Schedule of Items_Specifications.docx

Schedule of Items/Specifications for – Animal Tracking Transmitters

SIGNIFICANCE

Trends in nature-based recreation has increased despite declines in overall outdoor. Mountain biking is among the fastest growing forms of outdoor recreation. Outdoor recreation is often thought to be compatible with conservation. However, 93% of studies have found an effect of recreation on animals, with 59% being negative. Behavioral responses to recreation are the most common studies followed by changes in abundance, while only 3.6% of studies investigated changes across multiple trophic levels despite community responses showing the greatest overall effects. More research is needed on community level effects including potential cascades that may affect the structure and function of ecosystems we depend on.

This project will incorporate times of high and low recreation activity (weekend effect) for control between an experimental site and control area adjacent to trail network. We will capture and tag study species (bobcat, coyote, gray fox, mule deer, turkey, and mountain cottontail) using drop nets, cage traps or footholds with life and power tags. We will monitor species activity with a 1mi² node array, capturing location data as frequent as every 30 seconds.

This specific project will require a battery-less solar tags (e.g. Life Tags) that uses 434MHz (UHF) to send digitally coded ID information. It will require a multi-modal base station (Sensor Station) which can detect Life Tags and Power Tags but can also detect tags on other frequencies such as 166MHz (VHF). The project design will require a “Node” network that offers the Internet of Wildlife tracking system (Sensor Stations, Nodes, Life Tags and Power Tags together) that can be networked to localize radio signals to produce quasi-GPS locations. Nodes will need to localize Life Tags and Power Tags with a high degree of accuracy and communicate that information to the Sensor Stations.

Equipment specifications and quantities for RGFO/CSU-Pueblo joint project, Impacts of Human Recreation on Wildlife Communities This is not a brand name request but the above described and below listed items meet the government’s needs. If you are proposing different equipment, include enough detailed description to determine technical acceptability.