COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: IDBR: Enhancing and disseminating miniaturized tracking technology for widespread use on small migratory songbirds

直到最近，关于小鸟迁徙的知识仅基于特殊的条带返回以及从生物标志物和种群人口统计中的推断。尽管几十年来，研究人员一直能够使用各种电子设备追踪大型鸟类，但传统的远程跟踪方法，如卫星遥测，使用的标签对大多数鸟类(重量不超过20克)来说太大了。然而，一种新的工具已经出现，它可以彻底改变我们对鸟类迁徙的理解。太阳地理位置数据记录器，或称地质仪，是一种非常小而简单的跟踪设备，它以固定的时间间隔存储光强度读数，以确定指示纬度的白天长度和指示经度的太阳正午时间。地质仪最近被部署在几个小鸟物种上，这些早期研究的成功引发了科学家和鸟类爱好者对这些设备的浓厚兴趣。虽然地质学家已经取得了令人振奋的成果，但仍有必要改进仪器(硬件和软件)，为地质学家的使用建立准则，并增加科学界对其的可及性。该项目的一个主要目标是改进现有的地质仪设计，以创造一种可以由几乎任何研究小组或机构在各种物种上大量部署的装置。第二个目标是开发复杂但可利用的分析工具，将多种信息来源纳入贝叶斯框架，以便尽可能对移徙轨迹作出最佳估计。具体地说，该项目旨在：1)缩小地质仪硬件的尺寸；2)重新打包未得到充分利用但功能强大的分析包(TripEstiment)，用于处理地质仪数据；3)通过提供组装单元、电子工具包和DIY说明来提高地质仪的可用性；4)进行广泛的现场测试和分析，以评估设备的准确性及其对鸟类行为的影响；以及5)将地质仪的成本降低一个数量级。使地质学家可供大规模带状作业和资金有限的研究人员使用，将促进一项巨大的科学进步，这将在许多学科中产生反响。随着来自多个追踪努力的信息被综合起来，研究人员将能够建立连接地图，将不同候鸟种群使用的繁殖和越冬区域联系起来。这些活动将使全面的保护战略能够确定候鸟的关键栖息地，并在其整个年度周期中保护脆弱物种。为了帮助确保这种数据合成成为可能，该项目产生的地质仪软件将通过Movebank.org实现，这是一个存储和分发动物跟踪数据的在线存储库。使用Movebank.org的科学家将为世界各地的学生和研究人员提供一个资源，从寻求推进进化论的专业野生生物学家到从事科学博览会项目的小学生。用地质学家追踪动物需要生物学、地球科学、电气工程和数学的综合。因此，地质学家研究是解决STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)学习目标的极好材料。通过俄克拉荷马大学K20，一个由项目人员和学校教师组成的协作小组将根据太阳地理定位的概念和基于微处理器的数据记录器的构建，为K-12学生生成教案。这些课程计划将通过K20中心维护的K20alt网站到达美国和海外的教师手中。

Until recently, knowledge of the migratory movements of small birds was based only on idiosyncratic band returns and inferences from biomarkers and population demographics. Although researchers have been able to track large birds for decades using various electronic devices, traditional long-distance tracking methods, such as satellite telemetry, employ tags that are far too large for the majority of bird species (those weighting 20 grams or less). However, a new tool has emerged that can revolutionize our understanding of bird migration. Solar-geolocation data loggers, or geologgers, are extremely small and simple tracking devices that store light-intensity readings at regular intervals for determining both day length, which indicates latitude, and the time of solar noon, which indicates longitude. Geologgers have recently been deployed on several small bird species and the success of these early studies has sparked considerable interest in these devices among scientists and bird enthusiasts. Although geologgers are already yielding exciting results, there is a need to improve the instrumentation (both hardware and software), establish guidelines for the use of geologgers, and increase their accessibility to the scientific community. A major goal of this project is to improve upon an existing geologger design to create a device that can be deployed in large numbers on a wide range of species by virtually any research group or institution. A second goal is to generate sophisticated yet accessible analysis tools that incorporate multiple sources of information into a Bayesian framework for generating the best possible estimates of migration tracks. Specifically this project seeks to: 1) reduce the size of geologger hardware; 2) repackage an underused but powerful analysis package (tripEstimation) for processing geologger data; 3) increase the availability of geologgers by offering assembled units, electronic kits, and do-it-yourself instructions; 4) carry out extensive field testing and analyses to evaluate the accuracy of the devices and their effects on bird behavior; and 5) reduce the cost of geologgers by an order of magnitude. Making geologgers available to large-scale banding operations and researchers with limited funds will promote a tremendous scientific advance that will reverberate across numerous disciplines. As information from multiple tracking efforts is synthesized, researchers will be able to establish connectivity maps linking breeding and wintering areas used by different populations of migratory birds. These activities will enable comprehensive conservation strategies that can identify critical habitats for migratory birds and protect vulnerable species throughout their annual cycles. To help ensure that this sort of data synthesis is possible, the geologger software resulting from this project will be implemented through Movebank.org, an online repository for storing and distributing animal tracking data. Scientists who use Movebank.org will contribute to a resource used by students and researchers worldwide ranging from professional wildlife biologists seeking to advance evolutionary theory to grade-school children working on science fair projects.Tracking animals with geologgers requires a synthesis of biology, earth science, electrical engineering, and mathematics. As such, geologger studies are excellent material for addressing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning objectives. Working through The University of Oklahoma K20, a collaborative group of project personnel and schoolteachers will generate lesson plans for K-12 students based on the concept of solar geolocation and the construction of microprocessor-based data loggers. These lesson plans will reach teachers across the US and abroad through the K20alt website, maintained by the K20 Center.