Automated Telemetry System to Study Animal Interactions in Rainforests

用于研究热带雨林生态相互作用的多用户自动遥测系统普林斯顿大学的Martin Wikelski博士获得了一笔赠款，用于购买一套自动遥测系统（ATS），该系统使他能够连续实时地跟踪多达200只热带雨林动物的位置、活动和生理数据。他的研究地点是巴拿马巴罗科罗拉多岛（BCI），史密森热带研究所（STRI）的主要研究站。威克尔斯基的跟踪系统是围绕专门的自动化接收器设计的，该接收器利用电导向天线阵列。其中6个装置将运行树冠上塔式天线阵列，以覆盖整个BCI雨林地区，另外10个便携式装置将在树冠下部署，以满足特殊项目需要。塔式部署的单元将通过无线电传输将数据传输到中央实验室和处理中心。ATS设备的维护和扩建将由适度的用户费用提供资金。ATS系统目前正在BCI上建造，预计2002年6月进行第一次现场测试。PI设想该系统的未来扩展将包括最先进的监测技术（数字编码生理或运动传输，GPS）。ATS将使来自世界各地的研究人员能够探索目前科学无法触及的基本生态、生态生理、应用管理和保护问题。ATS的研究将从以下示范项目开始：在基础生态学中，研究人员将讨论物种相互作用对维持雨林多样性的重要性。特别是，像豹猫这样的“基石”捕食者可以控制啮齿动物的数量，而啮齿动物反过来被认为是主要的种子传播者和树木的捕食者。ATS使研究人员能够研究动物之间以及动物与种子之间的相互作用，这是理解这些基本生态原理的先决条件。在生态生理学方面，研究项目将解决为什么许多热带鸟类比温带鸟类寿命更长，使用心率遥测技术来量化野外的能量消耗。其他研究小组将研究全年领地性和通勤领地性的神经内分泌学。这种领土和相关的侵略系统目前基本上是难以捉摸的。保护项目包括在BCI上重新引入大雕和其他当地灭绝的鸟类，并研究栖息地破碎化对物种持久性和多样性的影响。热带生物多样性、热带雨林的保护和管理是现代生物学的关键组成部分。自动化遥测技术使生物学家能够解决目前由于方法上的不足而无法解决的关键生态和保护问题。ATS还将使野外生态学家能够进行大规模的对照实验。ATS将建立在世界上最重要的雨林研究地点之一，使研究人员能够在此基础上建立新的数据，并将其纳入单个热带地区最大的现有植物学、动物学和保护知识框架中。来自30个国家的研究人员和学生将获得ATS。这种开拓性的努力预计将被不同大陆的研究小组效仿，以补充现有的雨林研究网络，如雨林冠层网络。

A Multi-user Automated Telemetry System for the study of ecological interactions in a tropical rainforestA grant has been awarded to Dr. Martin Wikelski at Princeton University to purchase an automated telemetry system (ATS) that allows him to track position, activity and physiological data on up to 200 rainforest animals consecutively and in real time. His study site is on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) Panama, the premier research station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Wikelski's tracking system is planned around specialized automated receivers that utilize electrically steerable antenna arrays. Six of these units will operate above-canopy tower-mounted antenna arrays for general coverage of the entire BCI rainforest area supplemented with 10 portable units for below-canopy deployment in specific areas for special project needs. The tower-deployed units will communicate data through radio-transmission to a central laboratory and processing center. The maintenance and expansion of the ATS equipment will be financed by modest user fees. The ATS system is currently being constructed on BCI, with first field tests projected for June 2002. The PI envisions a future expansion of the system to include state of the art monitoring techniques (digitally encoded physiological or locomotor transmissions, GPS). The ATS will allow researchers from all over the world to pursue basic ecological, eco-physiological, applied management, and conservation questions that are currently beyond scientific reach. ATS research will start with the following exemplary projects: In basic ecology researchers will address the importance of species interactions for the maintenance of rainforest diversity. In particular, 'keystone' predators like ocelots may control population sizes of rodents, which in turn are thought to be major seed dispersers and predators for trees. ATS enables researchers to study the interactions among animals as well as between animals and seeds - a prerequisite for the understanding of these basic ecological principles. In eco-physiology, research projects will address why many tropical birds live longer than their temperate zone counterparts, using heart rate telemetry to quantify energy expenditure in the wild. Other research groups will study the neuro-endocrinology of year-round territoriality vs. commuter territoriality. Such territorial and associated aggression systems are currently largely elusive. Conservation projects include the reintroduction of Harpy Eagles and other locally extinct birds on BCI and a study of the influence of habitat fragmentation on species persistence and diversity.Tropical biodiversity, conservation, and management of tropical rainforests are key components of modern biology. Automated telemetry allows biologists to address key ecological and conservation questions that are presently beyond reach because of methodological inadequacies. The ATS will also enable field ecologists to conduct large-scale, controlled experiments. The ATS will be constructed at one of the world's premier rainforest study sites allowing researchers to build upon, and incorporate new data into the largest existing framework of botanical, zoological and conservation knowledge of a single tropical site. Researchers and students from 30 nations will have access to ATS. Such a pioneering effort is expected to be emulated by research groups on different continents to supplement existing rainforest research networks such as the rainforest canopy network.