title: Feasibility of using high-resolution satellite imagery to assess vertebrate wildlife populations.
abstract: Although remote sensing has been used for >40 years to learn about Earth, use of very high-resolution satellite imagery (VHR) (<1-m resolution) has become more widespread over the past decade for studying wildlife. As image resolution increases, there is a need to understand the capabilities and limitations of this exciting new path in wildlife research. We reviewed studies that used VHR to examine remote populations of wildlife. We then determined characteristics of the landscape and the life history of species that made the studies amenable to use of satellite imagery and developed a list of criteria necessary for appropriate use of VHR in wildlife research. From 14 representative articles, we determined 3 primary criteria that must be met for a system and species to be appropriately studied with VHR: open landscape, target organism's color contrasts with the landscape, and target organism is of detectable size. Habitat association, temporal exclusivity, coloniality, landscape differentiation, and ground truthing increase the utility of VHR for wildlife research. There is an immediate need for VHR imagery in conservation research, particularly in remote areas of developing countries, where research can be difficult. For wildlife researchers interested in but unfamiliar with remote sensing resources and tools, understanding capabilities and current limitations of VHR imagery is critical to its use as a conservation and wildlife research tool.
authors: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota, 310 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, U.S.A.
authors: Michelle A
authors: MA
authors: LaRue
authors: Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, U.S.A.
authors: Seth
authors: S
authors: Stapleton
authors: Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Igloolik, Nunavut, X0A 0L0, Canada.
authors: Morgan
authors: M
authors: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D063809:Satellite Imagery; D014714:Vertebrates
keywords: GIS; SIG; conservation research; investigación de la conservación; monitoreo poblacional; métodos de telemetría; population monitoring; remote-sensing methods