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

直到最近，知识的小型鸟类的迁徙运动的基础上，只有特殊的乐队回报和推断的生物标志物和人口统计。虽然研究人员几十年来一直能够使用各种电子设备跟踪大型鸟类，但传统的长距离跟踪方法，如卫星遥测，使用的标签对于大多数鸟类物种（重量为20克或更少）来说太大了。然而，一种新的工具已经出现，可以彻底改变我们对鸟类迁徙的理解。太阳地理定位数据记录器，或地质记录器，是非常小和简单的跟踪设备，存储光强度读数在定期确定两天的长度，这表明纬度，和太阳正午的时间，这表明经度。地质记录仪最近被部署在几种小型鸟类身上，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极大兴趣。 虽然地质记录仪已经产生了令人兴奋的结果，但仍有必要改进仪器（硬件和软件），制定地质记录仪使用准则，并增加科学界使用地质记录仪的机会。该项目的一个主要目标是改进现有的地质记录器设计，以创建一个几乎可以由任何研究小组或机构在广泛的物种上大量部署的设备。第二个目标是生成复杂但可访问的分析工具，将多个信息来源纳入贝叶斯框架，以生成对移徙轨迹的最佳估计。具体而言，该项目旨在：1）减少地质记录仪硬件的大小; 2）重新包装未充分使用但功能强大的分析软件包（tripEstimation）用于处理地质记录仪数据; 3）通过提供组装单元、电子套件和自助说明来增加地质记录仪的可用性; 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;五是降低地质录井人员成本一个数量级。 使地质记录器可用于大规模的带状作业和研究人员有限的资金将促进一个巨大的科学进步，将在许多学科的反响。随着多项跟踪工作的信息得到综合，研究人员将能够建立连接不同候鸟种群的繁殖和越冬区域的连接图。这些活动将有助于制定全面的保护战略，确定候鸟的重要栖息地，并在其整个年度周期内保护脆弱物种。为了帮助确保这种数据合成是可能的，该项目产生的地质记录软件将通过Movebank.org实施，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资源，从寻求推进进化理论的专业野生动物生物学家到从事科学展览项目的小学生。使用地质记录仪跟踪动物需要综合生物学，地球科学，电气工程和数学。因此，地质学研究是解决STEM（科学，技术，工程和数学）学习目标的优秀材料。通过俄克拉荷马州K20大学，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建造为K-12学生制定课程计划。这些课程计划将通过K20中心维护的K20 alt网站传达给美国和国外的教师。

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.