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Cover Picture and Issue Information
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
methods in ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.425
H-Index - 105
ISSN - 2041-210X
DOI - 10.1111/2041-210x.13053
Subject(s) - cover (algebra) , computer science , transmitter , wildlife , software , citation , telemetry , citizen science , land cover , remote sensing , telecommunications , information retrieval , geography , world wide web , ecology , engineering , land use , operating system , mechanical engineering , channel (broadcasting) , botany , biology
This month’s cover image shows the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Radio Telemetry (UAV‐RT) system being tested southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. This open source system integrates a software defined radio and an unmanned aerial system to aid in localizing very high frequency (VHF) wildlife transmitter tags. The improved vantage and mobility of the system allows for increased received signal power and a significant improvement in land area that can be searched. With flight times of approximately 20 minutes and speeds of approximately 10 m/s, wide spacing between bearing estimates is possible. The project website contains system assembly plans and code, while the development, data processing methods, and baseline characterization test results are presented this month in the article “UAV wildlife radiotelemetry: System and methods of localization.” The authors show how, using a directional antenna, the processing software can develop bearing estimates and then localization estimates from those bearings. This capacity can be leveraged by experienced seasoned human trackers to help reduce the time and cost of wildlife localization. Photo credit: ©José G. Martínez‐Fonseca