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Bioindication Of Atmospheric Heavy Metal Deposition In The Blue Ridge Using The Moss Thuidium Delcatulum, Johathan Scott Schilling

Theses & Honors Papers

Heavy metals in the environment pose a risk to human health as well as to ecosystem health. These metals are released into the atmosphere as a result of industrial processes, and can be transported away from their sources to be deposited into the environment. Ectohydric mosses are known accumulators of atmospheric heavy metals, and their tissue can be used to quantify integrated deposition of these metals over time in the ecosystem.

In this study, the moss Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) was used to quantify lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) concentrations in the central Blue Ridge of Virginia …

Measurement Of The Proton Structure Function F2 At Very Low Q2 At Hera, J. Breitweg, S. Chekanov, M. Derrick, D. Krakauer, S. Magill, A. Pellegrino, J. Repond, R. Stanek, R. Yoshida, Margarita C. K. Mattingly, G. Abbiendi, F. Anselmo, P. Antonioli, G. Bari, M. Basile, L. Bellagamba, D. Boscherini, A. Bruni, G. Bruni, G. Cara Romeo, G. Castellini, L. Cifarelli, F. Cindolo, A. Contin, N. Coppola, M. Corradi, S. De Pasquale, P. Giusti, G. Iacobucci, G. Laurenti, G. Levi

Faculty Publications

A measurement of the proton structure function F2(x, Q2) is presented in the kinematic range 0.045 GeV2 < Q2 < 0.65 GeV2 and 6 · 10-7 < x < 1 · 10-3. The results were obtained using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.9pb-1 in e+ p reactions recorded with the ZEUS detector at HERA. Information from a silicon-strip tracking detector, installed in front of the small electromagnetic calorimeter used to measure the energy of the final-state positron at small scattering angles, together with an enhanced simulation of the hadronic final state, has permitted the extension of the kinematic range beyond that of previous measurements. The uncertainties in F2 are typically less than 4%. At the low Q2 values of the present measurement, the rise of F2 at low x is slower than observed in HERA data at higher Q2 and can be described by Regge theory with a constant logarithmic slope δlnF2/δln(1/x). The dependence of F2 on Q2 is stronger than at higher Q2 values, approaching, at the lowest Q2 values of this measurement, a region where F2 becomes nearly proportional to Q2. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Deer Management At Airports: A Case Study, J. Harris Glass

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Deer living on and around airports pose a threat to aircraft. The consequence of a deer-aircraft strike can be serious and potentially tragic. Nationally, cervids (deer) accounted for 67% of all reported mammal-aircraft strikes and have caused damage in 81% of deer strikes in the United States (Cleary et al. 1999). Due to the potential for damage, the Federal Aviation Administration and USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services (WS) program recommend a zero-tolerance of deer on an airfield. Deer densities at Newport News / Williamsburg International Airport (PHF) were as high as 171.5 deer/mi² at the onset of the Wildlife Hazard Assessment conducted …

Utility Of Tdwr And Asr-9 Data To Mitigate Bird Strikes At Commercial Airports, Mark A. Isaminger, Mark E. Weber

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Conflicts between birds and commercial aircraft are a noteworthy problem at both large and small airports. The risk factor for U.S. airports continues to increase due to the steady rise in take-off/landings and bird populations. The focus of bird strike mitigation in the past has centered primarily on Wildlife Management techniques. Recently, an Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS) has been developed to reduce the risks of bird strikes to military operations. This system uses a mosaic of data collected by the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD). This sensor serves as an excellent tool for enroute bird advisories due to the …

Summary Of Bird Ingestions Into Aircraft Engines: Current Industry Activity And Bird Strike Reporting, Richard Parker

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

This presentation will show some of the bird strikes and/or trends to engines in the past few years. The presentation will emphasize the safety aspects associated with aircraft engine bird ingestions and show the current statistics as understood by the engine manufacturers. The presentation will also address industry activity related to the hazard of larger birds. There will also be comments relative to the importance of accurate and complete bird strike reporting now that many agencies are reporting and collecting data.

An Evaluation Of Techniques For The Control Of Birds On Landfills Near Airports, John Allan, Andy Baxter

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

This paper reports progress on an investigation of a variety of bird deterrent techniques on landfill sites. The objective of the study is to develop and test integrated bird management strategies for use on landfills, both close to airports and elsewhere. The first phase of the study is designed to evaluate individual techniques such as distress calls, pyrotechnics, falcons etc. to determine efficacy, time to habituation and differences in effectiveness for different pest bird species. Once the most promising techniques are identified they will be combined into integrated programs and tested long term on a various landfill sites across the …

Analysis Of The Use Of Radio-Controlled Models In Bird Dispersal, Nicholas B. Carter

