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EarthRanger: An Open-Source Platform for Ecosystem Monitoring, Research, and Management
1. Effective approaches are needed to conserve the planet's remaining wildlife and wilderness landscapes, especially concerning global biodiversity conservation targets. Here, we present a new software system called EarthRanger: an open-source platform built to help monitor, research and manage ecosystems. 2. EarthRanger consists of seven main components (Core Server, API, Storage, Gundi, Web App, Mobile App, Ecoscope) that provide functionality for data (i) aggregation & collection, (ii) storage & management, (iii) real-time and post hoc analysis, (iv) visualisation and (v) dissemination. The mobile application provides field-based data recording and visualisation tools. EarthRanger may be deployed for single project use or can aggregate across multiple geographies as a centralised hub. EarthRanger can be used to collect standardised tracking data (e.g. from wildlife collars, vehicles and ranger patrols) and configurable event information (e.g. a singular recording with associated user-defined attribute information such as a wildlife sighting or encounter with a poacher). 3. Since development began in 2015, the platform has (at the time of writing) been deployed at over 500 sites across 70 countries and with myriad configurations and objectives. EarthRanger has improved the ability to monitor data feeds and manage conservation-related operations in real time. For instance, the deployment of EarthRanger by African Parks has led to the removal of over 50,000 snares, steady population growth of key species of concern and near cessation of poaching. In Liwonde's protected area, enhanced mitigation efforts supported by EarthRanger reduced the number of deaths from wildlife conflict by more than 91%. EarthRanger is also providing a platform to enhance standardisation, aggregation, transfer and long-term storage of ecological information and promote collaboration between groups conducting protected area management and ecology and biodiversity research.
@article{MEE:EarthRanger, title = {{EarthRanger}: An Open-Source Platform for Ecosystem Monitoring, Research, and Management}, journal = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution}, abstract = {1. Effective approaches are needed to conserve the planet's remaining wildlife and wilderness landscapes, especially concerning global biodiversity conservation targets. Here, we present a new software system called EarthRanger: an open-source platform built to help monitor, research and manage ecosystems. 2. EarthRanger consists of seven main components (Core Server, API, Storage, Gundi, Web App, Mobile App, Ecoscope) that provide functionality for data (i) aggregation & collection, (ii) storage & management, (iii) real-time and post hoc analysis, (iv) visualisation and (v) dissemination. The mobile application provides field-based data recording and visualisation tools. EarthRanger may be deployed for single project use or can aggregate across multiple geographies as a centralised hub. EarthRanger can be used to collect standardised tracking data (e.g. from wildlife collars, vehicles and ranger patrols) and configurable event information (e.g. a singular recording with associated user-defined attribute information such as a wildlife sighting or encounter with a poacher). 3. Since development began in 2015, the platform has (at the time of writing) been deployed at over 500 sites across 70 countries and with myriad configurations and objectives. EarthRanger has improved the ability to monitor data feeds and manage conservation-related operations in real time. For instance, the deployment of EarthRanger by African Parks has led to the removal of over 50,000 snares, steady population growth of key species of concern and near cessation of poaching. In Liwonde's protected area, enhanced mitigation efforts supported by EarthRanger reduced the number of deaths from wildlife conflict by more than 91%. EarthRanger is also providing a platform to enhance standardisation, aggregation, transfer and long-term storage of ecological information and promote collaboration between groups conducting protected area management and ecology and biodiversity research.}, volume = {13}, publisher = {British Ecological Society}, month = sep, year = {2024}, slug = {mee-earthranger}, author = {Wall, Jake and Lefcourt, Jes and Jones, Chris and Doehring, Chris and O'Neill, Dan and Schneider, Dennis and Steward, Jordan and Krautwurst, Joshua and Wong, Tiffany and Jones, Bruce and Goodfellow, Karen and Schmitt, Ted and Gobush, Kathleen and Douglas-Hamilton, Iain and Pope, Frank and Schmidt, Eric and Palmer, Jonathan and Stokes, Emma and Reid, Andrea and Elbroch, Mark L. and Kulits, Peter and Villeneuve, Catherine and Matsanza, Victor and Clinning, Geoff and van Oort, Jordi and Denninger-Snyder, Kristen and Daati, Alina Peter and Gold, Wesley and Cunliffe, Stephen and Craig, Batian and Cork, Barry and Burden, Grant and Goss, Marc and Hahn, Nathan and Carroll, Sarah and Gitonga, Eric and Rao, Ray and Stabach, Jared and Broin, Frederic Dulude-de and Omondi, Patrick and Wittemyer, George}, month_numeric = {9} }