Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, United States
Though fencing is ubiquitous worldwide, there are few large-scale maps of its distribution. This is due to a lack of access and tediousness in recording locations and specifications across the matrix of landownerships and, the strains in identification through remote sensing techniques. Further, fences are added, removed, or modified on a continual basis and the need to catalogue changes is evident. Here, I discuss existing approaches for identifying fences across the landscape by providing examples from North America and Africa. I then offer opportunities to improve upon mapping methods to ultimately assess ecological and societal effects of fences at scale.