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Border Collie Rescue (BCR), in cooperation with the Dover Air Force Base, conducted a series of field trials to test the efficacy of utilizing radio-controlled models (“RCs”) (aircraft and boats) in dispersing several species of birds from troublesome locations around the Dover AFB environment. Results of these trials suggest that RCs can be used to effectively harass seagulls, raptors, ducks, and geese from difficult areas, though there are a number of limitations that must be taken into account when determining the value of instituting a harassment program utilizing RCs. Though use of Border Collies in its wildlife management program had …

Wildlife Control At Vancouver International Airport: Introducing Border Collies, Dave Ball

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Situated on an island located along a major Pacific Flyway, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has developed a comprehensive wildlife management program in order to maintain a safe aircraft operating environment. YVR attracts a diverse range of bird species, including: ducks; gulls; herons; geese (Canada and Snow); sparrows; swallows; crows; starlings; owls; hawks; and eagles. The airport’s Wildlife Management Program consists of a Habitat Management Program and a Wildlife Control Program which are both based on a database of knowledge the airport continues to build regarding the behaviour patterns of wildlife common to the airport. Operating 24-hours-per-day 365 days of the …

Creating A Wildlife Program, Dan Wood

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

In Feb 2000 Dover AFB hired a wildlife contractor utilizing a Border Collie as one of the main tools in our BASH program. The introduction of the Border Collie, as a tool in bird abatement was thoroughly researched. Since no other base had any other program like this an initial statement of work had to be written. A climate study was conducted with base personnel, the base veterinarian, legal office and the state department of natural resources on the idea of using a dog to harass wildlife. The major obstacles in creating a program this diverse and using a civilian …

A Better Way To Record And Report On Wildlife Movements, Greg Winfield

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

As a former Controller, I’ve recognized that Wildlife Officers usually end up producing hand-counted reports that often fail to highlight critical data such as species trends, primary attractants, dispersant ratios, migration timings, etc. I have written a software program that specifically addresses this problem. AIRMAN (Animal Interdiction Report Manager) is a complete stand-alone program that reports on all aspects of wildlife intervention. There are no calculations to be made, nor any wading through a myriad of daily logs for answers. CYYZ have seen the advantage and have implemented this software already. It produces Line Graphics to display trends based on …

Management Of Silver Gulls To Prevent Bird Strikes At Sydney Airport, Aimee Hutchinson

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

A bird strike is defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft. While most bird strikes cause little or no damage to the aircraft, some incidents can be fatal and at the least, very costly. The majority of bird strikes occur during landing or take-off thus the focus of bird management is centered around the airport environments. The geographical features surrounding Sydney Airport include a number of bird-attracting water bodies: Botany Bay, Botany Wetlands, the Cooks River and Alexandra Canal. These features attract a diverse and abundant assemblage of migratory and coastal bird species including silver gulls ( …

The Avian Hazard Advisory System (Ahas): Operational Use Of Weather Radar For Reducing Bird Strike Risk In North America, T. Adam Kelly, Ron Merritt, Andreas Smith, Mark Howera, Ron White

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

The Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS) was developed to use NEXRAD weather radar data and National Weather Service (NWS) weather data to forecast and monitor bird activity. The system was tested in a pilot study in 1998 and became operational for the eastern 1/3 of the USA in March 2000. Two thousand low level routes, ranges, airspace and military airfields are evaluated every hour. The monitoring of birds in near real time uses algorithms developed by Geo-Marine, Inc to isolate biological targets from weather. Removing the weather returns permits subsequent processing to retrieve information on bird strike risk to be …

Factors Associated With Damaging Bird Strikes For United States Air Force Aircraft, Christine A. Tedrow, Patrick F. Scanlon, James A. Parkhurst, Steve L. Mcmullin

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Analysis of strike data is critical to determine the true economic costs of bird strikes, determine the magnitude of safety issues, and develop preventive measures. Analysis of USAF bird-strike data identified trends and indicated suggested relationships among factors contributing to damaging strikes. From FY 1988 through FY 1997, the annual mean was 2,668 bird strikes with peaks evident in fall and spring. Daylight and dusk were hazardous for bird strikes. More bird strikes occurred during airfield operations and when aircraft were operating at low altitudes (and when soaring birds were more numerous). Aircraft speed, phase of flight, taxonomic group, bird …

Dispersal Of Soaring Raptors Using Radio-Controlled Aircraft, Mark Loud

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

The purpose of the Radio Control flying program is to aid in the effort of bird harassment. Because no one method can be successful in deterring birds from inhabiting the runway area, several different measures must be taken to ensure we are doing all we can to keep them away. Radio-controlled planes, combined with other techniques, are a valuable tool in the ongoing efforts against birds on the airfield. Radio-controlled (RC) planes can scare birds where other techniques fall short. With a range of over one mile, the RC planes can cover most of the runway/infield area while being controlled …

