Resolving issues of imprecise and habitat-biased locations in ecological analyses using GPS telemetry data

This methodological review tackled two pervasive problems in GPS telemetry: locations are imprecise, and the probability of obtaining a fix at all depends on habitat, terrain, and canopy. Left uncorrected, these biases distort estimates of habitat selection and movement, because failed fixes are not missing at random. The authors compiled approaches to quantify and correct location error and fix-rate bias, including modeling fix success as a function of environmental covariates and weighting analyses accordingly. For felid studies in forested or rugged terrain, where dense cover suppresses fixes, the guidance is directly relevant. The paper is a practical companion to the broader critiques of telemetry, turning abstract warnings into concrete analytical remedies.