Reducing Wind Energy-Related Mortality in Threatened Raptors

Wind turbines pose a greater threat to threatened species, like the California condor.

Wind turbines pose a greater risk to threatened species, like the California condor.

Sheridan Devlin- Environmental Science

Rebecca Haber- Pre-Veterinary Science

12/06/2016

Rehabilitators took California condors into custody in order to secure their population in the 1980s (Avants, 2016). Recently they released Condor AC-4, a male in the California Condor Recovery Program, back into the wilderness. AC-4 fathered the first captive-born chick and through controlled breeding in captivity, the number of California condors rose from 22 to 435 (Avants, 2016). After spending 30 years in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, rehabilitators finally gave him a clean bill of health and decided he was fit to return to the wilderness again after blood levels indicated low lead content (USFWS, 2016). AC-4 serves as a reminder that the California condor’s population is still slowly recovering. This threatened species still requires protection, and wind energy–lauded for its environmental benefits–could ironically and unintentionally lead to their extinction (Platt, 2013). Continue Reading

The Effects of Arctic Offshore Drilling on Marine Ecosystems and Wildlife

Mila Calandrino, Natural Resources Conservation

Shauna Goulet, Environmental Science

Brendon DeAlmeida, Building Construction Technology

At the northernmost reaches of our planet lies a vast land that remains virtually untouched by human activity. This pristine environment is home to animals who are able to survive in the harshest conditions on Earth. In the coldest areas of the Arctic, wind stirs up drifts of brilliant white snow, creating the illusion of constant snowfall. Summertime is short, and brings with it the growth of small green shrubs in the southernmost parts of the usually snow-covered tundra. Miles of blue ocean are covered by seasonal blocks of sea-ice that provide critical habitat for polar bears and other unique Arctic organisms. Below the ice is a variety of unique marine organisms. These creatures range in size from giant, black bowhead whales that use their massive heads to crash through the ice to microscopic phytoplankton, the whales’ primary prey

A group of narwhals hunt for prey amidst the seasonal sea-ice.  https://www.sott.net/article/156708-Mysterious-Arctic-whale-under-threat-from-changing-habitat

A group of narwhals hunt for prey amidst the seasonal sea-ice. https://www.sott.net/article/156708-Mysterious-Arctic-whale-under-threat-from-changing-habitat

Continue Reading

Birds and Blades: A Misconception

Zachary Rosemere – Environmental Science

Christopher Pray – Building Contruction Technology

Margaret Upham – Natural Resource Conservation

Thirty stories in the air, atop a cold, steel tower, sits a bladed behemoth calmly swaying. Walking among the giants, one feels the cold hint of the racing winds above and of insignificance when gazing up. The towers stand stalwart and in an unbreakable formation, like soldiers combatting the wind, letting the birds get caught in the crossfire. Ceaselessly, they rotate, acting like a field of fans. Unlike a fan that will push you away when you approach it, the turbines do the opposite. The turbine’s blades rotate ferociously with a wingspan like that of a passenger jet. Though they appear to move slowly, the tips can reach one hundred and seventy miles per hour, which is fast enough to create a cyclonic pull that leads birds to a blunt death (Associated Press, 2013). There are missions and technology to mitigate these ecological consequences. The most notable being better siting practices, shutdown- on-detection, and radar and camera detection of bird groups.  Nonetheless, bird fatalities remain a concern. The mitigative technologies grow slowly, research is always an arduous process, then they take time to implement efficiently (Drouin, 2014). Continue Reading

The Race Against Time: Threatened polar bear habitat under attack from climate change

Kasey Tenggren, Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems

Christopher O’Brien, Bachelor of Science in Turfgrass Science and Management

Katy Ziemlak, Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation

 

Imagine you live in a small neighborhood on an island that can only be accessed through one boat off the coast of the mainland. This boat operates on a normal schedule from September until early spring in April or May. You rely on these months and this boat’s schedule to get supplies you will need to survive on your island each year. From early spring until September the captain of this boat discontinues travel back and forth to the island each year to satisfy the persistence of their spouse. You see, the island transportation doesn’t pay well and their spouse wants them to get a better job during the summer months. For your whole time living on this island you learned how to adjust to the Captain’s schedule and make appropriate accommodations to gather the food, supplies, and other necessities you need to survive through those months. However, with further worsening of the economy the Captain’s spouse  requests they work their other job all the way into September this year. This means you and your family are on the island for an additional month with dwindling supplies. You’re forced to eat and use less in order to conserve what energy and supplies you have. At least it’s just this one year before you can adjust to the Captain’s change in schedule. Now imagine you can’t adjust because of the impromptu timing of the Captain’s cancellation. Imagine every year you get to the end of the summer, the end of August, and you find your supplies thinning, your energy withering, and your body getting weaker. This is how polar bears have lived for the past several years. Unlike you and your family, polar bears are incapable of evolving to fit their environment so quickly. Your accessibility to the boat is representative of polar bear’s accessibility to the vital sea-ice they rely on. Continue Reading