Bird Strike Remains Identified At No Cost To Aircraft Owners Or Airports, Carla Dove, Marcy Heacker-Skeans

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Wildlife Research Center, through an Interagency Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), maintains a national database of reports of bird and other wildlife collisions (strikes) with civil aircraft. Wildlife strikes are an increasing problem that costs civil aviation in the USA over $350 million annually and the occasional loss of human lives. The database, with about 28,000 strike reports for 1990-1999, provides critical information to airport operators, biologists, engine manufacturers, aeronautical engineers and regulators in designing programs, policies, and aircraft to reduce damaging wildlife strikes. A major deficiency in the database, however, is …

Jet Engine Certification Standards, Paul Eschenfelder

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

The ability of modern jet engines to ingest birds and continue to operate is largely misunderstood or not contemplated at all in the aviation industry. Currently, there is not one jet engine operating in the world that is certified to ingest one large bird (goose, swan, stork, pelican, vulture, etc) and continue to operate. The effort to harmonize bird ingestion rules between the FAA and JAA has failed. Controversy erupted in recent certification meetings regarding the database being used to certify engines. Additionally, should only rotating engine parts meet certain standards, or all engine parts exposed to impact meet standards? …

Wildlife Management Tools – What’S In Your Toolbox?, John E. Ostrom

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Airport managers of today are faced with a variety of choices of what tools to use to deal with their wildlife problems. The Airside Operations staff of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), has developed a “Wildlife Toolbox” which offers an assortment of programs, systems and devices to best deal with problem wildlife at a large northern tier hub airport. This “toolbox”, developed over time, includes not only the basics needed by an Airport Manager, but some rather unique tools that managers should consider when developing their own toolboxes.

Canada Goose Management At The Minneapolis-St. Paul International And Downtown St. Paul Airports, James A. Cooper

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

The Metropolitan Airports Commission initiated a Canada goose control program at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in 1984, and the Downtown St. Paul Airport (DTSP) in 1994. Flightless geese within 16 km of these airports were trapped, neck-banded, and observed and counted weekly from September to December (MSP) and February (DTSP). Efficacy was measured by observing fall goose flights through the operations airspace in 1984-87, 1998-1999 (MSP) and 1994-1999 (DTSP). A total of 2,587 geese were removed from 36 MSP sites and 2,163 from 12 DTSP sites. From 1990 to 1999, 535 nests containing 2,637 eggs were destroyed and …

Lasers As Nonlethal Avian Repellents: Preliminary Experiments, Bradley F. Blackwell, Glen E. Bernhardt

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Laser technology has recently been demonstrated as a potentially effective avian repellent; however, controlled studies have not been reported. We conducted 2-choice cage tests to quantify the effectiveness of low-power (10−60-mW) 633−650-nm lasers in preventing Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and Rock Doves (Columbia livia) from perching and Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) from use of grass plots. In 3 experiments with stationary and moving laser beams “defending” a randomly selected perch, brown-headed cowbirds were not repelled, nor did they exhibit behaviors indicating perception …

Flight Control As A Goose Deterrent At Portland International Airport, Sharon Gordon, Noel Lyman

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Geese pose a threat to aircraft worldwide. The anthraquinone formula “Flight Control” (FC) is marketed as a deterrent to grazing geese, through an ultraviolet and post-ingestional repellency. The Port of Portland conducted a test to address six objectives regarding the effectiveness of Flight Control. A field with heavy goose activity was divided into five transects, two of which had goose activity 65 percent of the 22 days monitored. These two plots were sprayed using a mixture of one-half gallon of FC, five gallons of water, and eight ounces of an agricultural sticker. This was applied at a rate of one-half …

Bird Strike Trends And Bird Harassment Efforts In China, Zhou Ming Jun

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

China is a large developing country. Under recent policies, the aviation industry has grown quickly. The bird-strike events have also increased rapidly, with 170 birdstrikes recorded from 1991 to 1997. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) monitored these trends closely, and ABSAC was formed. We imported some products from the USA, which imitated a bird’s distress call, but these products didn’t work well in China. CAAC entrusted Tsinghua University to solve this problem. SBS company of Tsinghua University, led by Professor Xi Boa Shu took this task. For two years, SBS manufactured a series of products to prevent birdstrikes. …

Potential Use Of On-Board Radar For Bird Detection And Avoidance, Pete Stephan

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

An approach to the reduction of military bird strike costs is proposed. Financial return-on-investment would be maximized by focusing on the most expensive bird strikes without requiring new investment in hardware. Most of the dollar cost of military bird strikes results from strikes in the military-unique high-speed/low-altitude flight regime over remote areas. Avoiding these birds motivates a short time from detection of the bird until the pilot avoidance response because single raptors are now causing a large fraction of the losses. Ground-based sensors with communications links to pilots would be expensive because of the geographic extent of the ranges where …

