U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications
ORCID IDs
Iglay http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7300-7244
Samiappan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8443-883X
Pfeiffer http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1079-5295
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2024
Citation
Wildlife Society Bulletin (2024)48: e1533
doi: 10.1002/wsb.1533
Abstract
Rapid advancements in technology often yield research inquiry into novel applications and drone (i.e., unoccupied aircraft systems or UAS) applications in wildlife management are no exception. We questioned the time lag between drone‐related research and end‐user assessments. We implemented an online, cross‐sectional survey of wildlife professionals to better understand current drone use and benefits or concerns, complemented by a review of contemporary peer‐reviewed and gray literature. We found little disparity between scientific inquiry and end‐user experiences (i.e., similar trends among concerns in published literature and survey results). Exploring new (i.e., advancements in computer vision) and refining original drone applications (i.e., evaluating animal behavior responses during monitoring) were strong among pilots of relatively minimal experience (1–5 years). Advancements in drone technology and changes in drone‐related legislation will continue to offer benefits and challenges.
Included in
Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Other Environmental Sciences Commons, Other Veterinary Medicine Commons, Population Biology Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons, Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology Commons, Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons, Zoology Commons
Comments
United States government work