Importance of Polar Bear Deterrence

Importance of Polar Bear Deterrence

Sandra Chen (Animal Science)

Shayne Bradford (Urban Forestry)

Sam English (Building and Construction Technology)

NatSci 397A Professional Writing

Professor Evan Ross

4/18/16

            Jakub Moravec was awoken one night while asleep in his tent on a remote arctic island. A polar bear had entered his tent and was clawing at his back Continue Reading

What is making birds drop from the sky?

Maria Mounsey- Wildlife Ecology

Benjamin Gontijo- Animal Science

Matthew Bieda- BCT

Shoulders hunched, neck lowered, a predator stalks its prey. Long claws imbed into the soft dirt below. One, two, three steps, a slow lower to the ground, stalking, waiting in silence. A long tail trails behind an athletic and deadly body, softly, it playfully swishes back and forth. Wait. wait. Wait. Locking large, round, golden eyes on its target, a slight pur escapes. Next is a flurry of feathers and cries. As the rustling begins to slow, the predator admires its kill, carefully pacing around it, pawing at the spread wingspan. Ruthlessly, the predator claws at the kill, pondering what to do with it, as the feathery mess lets out one last breath. Continue Reading

Whether or not wind turbines are a significant threat to bird populations

 

 

Billy DeVore, Forestry

Jamie Remillard, Animal Science

Chloe Doe, Animal Science

Kyle Gibbons, Plant Soil and Insect Sciences

         An article title in bold-faced letters reads “EMERGING SOLAR PLANTS SCORCH BIRDS IN MID-AIR”.  Appearing on Associated Press , this article , authored by Ellen Knickmeyer and John Locher (2014) , is exemplary of the media’s use of biased sensationalism to slight alternative energy and its effects on bird populations.  Whenever possible , popular media tends to highlight examples of charismatic megafauna , or larger organisms with high popular appeal , brutally killed off in cruel and , unusual manners . Whether it be wind turbines decapitating raptors, displaced and dehydrated desert tortoises, or spontaneously combusting “Streamer” birds , these stories serve to aggrandize the farcical evils of alternative energy sources (Knickmeyer and Locher , 2014). What is left out of a large portion of popular media and discourse are the comparative death rates of birds among energy sources . These aforementioned stories , with their inclusion of palpable violence done unto the most emotionally-appealing creatures , mask the long-standing direct and indirect ways in which the fossil fuel industry kills over 14 million birds annually . Infrequently do reports surface documenting the extraction of coal being solely responsible for the death of 7.9 million bird deaths per year (Sovacool , 2013) Rarely discussed are the immediate and downstream effects on avian creatures resulting from the fossil fuel industry ; such as the depletion of viable bird habitat in the form of hundreds of thousands of acres of deciduous forest clear cut annually for coal mining . The combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil , is responsible for incredible rates of non-point source pollution which cause detrimental effects on birds that transcend generations; such as the nation wide phenomenon of acid rain , or the bioaccumulation of mercury in birds that lowers their brood sizes and made serious effects on the health of their young(Sovacool 2013). Our paper intends to make a case in defense of wind energy , with regard to its association with having severe negative effects on bird populations . By comparing the number of annual bird deaths attributable to a combination of several energy resources,  this essay intends to provide evidence for wind power’s relatively small involvement in bird mortality within the United States ; while simultaneously highlighting how structural modifications to and an increased dependence on wind turbines can reduce said mortality in addition to the average national annual death toll .   

