A Critical Review of the Error Polygon Method
Zimmerman JW. 1989. A Critical Review of the Error Polygon Method. Bears: Their Biology and Management. 8:251-256
ABSTRACT: The Error Polygon Method (EPM) of Heezen and Tester (1967) is used most frequently to quantify telemetry error. Complete scientific reporting for this should include the confidence arcs with associated confidence levels, a measure of distance from the receiver to the estimated location, and a measure of the intersection. The EPM assumption ofa normal distribution of bearing errors was rejected with a large data base (n = 940) collected on 13 transmitter locations that in 388 estimated locations. Empirical data of actual error demonstrated the EPM's ability to delineate 90% error polygons that contained the actual location the time, although both the area and longest diagonal ofthe error polygons were 6.3 and 7.4 times, respectively, larger than actual error. The EPM did not give an measure of location error.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Zimmerman, John
- Units
- BLRI
- Keywords
- American black bear, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, BLRI, Blue Ridge Parkway, SER, Southeast Region, Ursus americanus, wildlife management