Demonstration of ground-penetrating radar as a useful tool for assessing pocket gopher burrows

Abstract

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an innovative and non-invasive method that uses radar to penetrate the ground and develop three-dimensional digital images of the top several meters of the earth. Ground-penetrating radar has been used extensively in the fields of engineering, military science, forensic science, archaeology, and environmental remediation, but has received little attention by wildlife professionals. We demonstrated a possible application of GPR for wildlife studies for mapping burrow systems using maritime pocket gophers (Geomys personatus maritimus), a subspecies of concern as listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ground-penetrating radar surveys were conducted at Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi on five 15-m  15-m areas with >200 above-ground gopher mounds/ha during July 2007. Survey areas were scanned with a Geophysical Survey Systems Inc. SIR-3000, GPR digital control unit and a 900-MHz ground-coupled antenna. Within the 5 areas, we located 8 gophers and mapped 267 m of tunnels that had an average depth of 0.6 m. We were able to differentiate deteriorating or abandoned tunnels from active tunnels, detect an underground pipeline, and distinguish changes in soil texture using GPR. Ground-penetrating radar is a non-destructive and non-invasive method to gain knowledge of fossorial animal movements and potential destabilization of soil integrity. Ó 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Wildlife crime: The application of forensic geoscience to assist with criminal investigations

“…Although every case study will be unique as discussed by others (see [30][31]), the research presented here has important implications for the use of geoscience techniques to assist forensic practitioners with wildlife crime investigations as [29] [32][33][34]37]), with others showing both similar frequencies [37] and up to 900 MHz frequency antenna to be deployed [41], but here, the combination of the two different techniques also importantly allowed the quantification of the spatial location of filled entrances and the amount of tunnel infill. This geoscientific information, combined with the lack of slurry elsewhere on the surface, made the alternative hypothesis of an accidental deposition of slurry on the surface by a perpetrator(s) extremely unlikely.…”

“…Geoscientific site investigation methods for search vary depending upon the specific case, site, and numerous other factors that are reviewed elsewhere [30][31]. 6 Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been evidenced to be able to both detect and map animal burrows, from gophers [32][33], European rabbits [34], moles [35], wombats [36] to badgers [37]. Water penetrating radar (WPR) had also been successfully deployed within a water-filled ditch in a rural area to locate illegally-dumped badger remains [31].…”

The Use of Forced Gas Rodent Burrow Fumigation Systems and the Potential Risk to Humans

“…In addition, applicators should attempt to ensure that no portion of the mole burrow system is within 50 feet of a structure. Recently, ground-penetrating radar has been used to assess rodent burrow systems (Cortez et al 2013). Perhaps this technology could be used in the future to help identify the nearest distance of a burrow to an inhabited structure.…”

Using near-surface geophysics to assist with the management of southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in South Australia

“…The first published study was done in 1996 to map rabbit warrens on the Adelaide plains of South Australia (Stott, 1996). Subsequently, GPR has been used to investigate badgers (Meles meles) in Wales (Nichol et al, 2003), gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in Florida (Kinlaw et al, 2007), and pocket gophers in Texas (Geomys personatus maritimus) (Cortez et al, 2013).…”