A Comparison of Navigation by Visual Flight Rules and Global Positioning Systems for Aerial Baiting
A Comparison of Navigation by Visual
Flight Rules and Global Positioning Systems
for
Aerial Baiting
Wild Dog Control in North Eastern New South Wales
By
Philip Graeme Gardner
A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Resource Science at the University of
New England Annidale NSW Australia
July 2010 Acknowledgements
I would like to gratefully acknowledge all those officers and staff of the Livestock Health and Pest
Authorities, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the NSW Department of Primary Industries who helped and encouraged me through the long hours of this study and sensitive meetings with clients.
I would like to thank the staff at Fleet Helicopters in Armidale and Commercial Helicopters in
Mudgee who went to great lengths to supply good quality data for the analysis.
A particular thank you to Gavin Melville, Barry Kay, Peter Fleming and Guy Ballard at NSW Department of Primary Industries for helpful analysis, ongoing support and encouragement.
Lastly, thank you to my wife, Lee, for her patience through another study and my children, James, Anna, Sarah and Matthew. I trust you will all achieve your dreams.
2 Certificati on
I certify that the substance of this thesis has not already been submitted for any degree and is not cUlTcntly submitted for any other degree or qualification.
I celtify that any help received in the preparation of this thesis and all sources used have been acknowledged in this thesis
Philip Graeme Gardner
3 Abstract
Navigation by Visual Flight Rules (VFR) or using topographic maps and visual clues ofthe landscape
was compared with navigation using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for aerial baiting for wild dog
control in north east New South Wales from 2004 to 2009.
The Null hypothesis of this study was that there was no difference between VFR and GPS navigation
when following aerial baiting transects for wild dog control. The study was replicated temporally with
years 2004 to 2006 navigated by the traditional VFR method and 2007 to 2009 navigated using GPS.
To compare the two systems Geographic Information System (GIS) software was used to place the
aircraft flight log overlay onto multiple ring buffers spaced at 100 m intervals from 0 m to 1000 m
from the proposed bait transect. The proportion of the aircraft flight log within a given buffer interval
was determined by using the Intersect function. The percentage of the aircraft flight log within each
buffer interval was calculated.
Only 16.79 % of the aircraft flight log was within the 0 - 100 m buffer interval using VFR compared
to 60.32 % using GPS. The maximum track error was reduced from greater than 1000 m to >90%
within 300 musing GPS under operational conditions at 80 - 90 km / hr. Maximum track error of ±
300 m whilst achievable under ideal flying conditions was approaching the maximum expected of the
current system under operating conditions where aircraft pilots, navigators and bait droppers may be
unfamiliar with the location and terrain. Track error was reduced as operators learnt to use the GPS
system.
The recommendation of this study is that:
1. Pilots should be trained in data logging of bait lines prior to an aerial baiting operation
2. Speed of operations should be the maximum necessary to maintain accuracy
3. To reduce operator error GPS data logging should be connected to a sensor in the drop tube of the
aircraft so that the position of an object is logged to data storage each time it passes the sensor.
4 4. Those areas where GPS location errors may be present should be investigated by ground truthing the
proposed bait transects.
