3 week - 10 month depending on interval between location attempts |
| Interference from weather | high (aerial telemetry) | none | none |
| Interference from habitat | low | high | high |
| Interference from topography | medium | high | high |
| Intrusiveness after collaring | high | none | none to high3 |
|
1 Adapted from Merrill (2002); 2 Collar weight varies by species and collar manufacturer; weights given are for wolves; 3 Depends on frequency of data downloading. |
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