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Resources for RFID Information

Albrecht, K. (2008). RFID TAG—YOU’RE IT. Scientific American,299(3), 72-77. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/26000804 

Bridge, E., & Bonter, D. (2011). A low-cost radio frequency identification device for ornithological research. Journal of Field Ornithology, 82(1), 52-59. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23011124

Creditcards.com. (2015). “Video: EMV, RFID, NFC, WTF?”. Retrieved from https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/video-emv-rfid-nfc-wtf-1457.php

Cybra.com. (2015). “4 Ways RFID Technology Can Work for Environmental Conservation.” Retrieved from https://cybra.com/rfid-and-the-environment-4-ways-rfid-technology-can-work-for-environmental-conservation/

DYKSTRA, D., KURU, G., & NUSSBAUM, R. (2003). Technologies for log tracking. The International Forestry Review,5(3), 262-267. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.miamioh.edu/stable/43740127

EPC-RFID Info Item Level Identification. (2018). “What is RFID?”. Retrieved from https://www.epc-rfid.info/rfid_tags (Also source of first image).

Fataneh Taghaboni-Dutta, & Betty Velthouse. (2006). RFID Technology Is Revolutionary: Who Should Be Involved in This Game of Tag? Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(4), 65-78. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4166271

Ohashi, K., D'Souza, D., & Thomson, J. (2010). An automated system for tracking and identifying individual nectar foragers at multiple feeders. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64(5), 891-897. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40645539

Pagano, M., Bandinelli, R., Rinaldelli, E., Panettoni, A., Triolo, E., & Luvisi, A. (2010). RFID technology for clonal selection purposes. Advances in Horticultural Science, 24(4), 282-284. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42883527

Schindler, R., Schmalbein, N., Steltenkamp, V., Cave, J., Wens, B., & Anhalt, A. (2012). A technical primer on RFID: Tags, compositions, recyclability and forecasts. In SMART TRASH: Study on RFID tags and the recycling industry (pp. 33-58). RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt3fh0tp.10

World Wide Fund for Nature. (2017). “Illegal Logging”. Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/deforestation_causes/illegal_logging/

WWF-Hong Kong. (2007). “Illegal Logging” video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma-1nJxNxl0

[rfidandconservation-blog]

Strengths of RFID in Conservation

The invention of RFID has given conservationists a tool to gather data that is beneficial in its automation, storage capabilities, and adaptability. This helps researchers get a better idea of situations so conservation actions can take place.

Ease of Data Collection and Data Volume

 It can be hard, long work to monitor organisms in a study. The use of RFID chips and reading stations have helped conservationists track animal movement with less time and effort. One research group found that 6 hours of their labor a week working with the RFID technology allowed them to collect 8000 hours of data (Bridge and Bonter, 2010). The automation of it can also be helpful in keeping track of multiple organisms at once when manual collection may not be sufficient enough to keep track (Ohashi, D’Souza, and Thomson, 2010).

Storage Capacity and Adaptability

Conservationists can use RFID to store and track a variety of information. It stores more information than other older tracking technology and it can be specified to store individual items (Schindler et al., 2012). Especially with birds, the use of RFID can lead to a greater variety of data on an automatic scale because it can be connected with sensors and other technology to help gather different forms of data (Bridge and Bonter, 2010).

Resources:

Bridge, E., & Bonter, D. (2011). A low-cost radio frequency identification device for ornithological research. Journal of Field Ornithology, 82(1), 52-59. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23011124

Ohashi, K., D'Souza, D., & Thomson, J. (2010). An automated system for tracking and identifying individual nectar foragers at multiple feeders. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64(5), 891-897. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40645539

Schindler, R., Schmalbein, N., Steltenkamp, V., Cave, J., Wens, B., & Anhalt, A. (2012). A technical primer on RFID: Tags, compositions, recyclability and forecasts. In SMART TRASH: Study on RFID tags and the recycling industry (pp. 33-58). RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt3fh0tp.10

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Weaknesses of RFID Use in Conservation

As with all things, there is room for improvement for RFID as a useful tool in conservation.

Durability

There can be multiple factors impacting the overall durability of a RFID system out in nature. Animals could pull off or break the tag depending on its design. Additionally, if relying on battery-operated active systems of RFID, it can result in data loss if the battery dies (Bridge and Bonter, 2010).

Hackability/Security

This is a concern especially to consumers using their credit cards. Similar to those consumers, conservationists may also need to worry about the security of their data. As mentioned, the durability of the tag can be an issue that contributes to data loss but the very nature of the tag being a piece of readable technology opens it up to reading by others with the capability since they do not necessarily have programming to prevent reading in some cases (Albrecht, 2008; Taghaboni-Dutta and Velthouse, 2006). Fortunately, as this technology progresses, security issues are being addressed in new designs.

Cost

Funding is an ever-constant issue for conservationists and this technology may not be practical for widespread use considering its need for both a tag and a reader, as well as each tag primarily being assigned to one object or grouping.

