Michael Page
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Graduate Research Assistant/ Masters of Science in Range and Wildlife Management/ Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Developing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Approaches for Range and Wildlife Habitat Studies
Since I can remember, I have always had a passion for the outdoors. I am an avid outdoorsman and can rarely be found without a fishing rod in hand. From countless hunting and fishing trips with my family, I grew a love for nature and the sport of hunting and fishing and their role in conservation. I grew up in Kennedale, TX. I chose to pursue a degree in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University-Kingsville for my Bachelor’s degree and my Masters degree. I am a certified UAV Pilot and have trained numerous students on obtaining their own licenses for flying UAVs for range and wildlife management studies.
The aim of my project is to develop approaches and applications useful for the assessment of rangelands woody cover encroachment and forage production. The specific objectives of my research are (1) to integrate UAV and satellite imagery to quantify the amount and spatial distribution of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) in rangelands and, (2) to develop broad scale approaches to quantify forage mass in rangelands. This type of information can be used for wildlife studies to quantify woody cover properties not captured by traditional satellite imagery, along with allowing the collection of large number of samples using a non-destructive and inexpensive method to estimate available forage for grazing animals.