5. An automated bait delivery device be designed and developed for aerial baiting of pest animals ..
5 Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ...... 2
Abstract ...... 3
Table of Contents ...... 6
List of Figures ...... 8
List of Tables ...... 9
1. Introduction ...... 11
1.0 Definition ...... 11
1.2 Predator Control...... 11
1.3 History of Wild Dogs in Australia ...... 12
1.4.4 Poisons ...... 12
1.4.5 Past Management Strategies ...... 13
1.5 Present Management Strategies ...... 15
1.6 This Study ...... 16
1.6.1 Aims ...... 16
2. The Wild Dog ...... 18
2.1 Physical Characteristics ...... 18
2.2 DNA of the Wild Dog ...... 18
2.3 Reproduction ...... 18
2.4 Dietary Ecology ...... 20
2.5 Behavioural Ecology ...... 21
2.6 Territories and Dispersal ...... 21
2.7 Parasites and Disease ...... 23
2.8 Wild Dog Management ...... 25
2.9 Non-destructive Control Methods ...... 25
2.9.1 Livestock Guarding Animals ...... 25
2.9.2 Trapping ...... 26
6 2.10 Lethal Control ...... 27
2.10.1 Poison Baiting ...... 27
2.10.2 Impact on Non Target Animals ...... 29
2.10.3 Aerial Baiting using Poison Meat...... 30
2.10.4 Global Positioning Systems ...... 31
2.10.5 Accuracy of Aerial Baiting ...... 33
2.10.6 Administrative Processes for Aerial Baiting in NSW ...... 35
2.10.7 Potential Sources of Error in the Applications ...... 36
3. Materials and Methods ...... 1
3.1 Study Area Description ...... 43
3.2 Desktop Audit of Application Maps ...... 45
3.3 WDCA's ...... 45
3.4 Navigation ...... 45
3.4.1 Proprietary Navigation Systems ...... 49
3.5 Field Operations of Aerial Baiting ...... 49
3.6 Weather Conditions ...... 50
3.7 Geographic Information Systems ...... 50
3.7.1 Buffers and Intersects ...... 50
3.8 Statistical Analysis ...... 55
4.0 Results ...... 56
4.1 Desktop Audit of Application Maps ...... 56
4.2 Site Means (%) of the Aircraft Flight Log ...... 56
4.3 The Logistic Regression ModeL ...... 59
5. Discussion ...... 1
5.1 Conclusion ...... 86
6. References ...... 88
7. Appendices ...... 110
Appendix 1. Application Maps ...... 110
7 Appendix 2. Shapefiles ...... 11 0
Appendix 3. Sites ...... 110
Appendix 4. Summary_oCAccuracy_Data.csv ...... 110
Appendix 5. ASREML ...... 110 List of Figures
Figure 1 Typical wild dog habitat in Barnard River WDCA ...... 37
Figure 2. Topographic map of the area in Figure 1; Scale: 1:100,000 ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Figure 3 Application map for Steinbrook 2004 showing the width of bait transects Sca1e:~ 1: 100,000 ...... 40
Figure 4. An example of the possible effect of a datum error ...... 42
Figure 5. Map of the study area and location ofthe 15 WDCAs in NSW ...... 44
Figure 6 Proposed bait transects in Glenrock WDCA were digitised (2009) ...... 52
Figure 7. Multiple ring buffers were constructed around proposed bait transects in Glenrock WDCA (2009) ...... 53
Figure 8. The Aircraft flight log was overlayed on the multiple ring buffers Glenrock WDCA (2009) ...... 54
Figure 9. Predicted track error by Year, all Sites ...... 61
Figure 10. Predicted track error by Year, Barnard River WDCA NELHPA...... 62
Figure 11. Predicted track error by Year, Barnard River WDCA CNLHPA ...... 63
Figure 12 Predicted track error by Year, Ellerston WDCA MCLHP A ...... 64
Figure 13 Predicted track error by Year, Glenrock WDCA NELHPA ...... 65
Figure 14 Predicted track error by Year, Hebden WDCA MCLHP A ...... 66
Figure 15 Predicted track error by Year, Jeogla WDCA NELHPA ...... 67
Figure 16 Predicted track error by Year, Moona WDCA NELHPA ...... 68
Figure 17 Predicted track error by Year, Mount Hungerford WDCA MCLHPA ...... 69
Figure 18 Predicted track error by Year, Niangala WDCA CNLHPA ...... 70
Figure 19 Predicted track error by Year, Niangala WDCA NELHPA ...... 71
8 Figure 20 Predicted track error by Year, Red Rpnge WDCA NELHPA ...... 72
Figure 21 Predicted track error by Year, Steinbrook WDCA NELHPA ...... 73
Figure 22 Predicted track error by Year, Torrington WDCA NELHPA ...... 74
Figure 23 Predicted track error by Year, Westbrook WDCA MCLHPA ...... 75
Figure 24 Predicted track error by Year, Yarrowitch WDCA NELHPA ...... 76
Figure 25 Circuitous routes of proposed baiting lines Ellerston WDCA MCLHPA 2004 ...... 79
List of Tables
Table 1 Wild Dog control Associations and Proposed Bait Transects (km) 2004 - 2009 ...... 47
Table 2 Wild Dog Control Associations and Aircraft Flight Log (lan) 2004 - 2009 ...... 48
Table 3 Site means (% aircraft flight log) (raw data) ...... 57
Table 4 Predicted values for Site means from ASREML model (% aircraft flight log) ...... 58
Table 5 Analysis of Variance for VFR and GPs Navigation ...... 60
9 List of Abbreviations
VFR Visual Flight Rules
GPS Global Positioning System
LHPA Livestock Health and Pest Authority
NELHPA New England Livestock Health and Pest Authority
CNLHPA Central North Livestock Health and Pest Authority
MCLHPA Mid Coast Livestock Health and Pest Authority
WDCA Wild Dog Control Association
NSWDPI New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
NPWS National Parks and Wildlife Service
10