基于传感器标记的野生动物追踪技术在中国的应用现状与展望

The application and outlook of wildlife tracking using sensor-based tags in China

对动物的标记、定位与追踪是研究其空间运动的重要途径。自20世纪80年代起,以动物个体佩戴的传感器为核心的野生动物追踪技术被引入我国,广泛用于野生动物行为与生态研究。为全面地了解中国野生动物追踪技术的应用现状,本研究系统检索了1970–2022年间在中国开展的野生动物追踪研究论文,统计并汇总了基于传感器的追踪技术类别、应用动物类群、研究领域及研究地点等信息。本研究共收集到论文519篇,涵盖了分属7纲32目的共计185个物种。动物追踪研究地点覆盖我国34个省(直辖市、自治区、特别行政区),其中最为集中的区域主要包括青藏高原东缘及周边山地、长江中下游区域、华东至华南沿海以及东北地区。所使用的技术类别包括5类:无线电遥测(RT)技术(占总研究数量的47.7%)、无线射频识别(RFID)技术(3.2%)、光敏全球定位传感器(GLS)技术(0.6%)、基于Argos系统(ASS)的卫星追踪技术(9.3%)、基于全球定位导航系统(GNSS)的卫星追踪技术(39.3%)。在各类技术中,甚高频(VHF)RT技术是我国使用历史较长、数量较大的技术;ASS和GNSS技术引入较晚,但增长迅速,其中GNSS技术在近5年来已经成为应用最多的技术。RT技术在大中型哺乳动物、小型哺乳动物、陆禽鸟类以及两栖、爬行动物追踪中应用最多,游禽与涉禽鸟类的追踪以GNSS技术为主,鱼类追踪研究中ASS技术应用较多,而无脊椎动物的追踪研究则主要使用RFID技术。不同的研究领域中所使用的技术类别存在差异,其中迁徙研究主要应用GNSS和ASS卫星追踪技术。本研究的结果表明,基于传感器的野生动物标记、定位与追踪技术在我国的应用规模正在快速扩大,标记动物数量、累积数据量快速增加。今后,中国的野生动物追踪研究应进一步扩展研究深度和广度,加强多学科合作与技术创新,倡导并推动数据共享与合作,并进一步推动国产追踪设备及技术的研发与完善,从而为我国野生动物生态研究与资源保护管理提供可靠的科学支持。

Aims:The tagging,positioning,and tracking of animals are crucial approaches to the study of their spatial movements.In China,the application of sensor-based wildlife tracking technologies for free-ranging animals has gained significant traction since the 1980s.These technologies have been widely employed in studies related to wildlife behavior and ecology.To provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of wildlife tracking technologies in China and offer insights into the future,we conducted this review based on comprehensive literature research.Methods:We systematically searched academic articles on wildlife tracking studies conducted in China from 1970 to 2022.We compiled information of each study,including the type of sensor and tracking technologies used,the taxonomic group of tracked animals,the research field,and the location of study sites.Results:We collected 519 relevant articles published between 1970 and 2022,encompassing 185 species belonging to 7 classes and 32 orders.The study sites encompassed 34 provinces(including municipalities,autonomous regions,and special administrative regions)in China.We identified four hotspots of tracking studies within the country:the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding mountainous areas,the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,the coastal areas from East to South China,and the Northeast China region.Five senor-based tracking technologies were identified in these studies:radio telemetry(RT)(accounting for 47.7%of the total researches),radio frequency identification(RFID)(3.2%),light-level global geolocator sensor(GLS)(0.6%),satellite tracking based on the Argos Satellite System(ASS)(9.3%)or Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)(39.3%).Among these technologies,VHF radio telemetry has had a longer history and more applications in China;ASS and GNSS technologies have been introduced late but have undergone rapid growth,with GNSS emerging as the most widely applied technology in the past 5 years.Radio telemetry is predominantly employed for large-and medium-sized mammals,small mammals,terrestrial birds,amphibians and reptiles.GNSS technology is mainly applied in tracking swimming and wading birds.ASS technology is primarily used in fish studies,while RFID technology is prevalent in tracking invertebrate.The choice of technology varies across different research fields,with GNSS and ASS satellite tracking being the primary technology used in migration studies.Conclusions:The application scale of sensor-based wildlife tracking technologies in China is experiencing rapid expansion,resulting in a rapid increase of numbers of tagged animals and accumulated data.In the future,wildlife tracking studies in China should put emphases on:(1)deepening the research to examine the underlying ecological mechanisms and broadening the research scales,(2)facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and fostering technological innovation,(3)advocating for and promoting data sharing and fostering multilateral cooperation,and(4)continuing to advance the development and improvement of domestic tracking equipment and technologies.This will provide reliable scientific supports for wildlife ecology research and resource conservation and management in China.