        Commonly used in the narrative espoused by anti-wind turbine organizations, is the rate at which wind turbines kill birds on an annual basis .  Generous estimates  made by wildlife and ornithological enthusiasts , contend that this number ranges well beyond half a million birds per year , reaching up to nearly 700,000 (Smallwood 2013) .  The consensus among most scientists is that this number is actually somewhere between 300,000- 400,000 birds per year (Loss et al ., 2013 ; Sovacool, 2013;Wang & Wang , 2015) . Despite this contention , bird fatalities caused by wind turbines still do not even come close to that of coal , which reach nearly 8 million annually (Sovacool , 2013)

        The Gigawatt hour ,or GWh , is the standard unit of energy used to discuss electricity production at a national scale-level . One GWh is the equivalent to 1,000,000 Kilowatt hours . By looking at this same issue in terms of the number of birds killed per Gigawatt hour generated by the various energy sources(coal and wind) , the comparative ratios serve to portray coal extraction and its’ resulting energy production as the truly destructive industry that it is .

        In his 2013 Report , The avian benefits of wind energy , Benjamin K. Sovacool assesses the number of bird fatalities associated with various energy sources based on meta-analysis and a collection of results from experiments from across the country . His findings indicate that on average , wind turbines killed .3 to .4 birds per GWh of electricity they produced , while coal killed approximately 5.2 bird per GWh (Sovacool 2013) . Standing alone , these numbers are indicative of the marked increase in harm done unto bird populations posed by coal . What is more telling , is that by using these determined multipliers (.35 for wind energy and 5.2 for coal) , in addition to a hypothetical inflation of wind energy’s contribution toward the national electricity production , it is evident that even despite this inflation , coal would still kill more birds annually .  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration , Coal accounts for approximately 33% of our nation’s electricity production (2015). As a nation the United States produces a total of 4 million GWh per year , meaning that coal accounts for 1,333,333.33 of those gigawatt-hours . In contrast , wind energy contributes much less  , at 4.7 % , or 188,000 GWh annually (US EIA , 2015) . Disregarding the latent effects of coal extraction that also account for bird fatality such as acid rain , bioaccumulation of mercury and habitat loss ,  this would conservatively determine that coal causes  6,933,333.22 , or approximately 7 million bird fatalities annually . In comparison , multiplying the 188,000 GWh produced by wind turbines , by Sovacool’s averaged experimental ratio of .35 birds per GWh , equals to 65,800 bird fatalities per year . Note that these are both conservative , and hypothetical calculations . In reality , the number of bird fatalities attributable to wind energy is approximately 350,000 (Loss et al ., 2013 ; Sovacool, 2013;Wang & Wang , 2015) . Hypothetically , if our nation saw a significant increase such as a 50% dependency on wind energy , the total number of birds killed on an annual basis would still be less than that of coal . The national generation electricity is currently 4 million GWh . If wind turbines were to account for 2 million GWh produced annually , multiplied by Sovacool’s factor of .35 , this equates to 700,000 bird fatalities annually . For argument sake , even despite adding the current number of bird fatalities attributable to wind energy to this hypothetical calculation , approximately 350,000 , it still remains less than those attributable to coal , at 1,050,000 bird fatalities per year  (Loss et al ., 2013 ; Sovacool, 2013;Wang & Wang , 2015) .

        Wind farms across the U.S. show a  rather insignificant impact on bird populations, but researchers tested and implemented proven methods of altering wind turbines to make them even less hazardous to birds populations. It can be difficult to see the impact wind turbines pose on endangered bird species due to the fact they do not kill any bird species in particular, but by reducing the overall mortality rate of bird species caused by wind turbines through altering the turbines, other benefits, such as the endangered bird species mortality rate, will decrease accordingly.

        The numbers of avian mortality due to wind turbines are much lower compared to other avian mortality contributors such as feral cats and power lines that serve more than triple the risk (Wang & Wang , 2015), although some people may worry about the turbines critically affecting endangered bird species whose populations are already at risk and low in quantity. Only 214,000- 368,000 birds are killed by turbines each year in the U.S. (Erickson et al.), compared to the 10-20 billion that currently reside in the US, leaving approximating  99.64% of the bird population unaffected by wind turbines. Wind turbines are a modern source of sustainable energy- efficient electricity, that pose very little threat to the environment in general. Therefore, we should continue to move forward with implementing wind turbines, and instead work to cut down avian mortality by implementing new turbine standards that would substantially reduce death. Wind turbine facilities can increase the diameter of the blades,which birds can see clearly and  avoid. Khan (2014) notes that birds, like wind turbines, are more often favorably positioned near high winds to allow for less energy expensive flying and migration, which poses a threat since birds are drawn to these wind turbine locations.Wind turbine facilities could raise the height of the wind turbine itself, where birds may not commonly fly at and away from foraging nests (Khan, 2014).