Resources:

Bridge, E., & Bonter, D. (2011). A low-cost radio frequency identification device for ornithological research. Journal of Field Ornithology, 82(1), 52-59. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23011124

Albrecht, K. (2008). RFID TAG—YOU’RE IT. Scientific American,299(3), 72-77. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/26000804

Fataneh Taghaboni-Dutta, & Betty Velthouse. (2006). RFID Technology Is Revolutionary: Who Should Be Involved in This Game of Tag? Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(4), 65-78. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4166271

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RFID and Recycling

If you are interested in how RFID technology is being used in sustainable ways like recycling, then the book SMART TRASH: Study on RFID tags and the recycling industry by Helen Rebecca Schindler, Nico Schmalbein, Vasco Steltenkamp, Jonathan Cave, Bastian Wens, and Arne Anhalt is exactly the read you need. Plus, there’s a free pdf here on their website: https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1283.html 

You can read this to learn about how RFID is able to be used to make the recycling process more efficient as well as some basic knowledge about RFID and how RFID can be used in other waste management areas.

[rfidandconservation-blog]

RFID and Bird Conservation

RFID has been shown to be useful in the study of ornithology, or, the study of birds. Researchers have been able to use RFID to monitor birds for many hours more and in many ways more, than traditional monitoring methods. With RFID technology, researchers were able to gather information on visitation rates to certain feeders, emigration and immigration between feeders, and any possible patterns of use by specific species. They found that RFID could be connected with other technology like sensors to monitor other attributes, all for a relatively low-cost setup for these researchers, showing that RFID can be effective, adaptable, and affordable in ornithological research and conservation efforts (Bridge & Bonter, 2011).

Resources:

Bridge, E., & Bonter, D. (2011). A low-cost radio frequency identification device for ornithological research. Journal of Field Ornithology, 82(1), 52-59. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23011124

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RFID and Plant Conservation

Something near and dear to my heart is the conservation of plants. RFID has been able to be used to both help them genetically and also prevent their unlawful destruction.

Plant Genetics

In an Italian grape orchard, researchers were able to use electronic barcodes based on RFID to track their plant samples. By tracking the plant samples, they were able to track which plants should be selected for clonal selection*. They were also able to use the tags to keep and transfer information not only about its genetics but also about the plant’s sanitary checks in this specific case (Pagano, Bandinelli, Rinaldelli, Panettoni, Triolo, & Luvisi, 2010). *Clonal selection refers to selecting plant material, like cuttings, to make clones.

Illegal Timber Harvesting

Illegal timber harvesting can be devastating both economically and ecologically. Removing trees can reduce biodiversity. Fortunately, RFID technology is being increasingly used by the logging industry to track the progress of the timber from harvest to shipping. Tagging these trees with RFID capable tags can be a useful tool for keeping track of where wood is being harvested and if it is being harvested from an area where harvesting is forbidden, thus helping to identify area of concern to take action (WWF, 2017; Dykstra, Kuru, and Nussbaum, 2003; Cybra.com, 2015). I can see the tracking of timber via these RFID tags being useful also in the realm of disease and insect transmission prevention.

Resources:

Pagano, M., Bandinelli, R., Rinaldelli, E., Panettoni, A., Triolo, E., & Luvisi, A. (2010). RFID technology for clonal selection purposes. Advances in Horticultural Science, 24(4), 282-284. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42883527

DYKSTRA, D., KURU, G., & NUSSBAUM, R. (2003). Technologies for log tracking. The International Forestry Review,5(3), 262-267. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.miamioh.edu/stable/43740127

World Wide Fund for Nature. (2017). “Illegal Logging”. Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/deforestation_causes/illegal_logging/

WWF-Hong Kong. (2007). “Illegal Logging” video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma-1nJxNxl0

Cybra.com. (2015). “4 Ways RFID Technology Can Work for Environmental Conservation.” Retrieved from https://cybra.com/rfid-and-the-environment-4-ways-rfid-technology-can-work-for-environmental-conservation/

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RFID: Radio-Frequency IDentification

This technology works by the transmission of a radio single between a tag and a reader.

 Image 1:  EPC-RFID Info, 2018

Tags (or labels) are made of a microchip, which stores information, and an antenna, which transmits the information a reader. Readers use their own antenna to pick up the information on the microchip in the tag which emitted its information via the tag’s antenna. The information is then able to be displayed on any piece of equipment with an RFID computer program.RFID systems can either be passive, where the power to transmit the information is gained by using the reader’s radio wave energy, or they can be active, where a battery powers the tag’s ability to transmit information. (EPC-RFID Info, 2018). 

RFID In Your Wallet 

As this video shows, RFID, and technology derived from it, can be seen today when we use our credit and debit cards to purchase items. 

Video: EMV, RFID, NFC, WTF? - CreditCards.com 

Another way RFID impacts your wallet is in its use in retail. Many retailers are able to use this technology to keep an inventory of their goods.

RFID In Nature

Image 2: “134.2 kHz RFID animal implant and injection device” by Reinraum on Wikimedia Commons.

The above image features something you may very well have at home right now in your furry friend. That small grain-of-rice looking piece of technology is an insertable microchip that uses RFID to contain information readable from a handheld reader. This form of RFID tagging and others. including such familiar tags as ear clips, can be used by conservationists in nature to store and gather information on tagged animals or on tagged plants in research. This ability to tag with storable information lends a great tracking tool to conservationists.

Resources:

EPC-RFID Info Item Level Identification. (2018). “What is RFID?”. Retrieved from https://www.epc-rfid.info/rfid_tags (Also source of first image).

Creditcards.com. (2015). “Video: EMV, RFID, NFC, WTF?”. Retrieved from https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/video-emv-rfid-nfc-wtf-1457.php