Current Status Of The Usaf Bird Avoidance Model (Bam), Russell P. Defusco

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

The United States Air Force (USAF) Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Team has been developing versions of a Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) since the early 1980’s. In the developmental phases of the first models, it was recognized that avoiding birds on low-level routes and ranges was the only solution to the significant problem of bird strikes to these military operations nationwide. The early versions of BAM were limited in coverage, biological data, and resolution. With the advent of sophisticated Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and advances in computational capability, modern versions of the USAF BAM have become increasingly robust and …

The Relationship Between Bird Strikes And Weather: A Detailed Species Based Analysis, John Allan, Susan Manktelow, Jennifer Bell

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Bird controllers have recognized for many years that the frequency of bird strikes is related in some way to weather conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between bird strike frequency and rainfall on certain airfields. This paper takes bird strike data from five major UK airports and relates them to a variety of weather parameters. It then examines the relationships found on a species by species basis and uses differences in the ecology of the birds involved to suggest the mechanisms by which weather may influence bird strike frequency. The data can be used to better target bird control …

Federal Migratory Bird Permits And Airports, Marlys Bulander

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Federal regulations provide for issuance of permits to control damage or other “injury” being caused by migratory birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services and individual airports to minimize the likelihood of bird/aircraft collisions. This presentation explains the rules, regulations, and procedures related to federal migratory bird permits and the Service’s commitment to helping provide the tools necessary to help airports create bird-free air space.

Red-Tailed Hawk Translocation For Reducing Collisions With Aircraft, Matthew R. Bruggeman

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Raptor translocation is currently being used by several airports to reduce collisions with aircraft. Changes in red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) numbers and hawk/aircraft strikes were studied in relation to translocation of raptors at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska from March 1999 through March 2000. The effect of distance on translocation success was also studied. Hawks were captured with pole traps, banded, and released approximately 80, 160, and 240 km from the airport. Two bird surveys were conducted at bimonthly intervals from April 1998 through March 1999, after which surveys were conducted at weekly intervals. These surveys provided an …

High Return Rates For Relocated Red-Tailed Hawks: Preliminary Findings At Portland International Airport, Julie Fukuda, Carole Hallett

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Pacific Habitat Services, Inc. (PHS), under contract with the Port of Portland (Port), trapped, banded, and relocated red-tailed hawks at the Portland International Airport (PDX) in Portland, Oregon, beginning in October 1999. Although the Port has a program to deal with wildlife hazards to aircraft operations, raptor prey base management and hazing hadn’t effectively reduced wildlife hazards. Nineteen birdstrikes occurred in September, 1999. Prior to this season, birdstrikes ranged from 0 to 11 within a one-month period. Thus, immediate action was needed to reduce raptor abundance on the airfield. In fall and winter of 1999, PHS captured and relocated fifteen …

Successful Actions For Avian Hazard Control In Brazil, Luiz Claudio Magalhaes Bastos

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Brazil built one of the world’s largest aeronautical infrastructures. The airport net is distributed along its vast territory, which shows a tremendous ecosystem variety. Having a large civilian aircraft fleet and also running second after Venezuela in catalogued bird species, Brazil has had problems related to bird strikes. Although Brazil has few problems with migratory birds, the threat posed by resident birds in some airports represents a significant risk. On the other hand, due to human population growth and poor policies of garbage disposal in the past, nowadays some big airports have in their vicinities open dumps that attract birds. …

The Use Of Border Collies To Disperse Birds At Southwest Florida International Airport, Bobby D. O'Rick

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

Similar to many airports throughout the United States and Canada, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) has a number of development features attractive to wildlife. Such features include stormwater detention ponds, large expanses of open fields, natural wetland marshes, and mature trees. In order to maintain safe operations and minimize the potential for wildlife-aircraft collisions, RSW has expanded the existing wildlife harassment program to include the use of a border collie. An Ecological Study completed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1997 indicated regular use of the airfield throughout the year by wading birds, waterfowl, and blackbirds. Although …

The Use Of Border Collies In Dover Air Force Base’S Wildlife Control Program, Nicholas B. Carter

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 2nd (2000)

On February 1, 2000, Dover Air Force Base became the first Air Force base in the world to employ a Border Collie in its airfield wildlife management program. Initial results from Border Collie Rescue’s program at Dover AFB are tremendously encouraging, as a substantial percentage of large birds has been excluded from the airbase and the surrounding farmlands, an overall area encompassing roughly 46 km². Total bird numbers were reduced by more than 150,000 birds (99.1%) within a short initial 4-week period. The reduction in bird populations present in the Dover AFB environment was accomplished while the numbers …