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Patch size and shape influence the accuracy of mapping small habitat patches with a global positioning system

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Abstract

Global positioning systems (GPS) are increasingly being used for habitat mapping because they provide spatially referenced data that can be used to characterize habitat structure across the landscape and document habitat change over time. We evaluated the accuracy of using a GPS for determining the size and location of habitat patches in a riverine environment. We simulated error attributable to a mapping-grade GPS receiver capable of achieving sub-meter accuracy onto discrete macrophyte bed and wood habitat patches (2 to 177 m2) that were digitized from an aerial photograph of the Laramie River, Wyoming, USA in a way that emulated field mapping. Patches with simulated error were compared to the original digitized patches. The accuracy in measuring habitat patches was affected most by patch size and less by patch shape and complexity. Perimeter length was consistently overestimated but was less biased for large, elongate patches with complex shapes. Patch area was slightly overestimated for small patches but was unbiased for large patches. Precision of area estimates was highest for large (>100 m2), elongate patches. Percent spatial overlap, a measure of the spatial accuracy of patch location, was low and variable for the smallest patches (2 to 5 m2). Mean percent spatial overlap was not related to patch shape but the precision of overlap was lower for small, elongate, and complex patches. Mapping habitat patches with a mapping-grade GPS can yield useful data, but research objectives will determine the acceptable amount of error and the smallest habitats that can be reliably measured.

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  1. Daniel C. Dauwalter

    Present address: Trout Unlimited, 910 Main Street, Suite 342, Boise, ID, 83702, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

    Daniel C. Dauwalter & Frank J. Rahel

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  1. Daniel C. Dauwalter
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Correspondence to Daniel C. Dauwalter.

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Dauwalter, D.C., Rahel, F.J. Patch size and shape influence the accuracy of mapping small habitat patches with a global positioning system. Environ Monit Assess 179, 123–135 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1723-x

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