        Wind turbine areas could prove to help collect data for bird species residing in that current area, which could help them determine whether this is an area heavily populated by  birds,  including endangered species. In this case, wind turbines should move elsewhere if a high number of birds occupy in that given location. We can reduce the amount of avian mortality by reducing cut-in speeds, the  minimum speed at which the rotor blades turning will produce a certain amount of usable power, by 66% percent, which only lowers the efficiency of the wind turbines by a 3% loss in production (Horn et al. 2008.) The loss in production compared to the speed reduced is highly insignificant, and worth it if it means dramatically reducing avian mortality to an even smaller amount.

        Wind turbines are usually painted in a neutral white, a non-obtrusive color, making them more inconspicuous than noticeably obvious bright colors. Although  these wind turbines may blend in so well against the sky, many birds who lack well defined eyesight, do not see them and collide with the blades upon direct impact. Birds have a fourth set of cone cells,  a type of receptor for color,  that is particularly sensitive to ultraviolet light. Many of their prey’s bodies naturally reflect UV light making them more detectable, and is highly innate skill for birds to pick up on UV light.  Therefore, the suggestion is that we paint wind turbines in bright colors, and add a large ultraviolet lights facing upwind. The effect of these altercations to wind turbines serve to be similarly based upon applying Pavlov’s theory.  A dog salivates upon solely hearing a bell alone after numerous occasions when it was time to eat a bell rang at the same time as well, and the same theory can be applied to birds. A loud sound can be applied to the wind turbine, which will emit a noise for birds to stay away when they get too close, similar to a motion detector. The birds may become extremely startled the first time the sound goes off, but the bird, along with its fellow peers, will learn to avoid these areas with wind turbines over time after repetition, like the dinner bell. Hence, it is possible that with time, the number of birds fatalities at a given wind turbine location will decrease due to the repetitive teaching of where the wind turbines are exactly located, solely due to a sound being emitted.

 

       As our environment becomes increasingly polluted by huge fossil fuel burning power emissions, there is a greater need for greener solutions for energy production. Coal is one of the largest polluters and causes the deaths of over 7,900,000 birds every year through polluted air, habitats and food sources. As an extreme polluter, releasing over 200 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere per kiloWatt hour of energy, it is also one of the more expensive energy alternatives costing $297-$332 per MegaWatt Hour. This is over ten times the cost of wind turbines which cost $31-$81 per MegaWatt Hour. Along with being a cheaper energy source than most alternatives including coal wind turbines show zero carbon emissions and no negative pollutants associated with the collection of energy. Wind Energy also provides a safer alternative than nuclear power in that it does not involve the use of radioactive isotopes. Which also allows for the land to repurposed for other uses if they are no longer needed.

 

       Large predatory birds like eagles and hawks,  have been studied in regard to their susceptibility to being killed by wind turbines. A study was conducted by Johnston, Bradley, and Otter (2014) that directly looked at how frequently Golden Eagles were able to adjust their flight altitudes in order to miss collision with wind turbines. This study specifically looked at how frequently golden eagles flew through areas containing wind turbines, which the authors refer to as the “risk zone” (Johnston et al., 2014, p. 5). By combining and comparing their observations of the numbers in past to more recent years, the authors were able to determine that there are a growing number of golden eagles in the population in which the study took place. The data specifically showed a gradual increase of golden eagles over the years with 327 eagles in 2009 , 380 in 2010 , and 427 in 2011. (Johnston et al., 2014,p.5). This data directly supports the idea that wind turbines are not decimating large predatory birds at a faster rate than they are able to reproduce.

        The study by Johnston et al. (2014) also shows important information that the golden eagles were able to detect the presence of wind turbines and successfully avoid them. The authors assess the frequencies at which golden eagles would pass through areas containing wind turbines, and determined that before after construction of wind turbines, less than 1% of recorded golden eagles flights flew in the areas of the study low enough to potentially collide with a wind turbine. (Johnston et al., 2014,p.5).

        Another similar study was conducted in the U.S. specific to golden eagles and wind turbine collision frequencies. “Landscapes for energy and wildlife”, by Tack and Fedy assess the distances of golden eagle nesting areas and their proximity to wind turbines, where they tried to determine a correlation between them. The observations of the authors showed no correlation between nesting distance to collision with wind turbines (Tach & Fedy, 2015, p.6). This supports the idea that golden eagles are able to detect wind turbines and make decisions regarding how to avoid them. This is evidence that larger birds of prey and capable of avoiding wind turbines intentionally and will also be able to teach their offspring how to avoid collision.

