Wykorzystanie samolotow bezzalogowych i termowizji do nocnej inwentaryzacji kopytnych
Using drones and thermal imaging for night ungulate surveys in forests. Reliable assessment of population size is required for effective ungulate management and conservation. Yet, none of the several ungulate monitoring methods is satisfying in terms of cost effectiveness and precision. A new method combining two modern technologies: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drones) and thermal infrared imaging (TIR) may have great potential as a tool for ungulate monitoring. In addition to having all of the advantages of aerial surveys, it also enables operations at night, when ungulates are most active and easy to detect. To assess the feasibility of the proposed method we use a fi xed wing UAV equipped with TIR camera to conduct test surveys in different forest types and at different times of the day. During tests in Drawienski