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Counting people in the countryside. This session. Consider why we need to count people Consider the techniques we have for counting people Demonstrate hardware the department has for counting people Discuss ways in which it could be used. Why count people?. Because we are sad cases
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This session • Consider why we need to count people • Consider the techniques we have for counting people • Demonstrate hardware the department has for counting people • Discuss ways in which it could be used
Why count people? • Because we are sad cases • We want to find out how many people use a resource, when and where • To look at trends • To monitor the effects of policy and management changes • To help with funding bids • For political reasons
Problems with counting people • The countryside is a seriously big place • Even managed sites have many entrances • Countryside does not normally have boundaries • Need to count 24/7/12 • Concentration on managed sites • Issues with counting wider countryside
Techniques • Manual counts • Management data • Ad hoc counts • Systematic observation • Mechanical counts
Mechanical counters • Inductive loop – detects metal • Pneumatic tube – for vehicles • Pressure sensitive pads • Break beam counters • Passive infra-red – detects heat • Target reflection infra-red – bounces pulses of infra red off of moving targets • Magnetometers – detects metal • Micro-switches
Data loggers • All counters need to be connected to a data logger • Can record by minute / hour / day …… • Need to be reliable and have low power consumption • Biggest cost of count data is monitoring and maintenance of counters and data-loggers
Are they accurate? • No • Need to calibrate data – need to know how inaccurate • Compare how many people are observed passing a counter with actual count on data logger • Need to find how many people / car • How many axles • Ins and outs
What sort of data will it produce? • Yearly counts • Weekly counts • Daily counts • Hourly counts • Graphs • Comparative data
Linking count data to other surveys • Count data lives when linked to other data • Questionnaires at count locations • Economic data • Example Cleveland Way (1988) • Average spend by long distance walker £122.90 • Counters and questionnaires show 5,000 long distance walkers per year • £614,500 per year spent by long distance walkers
Hardware – from Linetop Ltd Slab counters
Pyro counter • Magnetometer detects metal in vehicles and bikes • Pyro counter – detects body heat
Locating counters • Need to be invisible • Single file • Easy to get to • Vandal proof • Weather proof • Consider sources of error • Link into radio transmission of data