ATLSS PanTrack tool enables visualization of Florida panther movements

Abstract

South Florida is home to the last remaining population of endangered Florida panthers, estimated at about 60 individuals. Panther survival is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, inbreeding, insufficient numbers of large prey, and disease. Because the few remaining panthers have been so intensively studied, a detailed database is available for individuals in the population. The monitoring of Florida panthers by radiotelemetry began with the radio-collaring of two individuals in 1981 and has expanded to include forty-one panthers - a majority of the population. More than 50,000 telemetry locations have been available over the observation period. PanTrack was originally developed to help define panther behavioral rules for the spatially explicit, individual-based ATLSS Deer/Panther model. The effectiveness of individual-based models depends on the availability of detailed observations about individuals on the landscape, and on the ability to find patterns in these observations that provide insight into key animal behaviors. The PanTrack tool can be adapted to display and analyze any location coordinates over background map layers. In addition to its application to panther monitoring, it has been used to display annual field observation data for Cape Sable seaside sparrows and telemetry observations for American alligators. It could also be used to display movements of simulated animals generated by spatially explicit, individual-based model.