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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #159696
Title: A DEVELOPING METHOD FOR DIRECTIONAL VIRTUAL FENCING (DVF--TRADEMARK) AND REAL TIME RANGE MANAGEMENT USING REMOTE SENSING, GIS, AND GPS

Author
item Rango, Albert
item Anderson, Dean
item HALE, CRAIG - FUTURE SEGUE
item Havstad, Kris

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2003
Publication Date: 11/10/2003
Citation: RANGO, A., ANDERSON, D.M., HALE, C., HAVSTAD, K.M. A DEVELOPING METHOD FOR DIRECTIONAL VIRTUAL FENCING (DVF--TRADEMARK) AND REAL TIME RANGE MANAGEMENT USING REMOTE SENSING, GIS, AND GPS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 30TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT. 2003. PAPER NO. TS-11.4.

Interpretive Summary: Interpretive summary not required.

Technical Abstract: New technologies have progressed in recent years to the point where capabilities exist to permit development of real-time, rangeland management systems. Various possibilities are available for estimating total forage production using multispectral remote sensing capabilities and spectral indices. Optimum utilization requires herbivores to be moved in a timely manner commensurate with the landscape's productivity and facilitated by a Directional Virtual Fencing (DVF) device. DVF combines Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and electromechanically produced directional cues in an innovative approach to control free-ranging animal location and direction of movement in a humane and reproducible manner in real time. A geographically referenced Virtual Boundary (VB) programmed into the unit's Geographic Information System (GIS) is combined with the GPS data to determine when a VB is approached and when to move the animal away from the VB. Development, testing, validation, and improvement of the total system is ongoing at the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico.