A tiny collar sensor measures wildfire smoke beside wild animals
smoke logger
A small device that records smoke particles near a collared animal.
PM2.5
Tiny airborne particles that are 2.5 micrometers wide or smaller.
refugia
Places where animals can avoid heavy smoke during an event.
What happened
Colorado State University, the university behind the project, developed a small smoke logger for wildlife collars. The device is solar-powered and records tiny particles in the air around an animal. It can work with collar data about location and body signals, such as heart rate. The design and programming are freely available. Initial results appeared in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, as described by Phys.org.
Why the tool is needed
People can go indoors when wildfire smoke arrives. Wild animals do not have that choice. In North America, wildfire has become a recurring problem. Large smoke plumes can damage air quality for weeks. Yet air quality is rarely monitored in wilderness areas.
Wildlife collars already collect useful information. GPS data shows where an animal travels. Physiological data can show signals such as heart rate. Adding smoke readings gives researchers a closer view of the animal’s exposure. It can show where the animal was, how much smoke was nearby, and how its behavior changed.
What the first test found
The team first deployed the system with mule deer. Air quality at the deer-borne sensors differed by an order of magnitude from readings at the closest monitoring stations. In practical terms, the readings could be about ten times higher or lower. This result shows how sharply air quality can change across a small area.
The deer monitored in Colorado and Utah were not exposed to unhealthy wildfire smoke during this deployment. Still, the sensors detected small pollution spikes from traffic around deer living near urban areas. The device was sensitive enough to notice changes that a broader monitoring network might miss.
The sensor measures particulate matter, including PM2.5. These are particles 2.5 micrometers wide or smaller. A laser measures them inside a low-cost sensor. The logger stores a reading every thirty minutes. Researchers must recover the collar before downloading the data. Wireless transmission would cost more, use more battery, and may not work in wildlands.
Why the findings matter
A nearby monitoring station may not describe the air an animal actually encounters. Individual sensors could reveal refugia, or places where animals avoid heavy smoke. That information could improve conservation planning and wildlife management.
It could also help managers time prescribed burns. These planned fires are used for forest management. Knowing when and where smoke reaches animals could reduce exposure during sensitive periods or in important habitats. Wildlife measurements may also fill gaps in data about smoke exposure for people.
What is confirmed, and what is not
The early deployment shows that a small collar-mounted logger can measure highly local air conditions. It does not yet settle how severe smoke affects wildlife health or behavior. The first deer deployment did not include unhealthy wildfire exposure. Researchers need more observations during stronger smoke events.
What to watch next
The team is partnering with studies that track cougars, deer, and elk. Sensors have also been placed in the habitat of the endangered Sierra Nevada fisher, a small mammal related to weasels. Those results are expected in future studies.
The open design lets other researchers build a unit for about $100 in materials. The next important step is linking each animal’s smoke exposure with its location, body data, and behavior. That evidence could show how wildlife copes with smoke and how managers can reduce its risks.
A collar can measure the smoke near a wild animal
📰 Full story: A tiny collar sensor measures wildfire smoke beside wild animals
Scientists built a small sensor that records the air around animals during wildfires.
smoke logger
A small device that records smoke near an animal.
PM2.5
Very tiny particles floating in the air.
💡 The gist
- A collar sensor records smoke near a wild animal.
- It saves an air reading every thirty minutes.
- Deer readings differed from nearby stations by about ten times.
People can escape smoke by going indoors. Wild animals usually cannot. Remote wilderness also has few air-quality stations. Wildfire smoke can stay for weeks. Researchers wanted measurements beside the animal.
Colorado State University (the university running the study) built a smoke logger. It attaches to a collar. Solar power runs the device. It measures PM2.5, tiny particles in the air. PM2.5 particles are 2.5 micrometers wide or smaller. The sensor uses a laser to measure them.
Researchers download the data after recovering the collar. Wireless sending would cost more and use more battery. Some wild places also lack a connection.
The first tests used mule deer, a North American deer. Researchers tested deer in Colorado and Utah. Those deer did not face unhealthy wildfire smoke. Yet sensors near city deer noticed tiny traffic pollution spikes.
This result shows that local air can change greatly. A nearby station may miss the air beside an animal. Researchers can combine smoke readings with GPS and body data. They may learn where animals find safer places during smoke events.
That information could guide wildlife protection. It could also help plan forest fires more carefully. Researchers call these planned fires prescribed burns. The open design costs about $100 in materials per unit.
More studies will track cougars, deer, and elk. Sensors are also in endangered Sierra Nevada fisher habitat. A Sierra Nevada fisher is a small mammal related to weasels. Future studies must connect smoke exposure with health and behavior. The initial report is available from Phys.org.
A deer’s collar remembers the air
📰 Full story: A tiny collar sensor measures wildfire smoke beside wild animals
A small air sensor rides on a deer’s collar.
air sensor
A tiny tool that checks the air.
wildfire
A big fire that spreads through wild places.
A deer wears a collar. The collar has a small air sensor. It notices tiny smoke bits near the deer. Sunlight powers the sensor. Every thirty minutes, it remembers the air.
Scientists read the memory after finding the collar. The forest may not have phone signals. So the collar cannot send messages right away.
People can go inside during a smoky wildfire. Deer and other animals cannot. This tool helps scientists learn what animals breathe.
A first test found air could differ by ten times. The comparison used a deer sensor and a nearby station. The test deer did not face dangerous wildfire smoke.
Scientists will test more animals later. They want to find safer places for animals. This may help people protect wildlife. The story appeared on Phys.org (a science news site).