Abstract
We used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to carry out a relatively complete population census of large wild herbivores in Maduo County on the Tibetan Plateau in the spring of 2017. The effective area covered by aerial surveys was 326.6 km2, and 23,784 images were acquired. Interpretation tag libraries for UAV images were created for wild animals, including Kiang (Equus kiang), Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata), and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), as well as livestock, including yaks and Tibetan sheep. Large wild herbivores in the survey transect were identified through manual imagery interpretation. Densities ranged from 1.15/km2 for Kiang, 0.61/km2 for Tibetan gazelle, 0.62/km2 for blue sheep, 4.12/km2 for domestic yak, and 7.34/km2 for domestic sheep. A method based on meadows in the cold and warm seasons was used for estimating the densities and numbers of large wild herbivores and livestock, and was verified against records of livestock numbers. Population estimates for Kiang, Tibetan gazelle, blue sheep, domestic yak, and domestic sheep were 17,109, 15,961, 9324, 70,846, and 102,194, respectively. Based on published consumption estimates, the results suggest that domestic stock consume 4.5 times the amount of vegetation of large wild herbivores. Compared with traditional ground survey methods, performance of UAV remote sensing surveys of large wild herbivore populations was fast, economical and reliable, providing an effective future method for surveying wild animals.
Highlights
IntroductionTerrestrial wild animal populations can be investigated with ground surveys, aerial surveys (visual counting by human observers), or remote sensing surveys
Terrestrial wild animal populations can be investigated with ground surveys, aerial surveys, or remote sensing surveys
In transects surveyed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Maduo County in spring 2017, the transect density was 1.15/km2 for Kiang, 0.61/km2 for Tibetan gazelle, 0.62/km2 for blue sheep, 4.12/km2 for domestic yak, and 7.34/km2 for domestic Tibetan sheep
Summary
Terrestrial wild animal populations can be investigated with ground surveys, aerial surveys (visual counting by human observers), or remote sensing surveys. Between 1995 and 2003, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China organized the first national survey of terrestrial wildlife resources, measuring the number, distribution, and habitat status of species using ground survey methods (State Forestry Administration, 2009). The SFA launched the second survey of terrestrial wildlife resources in 2011 All of these previous reports used the transect method as the standard method. Its disadvantages include low efficiency, high cost, obstacles to lines of sight, and restricted access by road and river. Because their results cannot be repeated and contrasted by other researchers, ground surveys are insufficient for meeting China’s long-term requirements for dynamic monitoring of wild animal populations
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