The use of environmental DNA has helped rediscover the endangered de Winton golden mole, opening new opportunities for wildlife conservation, the magazine writes. Endangered Wildlife Trust.
The use of technology can significantly contribute to wildlife conservation, allowing researchers to access areas previously considered dangerous and impassable.
It also helps rediscover species thought to be extinct, building on the knowledge we already have about species behavior as well as human development and interference with wildlife.
“Drones help us roam over vast areas and access places that are otherwise inaccessible.Advanced tracking systems, real-time data analysis, and artificial intelligence-driven solutions help us navigate large areas and access places that are otherwise inaccessible. “We are empowering conservationists around the world with unprecedented tools to identify, monitor, track and ultimately protect endangered wild plants and animals.” Yvonne Higuero, Executive Director of the Convention on International Trade in Species, said:
However, she cautions that we need to harness our growing technological capabilities while at the same time reinvigorating our commitment to sustainable development. This includes preventing destructive impacts on ecosystems, reducing threats to species and livelihoods from the misuse of technology, and ensuring digital inclusion for all by 2030.
For example, the use of drones is no longer new, nor is the use of GPS tracking systems to monitor wildlife. What is considered new is the detection of elusive species, the use of environmental DNA in mapping species distributions, and real-time programming algorithms linked to tracking data that enable rapid response to wildlife threats .
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drone
Coupled with advances in artificial intelligence (AI), drones have come to play some role in most industries. Its uses and benefits are limited only by our imagination and operating battery capacity. They deliver much-needed medical supplies to far-flung communities, scan compromised infrastructure for survivors during emergency disaster responses, and promote smart agriculture. Of course, drones have even more sinister potential uses, blurring the line between science and science fiction.
However, the use of drones for conservation is already shaping the future of the sector. Drones are used for a variety of scientific research, from detecting rare animals and counting the number of birds nesting in colonies to mapping habitats and creating 3D scans of trees.
The main practical benefit of drones is not necessarily that they can go places that humans or traditional transportation cannot go. The biggest advantage is the fact that the same tasks can be performed safely and without the need to put people in dangerous situations.
But how do wildlife react to these flying intruders? Is it ethical to use a drone to get close to animals when it can trigger a stress response?
Perhaps a better question is: Is the use of drones more or less harmful to animals than using traditional methods to approach them? This is an interesting question, and one that should be considered before embarking on a new conservation project.
At the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), these concerns are considered very seriously on a case-by-case basis through a formal ethics committee before deploying drones for conservation purposes.
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As South Africa's legal drone operator, EWT conducts surveys of birds, bird nests, and mammals, surveys of terrain and vegetation, provides aerial support to conservation teams during operations, and identifies injured and dead animals. assisting authorities in detecting , poisoning and poaching. Inspect and photograph electrical infrastructure for maintenance and inspection purposes.
The nonprofit also uses drones to install anti-collision devices on linear electrical infrastructure, and assists experts with environmental impact assessments and related audit studies.
GPS tracking
Drones may be the latest innovation in wildlife monitoring, but even before their advent, GPS tracking technology has long been a valuable tool for studying the movement, behavior, and habitat of wildlife, especially birds. It has established itself as a tool.
Birds of prey face unique conservation challenges, primarily due to their ability to migrate vast distances unencumbered by physical barriers. This lack of confinement poses significant obstacles to traditional preservation methods. For example, species such as the white-breasted vulture and the cape vulture routinely travel long distances ranging from 80 km to more than 500 km per day while foraging.
As a result, effective conservation of birds is highly dependent on technological advances to understand threats to species and implement appropriate conservation strategies. For example, vultures face a variety of hazards, including wildlife poisoning, power line collisions, and nesting site disturbances, all of which affect their population and reproductive success.
EWT's Birds of Prey Program has been using GPS tracking technology for many years to establish a robust conservation framework for these species.
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These lightweight, solar-powered tracking units transmit precise location and movement data via cellular or satellite networks, providing unprecedented insight into the spatial biology of diverse species. These data serve as the basis for strategic conservation planning across large geographic areas.
Additionally, GPS technology allows researchers to focus their efforts on areas important to the survival of the species. For example, EWT's efforts to establish safe zones for birds of prey are strategically targeting locations frequented by birds for foraging and nesting based on behavioral data to effectively reduce anthropogenic threats. It's targeted.
Fortunately, bird tracking technology continues to advance rapidly. Future developments are expected to improve affordability and have the potential to revolutionize data collection and improve the effectiveness of current conservation efforts.
eDNA
Most recently, EWT has led the way in the development and use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in terrestrial systems, leading to the rediscovery of the elusive de Winton golden mole, which was previously thought to be extinct.
With the help of this technology, the EWT team was able to detect and effectively rediscover the endangered De Winton's golden mole (cryptochloris wintoni) West coast of South Africa. This species was lost to science for over 80 years.
Detecting and mapping elusive species is one of the key challenges in biodiversity research, and EWT's Dryland Conservation Program (DCP) We are working on eDNA sampling techniques to detect the presence of terrestrial vertebrates.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material released by an organism into its environment, usually in the form of skin cells, hair, and excrement, and may be sampled from environmental sources such as water, soil, and sediment . Isolating this DNA from the environment facilitates the detection of organisms even when there are no obvious signs of their presence, allowing species to be identified, studied, and/or identified across time and space without having to be captured or handled. or provide genetic information that can be used to monitor. In some cases, we may even observe it.
The Dryland Conservation Program has used this technology to survey a variety of elusive golden mole species across South Africa's west coast, collecting soil from the lining of their underground burrows and using genetic barcode markers. I identified the species.
Mapping species distributions facilitates conservation management of endangered species.
EWT scientists are also currently applying the eDNA approach to detect endangered river hares and endangered tortoises in South Africa's arid Karoo region. For Riverine Rabbits, eDNA is collected from pellets (feces) collected in the field rather than soil.
The application of eDNA has the potential to revolutionize conservation science and practice. There are many challenges to using this approach in broader biodiversity surveys and monitoring projects, but if you carefully consider the challenges and potential limitations, applying this technique can answer your research questions. answers, and opens many doors for finding new solutions to conservation challenges. Assessing the potential impacts resulting from proposed developments in sensitive areas.
Through the use of technology, scientists can ensure that the species they study and investigate are largely unaffected.
It may also contribute to expanding the information base for conservation planning and practice regarding species in remote areas.
World Wildlife Day will be celebrated on March 3 under the theme 'People and Planet: Exploring digital innovation in wildlife conservation'.
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