Nocturnal tracking of deer by drone - Extract from the RESILIENCE report

Abstract

Extract from the Resilience report (Episode 4 - "Invasive species, a scourge for biodiversity") dedicated to the deer abundance monitoring protocol developed and implemented as part of PROTEGE. This innovative protocol uses a drone equipped with a thermal sensor to assess the abundance of deer populations. This approach is based on an automatic detection and counting algorithm, capable of distinguishing the thermal signature of deer from those of other mammals from a simple drone overflight (in optimal implementation conditions). The protocol aims to guide and evaluate the benefits of actions to regulate the Rusa Deer, which is the priority of the strategy to combat invasive species in New Caledonia due to the negative impacts caused on forests, their unique biodiversity and the essential ecosystem services they provide.