3D Technology May Help Save the California Condor and Other Endangered Species

Some 3D technology could help California condors and other endangered species. Scientists have developed a novel methodology that combines 3D and advanced range estimator technologies to provide highly detailed data on the range and movements of terrestrial, aquatic and avian wildlife species.

In this case, the researchers turned to California condors. Only about 400 birds currently exist, though that's a huge leap from the mere 22 birds in the mid-1980s. Conservationists have worked hard to reintroduce this massive bird to its former habitat in the mountains of California and Mexico. Yet these efforts have been hampered by a lack of understanding about condor movement patterns and habitat use. That's why researchers decided to take a closer look with this model.

"We have been calculating home ranges for the tracked condors in three dimensions for the first time using this GPS location data, and our novel density estimator was used to incorporate the vertical component of animal movements into projections of space-use," said James Sheppard, one of the researchers, in a news release.

More specifically, the scientists created highly detailed data sets and visualizations relying on expertise from researchers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. This allowed them to learn a bit more about where to target conservation efforts.

"This data will be used as a predictive management tool to inform conservation efforts to restore condor populations, particularly with regard to emerging threats such as climate change and wind and energy impacts," said Sheppard.

The findings could potentially help endangered species by learning what regions should be better protected. This could help bolster species populations, including that of the California condor, giant panda and dugong.

The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.

Want to learn more? Check out a video here.