Decision rules for determining terrestrial movement and the consequences for filtering high-resolution global positioning system tracks: a case study using the African lion (
            <i>Panthera leo</i>
            )

Gunner, Richard; Wilson, Rory P.; Holton, Mark D.; Hopkins, Phil; Bell, Stephen H; Marks, Nikki J.; Bennett, Nigel C.; Ferreira, Sam M.; Govender, Danny; Viljoen, Pauli; Bruns, Angela; Schalkwyk, O. Louis van; Bertelsen, Mads F.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Tambling, Craig J.; Goppert, Aoife; Diesel, Delmar; Scantlebury, David

doi:10.1098/rsif.2021.0692

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 106 publications

(161 reference statements)

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“…3a). Such checks are worth conducting when designing a sampling regime as positional accuracy will vary across different tag types, conditions, or behaviours (Gunner et al 2022). We also found that error information derived from the tag itself may not be informative (see Supplementary Material section 2).…”

Section: Effects Of Sampling Design On Gps Accuracy Precision and Dat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We also show that the further an animal moves between each burst (simulated by displacing the tags 10 or 60 meters between each burst), the larger the error. Such checks are worth conducting when designing a sampling regime as positional accuracy will vary across different tag types, conditions, or behaviours (Gunner et al . 2022).…”

Section: Social Network Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Network Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In cases where error is unavoidable, GPS tracking is perhaps best-suited to detecting extreme interactions (e.g., chases), as GPS precision is higher when tags are moving (Fig. 4-b; see also in Gunner et al 2022). Such issues aside, detecting interactions is achievable, but we encourage manual verification of inferred interactions by traditional observations (e.g., by recording individual behaviours while GPS tracking).…”

Section: Inferring Social Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3a). Such checks are worth conducting when designing a sampling regime as positional accuracy will vary across different tag types, conditions, or behaviours (Gunner et al . 2022).…”

Section: Social Network Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A guide to sampling design for GPS-based studies of animal societies

Klarevas‐Irby

Papageorgiou

et al. 2022

Preprint

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GPS-based tracking is a widely used automated data collection method for studying wild animals. Much like traditional observational methods, using GPS devices to study social animals requires making a number of decisions about sampling that can affect the robustness of a study's conclusions. For example, sampling fewer individuals per group across many distinct social groups may not be informative enough for inferring behavioural patterns at a finer social organizational scale, while sampling more individuals per group across fewer groups limits the ability to draw conclusions about populations. Here, we integrate previous insights from animal social network analysis with simulated and empirical data to provide quantitative recommendations when designing GPS-based tracking studies of animal societies. We outline the trade-offs faced by researchers, and how these trade-offs should vary across social organizational scales and social systems in relation to questions of interest, such as those defined within versus among groups, and spanning from cohesive, stable groups through to more open societies. We discuss three fundamental axes of sampling effort requiring consideration when deploying GPS devices to study animal societies: 1) Sampling coverage—the number and allocation of GPS devices among individuals in one or more social groups; 2) Sampling duration—the total amount of time over which devices collect data; 3) Sampling frequency—the temporal resolution at which GPS devices record data. Exploring each axis, we quantify the relationship between sampling effort and sampling error, giving recommendations on GPS sampling design to address research questions across social organizational scales and social systems—from group movement to social network structure and collective decision-making. In doing so, we also highlight practical limitations on deploying GPS tracking. Our study provides practical advice for empiricists to navigate their decision-making processes when designing GPS-based field studies of animal social behaviours, and highlights the importance of identifying the optimal deployment decisions for drawing informative and robust conclusions.

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Section: Effects Of Sampling Design On Gps Accuracy Precision and Dat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Network Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Network Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Inferring Social Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3a). Such checks are worth conducting when designing a sampling regime as positional accuracy will vary across different tag types, conditions, or behaviours (Gunner et al . 2022).…”

Section: Social Network Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

A guide to sampling design for GPS-based studies of animal societies

Klarevas‐Irby

Papageorgiou

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Measuring range sizes in a 100-g rodent: mini-GPS are more reliable than transmitters, but the location error reduces reliability

Makuya

Schradin

2023

Mamm Biol

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Home ranges of free-living mammals have typically been studied via radio-tracking to understand how individuals use their environment. Recently, GPS collars have become popular in large mammals. However, GPS collars are rarely used in small mammals, as they are too heavy, especially when needing coating to protect against gnawing. Here we test the efficiency of mini-GPS collars to measure range estimates compared to the use of radio-collars in a small rodent of 100 g body mass. We equipped 20 bush Karoo rats with mini-GPS loggers and thereafter with radio-transmitters to determine ranges. We validated the accuracy of the mini-GPS loggers by comparing them with the fixes from a handheld GPS and found both to be similar. We estimated range sizes using both traditional methods of Kernel and minimum convex polygon estimates as well as modern methods from movement ecology taking the location error of the mini-GPS into account. Using modern methods led to smaller range estimates, but results were in so far consistent that daily ranges for bush Karoo rats determined using mini-GPS were much larger than home range estimates from radio tracking. Using radio-tracking enabled us to establish the central shelter, while the mini-GPS revealed areas where rats had been observed foraging. We found a distinct location error and therefore suggest using modern approaches from movement ecology which can take this error into account. In sum, mini-GPS revealed more accurate estimates of the ranges than radio-tracking in a small rodent of 100 g body mass.

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Decision rules for determining terrestrial movement and the consequences for filtering high-resolution global positioning system tracks: a case study using the African lion ( Panthera leo )

Gunner

Wilson

Holton

et al. 2022

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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The combined use of global positioning system (GPS) technology and motion sensors within the discipline of movement ecology has increased over recent years. This is particularly the case for instrumented wildlife, with many studies now opting to record parameters at high (infra-second) sampling frequencies. However, the detail with which GPS loggers can elucidate fine-scale movement depends on the precision and accuracy of fixes, with accuracy being affected by signal reception. We hypothesized that animal behaviour was the main factor affecting fix inaccuracy, with inherent GPS positional noise (jitter) being most apparent during GPS fixes for non-moving locations, thereby producing disproportionate error during rest periods. A movement-verified filtering (MVF) protocol was constructed to compare GPS-derived speed data with dynamic body acceleration, to provide a computationally quick method for identifying genuine travelling movement. This method was tested on 11 free-ranging lions ( Panthera leo ) fitted with collar-mounted GPS units and tri-axial motion sensors recording at 1 and 40 Hz, respectively. The findings support the hypothesis and show that distance moved estimates were, on average, overestimated by greater than 80% prior to GPS screening. We present the conceptual and mathematical protocols for screening fix inaccuracy within high-resolution GPS datasets and demonstrate the importance that MVF has for avoiding inaccurate and biased estimates of movement.

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Decision rules for determining terrestrial movement and the consequences for filtering high-resolution global positioning system tracks: a case study using the African lion ( Panthera leo )

Cited by 7 publications

References 106 publications

A guide to sampling design for GPS-based studies of animal societies

A guide to sampling design for GPS-based studies of animal societies

Measuring range sizes in a 100-g rodent: mini-GPS are more reliable than transmitters, but the location error reduces reliability

Decision rules for determining terrestrial movement and the consequences for filtering high-resolution global positioning system tracks: a case study using the African lion ( Panthera leo )

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