{"id":6521,"date":"2022-01-02T08:09:52","date_gmt":"2022-01-02T15:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lasertechprod.wpengine.com\/?p=6521"},"modified":"2023-02-16T15:49:08","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T22:49:08","slug":"lti-rangefinders-aid-african-forest-elephant-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/lti-rangefinders-aid-african-forest-elephant-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Laser Tech Rangefinders Help Elephant Listening Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
by T Hart 01\/02\/22<\/h6>\n

The\u00a0Dzanga Bai<\/a><\/span>\u00a0is where a team of four researchers from Cornell University\u2019s <\/span>Elephant Listening Project<\/span><\/a> (ELP) initiate an interesting data collection project.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a mineral-rich clearing\u00a0<\/span>located in the southwestern part of the Central African Republic\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0Dzanga-Sangha National Park<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ELP research team member <\/span>Ana Verahrami shares how Laser Technology Inc.’s (LTI) TruPulse\u00ae<\/sup> rangefinders<\/a> play a crucial role in conducting the elephant study<\/strong> with accuracy and precision.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mission<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

In collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society<\/a> and Andrea Turkalo<\/a>, who collected nearly 30 years of demographic data on the Dzanga Bai\u2019s regional elephant population, the Elephant Listening Project worked towards creating a classification system for vocalizations emitted by African forest elephants<\/strong>. This study was conducted between January and March of 2020. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span><\/span>he project\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>progress, toward<\/span> furthering knowledge on how the lovable trunk-toting herbivores communicate, was unfortunately cut short by COVID related evacuation protocols. Despite this, encouraging momentum was gained. With LTI technology in the mix, unique observational strategies helped create a foundation of new and valuable data.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0Photo of acoustic sensors provided by A. Verahrami<\/sub><\/p><\/div>\n

TruPulse Maps Elephant Study’s Observation Area<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe Village of Elephants” is a common nickname for the Dzanga Bai itself. Hosting upwards of 100 ivory-tusked travelers is commonplace. Here, the team\u2019s first task is to implement a perimeter of nine acoustic recorders. This perimeter creates the study’s acoustic array.<\/span><\/p>\n

Deploying and extracting the acoustic recording units are two dangerous tasks. Verahrami mentions that some elephants, who may understandably feel threatened, occasionally charge at researchers that work at ground-level. Their buffalo comrades, who also frequent the Bai, will sometimes follow suit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team places all nine acoustic recorders high up in the trees, which keeps their technology safe from the heavy feet of the study’s 4,000lb-10,000lb subjects<\/a>. An LTI TruPulse rangefinder<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0captures distance and azimuth\u00a0<\/strong>measurements<\/strong> between each acoustic recorder and a predetermined <\/span>point<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>within the clearing <\/span>dubbed the \u201ccenter origin point.” Next, the rangefinder<\/span>\u00a0measures height<\/span>–<\/span>positions for every sensor. <\/span><\/p>\n

These steps<\/span> develop a\u00a0<\/span>geometric map of the acoustic array.<\/span><\/p>\n

Traversing a Jungle of Sound<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Photo of Verahrami and a team member provided by A. Verahrami<\/sub><\/p><\/div>\n

All audio-recorders stationed within the Bai go live. Researchers use an observation platform to overlook elephant visitors and note the behaviors displayed during each vocalization. The team keeps an active count of how many elephants participate in each event while estimating ages and determining sex. <\/span><\/p>\n

From time to time, using the 30-year demographic dataset collected by Andrea Turkalo, Verahrami and other ELP researchers are able to identify elephants by name. Similarly, researchers occasionally note ancestral ties and social relationships held between recognizable elephants.<\/span><\/p>\n

The soundscape of the Bai is exceptionally dense. Wide varieties of insects, mammals, and other rainforest dwellers ensure that there is never a silent moment. As a result, positively identifying each specific elephant-vocalization within the busy audio-record is no easy task.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A two-pronged method conquers this challenge:<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Photo of Verahrami using a TruPulse laser rangefinder provided by A. Verahrami<\/sub><\/p><\/div>\n