Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
detecting bird carcasses to three trained human searchers. Elmo was selected based
on high obedience training and her breed as a recognised scent and hunting dog.
Even prior to formal analysis it was clear to all present that the dog performed the
task faster and with higher detection then any of the humans were able to. The dog
and handler continued to survey the site over the next 3 years and searcher effi-
ciency trials were conducted annually to ensure the dog was maintaining its high
detection rates.
In 2005, mortality searchers were a relatively new concept in Australia, and there
were no pre-conceived ideas or expectations on how searchers should be under-
taken. Given this, the dog search team had to adaptively adjust their searching
protocols to ensure maximum success and efficiency. Flexibility in search protocols
meant that surveys were actively managed to maximise the dogs' exposure to scents
within the survey area and experience has demonstrated repeatedly that the biggest
factors in the dogs' performance are environmental influences such as weather.
Adaptive protocols that allow for different sites and changing weather patterns can
ensure that detection rates remain high.
Since this time, Elmo and I with the assistance of subsequent generations of
scent dogs, have undertaken over 5,500 surveys across six different wind facilities.
To ensure that detection rates of the dogs remained high, dog and handler teams
were evaluated in detectability trials quarterly with detection rates never falling
below 84 %, and many dogs achieving 100 % detection of carcasses.
Flexible Survey Design
The key to ensuring successful detection when using dogs to undertake field work,
is to understand the effect that various site factors can have on searcher efficiency
and to consider the need for flexible methodology (Arnett
2006
; Reed et al.
2011
).
The dog and handler must adapt their survey technique to the current site condi-
tions. Further, the use of transects should be treated as a guide only, with flexibility
to deviate off the transect essential. In ideal conditions, a trained dog will detect the
target scent before the survey commences. Allowing the dog the freedom to “follow
the nose” and seek out scents is an essential part of the survey.
Following this adaptive approach to methodology, a quick run through the survey
area with the dog will detect the majority of carcasses present. This has been dem-
onstrated by informal detectability trials where carcasses (2-3 per turbine) were
placed throughout the survey area. Dogs were then run through the site quickly with
no consideration given for transects and with the freedom to follow any scents
detected. Handlers carried GPS's and only guided and encouraged their dogs on a
loose zigzag across the site, ensuring they remained within the 100 m radius of the
turbine. In all tests, 20 min was long enough to detect 80 % of carcasses (and often
100 %), regardless of site conditions (this test has not been performed in rain).
A more in-depth survey is required where weather is unfavourable, topography and
vegetation are variable, or where small species are the target of the search. In the
