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Puma track indicating time spent at time of day
Eonfusion enables users to realize the full potential of their animal tracking data. In this example, data from a GPS positional tracking device were used in Eonfusion to understand Puma behavior and ecology in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.
GIS layers (ESRI shapefiles) including stream locations, transportation data (roads and trails) and habitat classification data such as grassland and riparian regions, were used in the analysis. By combining several GIS layers with raw tracking data, Eonfusion creates a 4D visualization and analysis environment.
Using Eonfusion to manipulate the data, additional attributes were added to the original data set to support analysis (including light level to indicate time of day and number of daylight hours). GPS data were combined with a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and elevation migrated as a new attribute to the Puma track data set. Similarly, each of the shapefiles was assigned elevation from the DEM. A high-resolution aerial photo was draped over the DEM to provide visual context for analysis of Puma behavior.
Images and video footage of the 4D scene created in Eonfusion show how Puma track data has been fused with habitat shapefile data to indicate habitat preference and where the animal crosses streams and roads. Halos indicate uncertainty in the positional accuracy of the tracking data. The track is colour-coded for light level (time of day). The density of time the Puma spent in specific areas of interest was estimated using a density estimation routine in Eonfusion. When visualized, this reveals where the Puma spends its time, and its preference for time of day in that region. For example, the Puma remains within sheltered regions for most of the daylight hours, but towards dusk and during the night it makes repeated trips to a preferred area near a trail.
Myriax gratefully acknowledges Chris Wilmers from the University of California Santa Cruz.
Click here to see a video of this application in Eonfusion.
