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Apr 3, 2024

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Team Unity Presents:

1 The Overgrazing Sensor

2 Worked on by: David Chang, Delquan Murphy, Saffiya McNulty, Ronico Gelado, and Manuel Bustamante Executive Summary Team Unity is trying to create an ultrasonic sensor to control overgrazing in Farms. Our team’s focus is in Australia because 89.7% of the country’s desertification is caused by overgrazing. Overgrazing occurs when cows or other types of livestock stay to graze in one area for too long and when fields are not given enough time to regrow in between grazing periods. We will create a system to notify the shepherd when his herd has eaten the grass down to a certain height. This will ensure that the cows won’t eat the entire ecosystem of grass and weeds within their designated feeding pen. The ultrasonic sensor that our team will use will be able to measure distance by sending out a sound wave at a specific frequency and listening for that sound wave to bounce back. By measuring the time that passes while the sound wave is being generated and the sound wave that bounces back, it is possible to calculate the distance between the sonar sensor and the grass level. It is a fact that overgrazing is not just a role of animal numbers it is also a role of time, which has to be given special importance. Our system will also prevent the death of the livestock. The long term effects of overgrazing are food shortage, which can make cattle die of starvation. Without sufficient pasture for livestock grazing, cattle lack the necessary nutrients for them to survive. The use of a grazing chart can help in planning out how to implement rotational grazing. It can be used while the ultrasonic sensor is recording the grass level that is currently being eaten

3 by the cattle. Once the ultrasonic sensor has reached the level of grass that it is programed to detect the shepherd will be notified and the cattle will be removed from that grassland part of the field. The Problem Desertification is a huge issue all over the world, causing serious damage to natural ecosystems and resulting in endangered species and infertile land. One of the largest contributors to this issue is overgrazing, which is the cause of 89.7% of Australia’s desertification. Overgrazing occurs when cows or other types of livestock stay to graze in one area for too long and when fields are not given enough time to regrow in between grazing periods. This is often due to negligent shepherding. For instance, it will happen if the farmer puts too large a group of livestock in one area, leaves the flock out with no time limit or puts animals in an area that has recently been grazed. The most immediately pressing consequences of overgrazing are soil erosion, land degradation and the loss of valuable species. Soil erosion occurs when the earth is continually trampled by the hooves of livestock, which kills native plants and compacts the dirt so that new plants cannot take root. Once vegetation has diminished, the top layer of soil is left unprotected from the elements and eventually gets blown away by the wind or washed away by rainfall. This leaves the ground dry and nutrient-poor which in turn leads to land degradation. Without the top layer of nutrient rich soil, the previous quality is extremely hard to regain, preventing plants from growing and eventually leading to desertification. Because it is so hard for native plants to regrow, invasive species begin to spread, making it even more difficult and sometimes

4 impossible for native plants to grow. Without their main food sources, native animal species begin dying out, damaging the natural system even more. In some parts of Australia’s GER corridor, such as Wagga Wagga, overgrazing has already caused lasting impact to the existing ecosystem. There has been loss of slow-growing mosses and lichens which once acted as habitat and food for many species of invertebrates. In fact, only 2% of original grasslands remains in some of Australia’s temperate regions. Long term effects of this issue include a decrease in fertile soil, loss of important native flora, less food, more starving people, and animal endangerment and extinction. Design Specifications - Height of cell tower 25.8 inches - Height of low grass 0.5 inches, length 17 inches, width 14 inches - Height of high grass 4 inches, length 17 inches, width 14 inches - Elegoo Ultrasonic HC-SR04 Distance Measuring Transducer Sensor Specifications: - Product Dimensions: 1.8 X 0.6 X 1.2 inches - Ranging distance: 2cm - 500 cm - Resolution: 0.3 cm - Effectual angle: <15 degrees - Power supply: 5V DC - Quiescent current: <2mA - Raspberry Pi 3 Model B motherboard specification:

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