        In regard to larger waterfowl and wind turbines, such as swans, a case study in Denmark was conducted by Jesper Kyed Larsen and Preben Clausen in 2001. The authors observed swans taking off and landing near coastal areas with about 50 wind turbines present at all 4 locations. The authors after the study were able to conclude that the swans were capable of completely avoiding the wind turbines during the day, at sunrise and sunset (Larsen & Clausen 2001, p.397). They agree that wind turbines were not hard for the birds to avoid in lighter conditions, “It seems likely that Whooper Swans will be fully capable of avoiding wind turbines during daylight and good visibility”, Larsen and Clausen (2001, p. 398).

        Larsen and Clausen (2001) agreed that this swan population’s risk of collision with wind turbines was highest during the morning and evening flights. This points to a very small time frame for collision risks, when light conditions are not optimal, but not dark enough for the birds to completely miss. This small time frame of collision, plus adequate light conditions is evidence that only a small number of swans will collide with wind turbines (Larsen & Clausen, 2001, p. 329).

       The authors also provide strong evidence that using taller wind turbines can further reduce the risk of collision. They support this argument by showing from their observations, that the average flight height of swans is about 11-20 meters high. They measured the wind turbines in the study zone and found that the tallest wind turbines lowest blade rotation point was 40 meters above the ground (Larsen & Clausen 2001, p. 329, Figure 2.). This is double the average flight height showing that swans are not likely to fly at heights high enough to collide with wind turbines. This evidence supports the points that wind turbines only pose a threat to swans for a very small time frame, and are generally tall enough that swans wouldn’t normally collide with them anyway.

       Larsen and Clausen in their research did not consider or test the benefits of using lights on wind turbines. The addition of lights to wind turbines would provide the birds extra visibility of wind turbines if light conditions for flying were not optimal. Since the collision rate is already very low for larger swan species, the addition of lights would help reduce wind turbine induced swan deaths further.

 

        There are much more harmful things to the bird population than the small number of deaths caused by collision with wind turbines. Overall, through installing more wind turbines in the U.S., green energy will  greatly reduce fossil fuel use and benefit the environment by declining the negative effects fossil fuels pose to both the environment collectively as a whole and the animals within it. By implementing more wind turbines that are altered for birds, green energy will lower  our dependency on fossil fuel use, and reduce the fatalities caused by fossil fuel pollution.

        Studies show various methods that can easily be applied for reducing wind turbine induced avian mortality further. Some of these techniques include  reducing the speed of the blades, addition of colors and sound, and improving the overall structural heights and widths of each component of the wind turbine. Adding lights is a simple measure that if used correctly can deter birds away from wind turbines. Birds are extremely receptive to UV light in particular. Small UV lights can be attached to wind turbines that would notify birds of the turbines location so that they could be avoided.

        Wind turbines actually pose as a safer energy alternative for birds than conventional methods such as coal. Coal ash fly is the remaining waste product after coal is  burned for energy. The deposition sites of coal ash fly prove to make highly toxic areas that (unlike wind turbines), affect all birds in that habitat (Chernick et al.,2016). The coal fly ash areas will leach excessive amounts of selenium into the soil and can induce many developmental growth deformities that lead to fatalities in all surrounding bird populations Chernick et al.,2016 page 188).

         Wind turbines only show to have an affect on a very small number of birds in the areas they are implemented, whereas the coal fly ash deposition sites are shown to have toxic effects on almost every neighboring inhabitat (Chernick et al., 2016 page 189). Wind turbines also only cause mortality to individual animals while selenium toxicity can cause issues to bird over generations. The selenium can genetically alter birds, cause them to have underdeveloped bodies,  organs, and fatal conditions that can be genetically passed down to offspring (Chernick et al., 2016 page 190).Wind turbines do not pose any genetic mutations to bird populations and effect less birds, making them the safer option than using non-renewable resources like coal.

 

       In reducing the number of birds that die from wind turbines, our group decided that all current and future wind turbines need modification with the mentioned alterations. These modifications are mandatory for all wind turbine industries and enforced by the EPA. Implementing laws regarding the alterations for all wind turbines would need to pass for every state in the U.S. and would also require every wind turbine company to go through them to continue building or collecting wind. Through making all wind turbine companies go through the EPA, this would also help to regulate the current wind turbine industry and help researchers to collect better data samples. Through better data sampling, we can continue to improve wind turbines and further lower the amount of bird related deaths substantially more, and the country can continue to progressively move towards an efficient source of green sustainable energy.

