Global navigation satellite system use in livestock species: a systematic review

• Sensor-based monitoring of livestock movement is widely used in research • Systematic review of 659 studies reveals wide variation in tracking practices • Experimental design, sampling frequency, and form-factor vary widely • Battery life, weight, and attachment limit long-term deployment • Findings highlight the need for standardized deployment and reporting methods Precision livestock technologies are transforming the livestock industry by enabling data-driven insights into animal behavior and physiology. Among these tools, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) provide the ability to monitor livestock movement, spatial utilization, and grazing behavior across diverse environments. Despite the growing use of GNSS in both research and commercial environments, limited research has focused on the consolidation of knowledge regarding GNSS deployment, data processing, or analytical approaches for data collection and reporting. This systematic literature review was conducted in January 2022 and included 253 peer-reviewed studies that employed GNSS in livestock research to summarize current practices, sampling methodologies, and analytical approaches, such as home range estimation methods. The findings identified variation in experimental design, sampling frequency, and device formfactor, reflecting the diversity of research objectives and production systems studied. Challenges, such as battery life, device weight, and attachment reliability continue to constrain the long-term deployment of GNSS devices under extensive grazing conditions. These results highlight the need for standardization and continued development to improve GNSS research.