High-Temporal Resolution Photography for Observing Riparian Area Use and Grazing Behavior
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Time_Lapse_Tech_Note_Nichols.pdf
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Final Accepted Manuscript
Affiliation
Research Hydraulic Engineer, US Department of Agriculture (USDA)−Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Southwest Watershed Research CenterProfessor, School of Natural Resources
Issue Date
2017-07
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SOC RANGE MANAGEMENTCitation
High-Temporal Resolution Photography for Observing Riparian Area Use and Grazing Behavior 2017, 70 (4):418 Rangeland Ecology & ManagementJournal
Rangeland Ecology & ManagementRights
Copyright © Society for Range Management. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Society for Range Management.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Observation is a simple method of acquiring information and is a critical step in the scientific method for both developing and investigating testable hypotheses. Cameras have long played a role in observation, and as technology advances, new tools and methods for collecting, interrogating, and displaying large quantities of high-resolution images have evolved. We describe an automated digital time-lapse camera system and present an example field deployment to observe the temporal and spatial patterns of riparian use by humans and animals during a 3-mo period. We also describe software tools for image interrogation and visualization, as well as new information gathered through their use. The system was tested in 2014, in a 2.4-ha site within the ApacheSitgreaves National Forest in east central Arizona, United States where elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) and cattle grazed. Photographs were taken every 30 sec for 38 d, after which an electric fence was installed to restrict cattle access and the time step was increased to every 3 min. We observed that elk exhibited the unique behavior of standing in and traveling within the stream channel while grazing and tended to graze and lie in close proximity to the channel. Cattle drank from, but typically did not enter, the stream channel and tended to lie away from the channel. Recreational use by people had the distinct impact of dispersing elk from the riparian corridor. Zoomable time-lapse videos allowed us to observe that in contrast to the cattle, elk grazed while lying down. High-temporal resolution photography is a practical tool for observing phenomena that are important for local resource management. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Society for Range Management.Note
24 month embargo; Available online 7 February 2017.ISSN
15507424Version
Final accepted manuscriptAdditional Links
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1550742417300027ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.rama.2017.01.001