Researchers with Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute, founded as part of IU's Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge Initiative, are now tracking the migration habits of animals such as birds and insects thanks to the addition of a new Motus Wildlife Tracking System station at T.C. Steele State Historic Site in Nashville, Indiana.
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a program of Bird Studies Canada, is an international, collaborative research network designed to track wildlife movement, with the goal of understanding the importance of various habitats and how they are used through migratory species' annual cycle. The system has 702 stations -- including three in Indiana -- in 28 countries on four continents; 184 species and 18,723 animals have been tagged as part of these efforts.
"This station will contribute to the larger network of global monitoring and will help us better understand how changes in Indiana's climate are impacting the timing and movement of migratory animals," said Allison Byrd, Environmental Resilience Institute research associate. "As we gain a better understanding of these processes, we will enable lawmakers and other stakeholders to make ecologically informed decisions in regard to policy, land use and conservation, and wildlife management."
Additional coverage by WBIW
