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Mech, L. David, and Shannon M. Barber.  2002.  A critique of wildlife 
     radio-tracking and its use in national parks: a report to the 
     U.S. National Park Service.  U.S. Geological Survey, Northern 
     Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, N.D. 78 p.

This resource should be cited as:

Mech, L. David, and Shannon M. Barber.  2002.  A critique of wildlife 
     radio-tracking and its use in national parks: a report to the 
     U.S. National Park Service.  U.S. Geological Survey, Northern 
     Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, N.D.  Jamestown, 
     ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.  
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/radiotrk/index.htm 
     (Version 30DEC2002).

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Summary
• Introduction
• Research in National Parks
• Wildlife Radio Tracking
  • The Present Review
  • Overview of the Radio-tracking Technique
  • Recent Refinements in Radio-tracking
  • Potential Substitutes for Radio Tracking
  • Improvements Needed in Radio-tracking Systems
  • Prospects for Improvements to Reduce Intrusiveness of Radio-tracking
• Details of Radio-tracking Technology
  • Conventional VHF Radio-tracking
    • Transmitting Systems
      • Transmitters
      • Transmitting Frequency
      • Power Supply
      • Transmitter Protection
      • Transmitting Antennas
      • Transmitter Attachment Methods
      • Radio-Tagging Mammals
      • Radio-Tagging Birds
      • Radio-Tagging Other Animals
      • Other Uses of Transmitters in Wildlife Research
    • Receiving Systems
      • Receivers
      • Receiving Antennas
      • Mounting Antennas
      • Recorders, Counters, And Decoders
    • Tracking Methods
      • Homing
      • Triangulating
      • Automatic Tracking
  • Satellite Tracking
    • Wildlife Research Using Satellite Telemetry
    • Advantages And Disadvantages of Satellite Telemetry
    • Cost of Satellite Telemetry Systems
    • Satellite Telemetry Refinements
  • Global Location Sensing
  • Global Positioning System (GPS) Telemetry
    • The GPS System
      • Wildlife Research Using GPS Tracking
    • Data Retrieval for GPS Tracking
      • GPS Data Stored on Board
      • GPS Data Downloaded To A Portable Receiver
      • GPS Data Relayed by Satellite
      • Advantages and Disadvantages of GPS Tracking
      • Wildlife Research Using GPS Tracking
      • Cost of GPS Telemetry Systems
    • Determining Which Telemetry System To Use
      • Studies for VHF Telemetry
      • Studies for Satellite Telemetry
      • Studies for GPS Telemetry
    • Effects of Radio-tagging and Radio-tracking
      • Effects on Birds
      • Effects on Small Mammals
      • Effects on Large Mammals
      • Effects of Implanted Transmitters
• Software Useful for Managing and Analyzing Radio-tracking Data
• Technological Advances Minimizing Impacts to Animals
• Minimizing Conflict Over Wildlife Radio-Tracking In National Parks
  • Assessing the Problem
  • Educating Visitors
  • Use of Refinements
  • Funding of Refinements
• Conclusion
• Literature Cited
• Appendix A -- Radio Telemetry Equipment Suppliers
• Appendix B -- General Websites Offering Wildlife Software Packages and Links
• Appendix C -- Scientific Names
• Appendix D -- Comparative characteristics of VHF, satellite, and GPS collar telemetry

Download the entire resource in PDF format (recommended for best printable version of this resource)

* Mention of commercial manufacturers is made for convenience only. It does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government.

radiotrk.zip (434K) -- A Critique of Wildlife Radio-tracking and its Use in National Parks: A Report to the U.S. National Park Service