 

       

this image shows the large differences in causes of bird death.

this image shows the large differences in causes of bird death.

Our group decided that the benefits of green energy collected from wind turbines outweighs the slight loss in bird populations in the U.S. We have come to this  conclusion for a couple of reasons first being the current wind turbines are altered in order further reduce bird mortality rates, by changing the color of the turbines along with added lights that are visible to the birds and loud noises associated with the wind turbines to all act together as a warning system to reduce bird fatalities. next , the implementation of these wind turbines have the ability to reduce the use of fossil fuel burning power plants therefore decreasing the pollution which is actually responsible for far greater displacement and death of birds . By lowering pollution levels in the environment, the overall health of the wildlife including birds will increase and the mortality rates caused by polluted habitats, air and food sources will decrease at a more substantial rate than the death rates caused by the wind turbines.

 

Literature Cited

Chernick, M., Ware, M., Albright, E., Kwok, K. W. H., Dong, W., Zheng, N., & Hinton, D. E. (2016). Parental dietary seleno-L-methionine exposure and resultant offspring developmental toxicity. Aquatic Toxicology, 170, 187-198. doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.11.004

 

Erickson, W. P., Wolfe, M. M., Bay, K. J., Johnson, D. H., & Gehring, J. L. (2014). A comprehensive analysis of small-passerine fatalities from collision with turbines at wind energy facilities. Plos One, 9(9), e107491. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107491

 

Johnston, N.N.,  Bradley, J., & Otter,K.A. (2014). Increased flight altitudes among

migrating golden eagles suggest turbine avoidance at a rocky mountain wind installation. Plos one , 9(3) doi : 10.1371/journal.pone.0093030

 

Khan, S. (2014). Warning sounds and color for reducing bird and bat mortality at wind turbines. 9th International Forum on Strategic Technology, IFOST 2014, October 21, 2014 – October 23, 322-325. doi:10.1109/IFOST.2014.6991131

 

Knickmeyer, E., & Locher , J.(2014, August 18) Emerging solar plants scorch birds in mid-air. Associated Press. Retrieved from http://bigstory.ap.org/article/emerging-solar-plants-scorch-birds-mid-air

 

Larsen, J. K., & Clausen, P.. (2002). Potential Wind Park Impacts on Whooper Swans in Winter: The Risk of Collision. Waterbirds: The International Journal of Waterbird Biology 25(1), 327–330.

 

Loss, S. R., Will, T., & Marra, P. P. (2015). Direct mortality of birds from anthropogenic causes. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 46(1), 99-120. Retrieved February 28, 2016.

 

Sovacool,Benjamin K.(2013) The avian benefits of wind energy: A 2009 update

Renewable Energy, 2013, 49, 19-24

 

Tack, J. D., & Fedy, B. C. (2015). Landscapes for energy and wildlife: Conservation prioritization for golden eagles across large spatial scales. Plos One, 10(8), e0134781. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134781

 

United States Energy Information Administration . (2015). What is U.S. electricity production by energy source . Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3

 

Understanding the Buzz on Honey Bee Population Decline

Arianna Wills [NRC Wildlife] Emily Mann [Pre-Veterinary Science] Valovia Costa [Environmental Science]

Understanding the Buzz on Honey Bee Population Decline

      In the 1940s the pesticide DDT was developed and used with great success to combat deadly insect borne diseases like malaria and typhus. DDT was sprayed on everything, including: crops, livestock farms, lakes, parks, homes, and gardens (Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). It was relatively cheap, extremely effective, and began to be used around the globe. However, in the 1960s, evidence showed that DDT was having unforeseen environmental consequences (EPA, 2015). DDT proved toxic to nontarget species, like birds and fish because this chemical does not break down naturally in the environment and accumulates in the fatty tissues of wildlife (EPA, 2015). DDT began to significantly impact bald eagles because they ate contaminated fish and this chemical began building up in the birds (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007). DDT interfered with the eagles ability to produce proper eggshells, so the eggs were crushed during incubation or otherwise simply never hatched (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007). The bald eagle population crashed (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007). Once the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT in the U.S., bald eagle populations slowly began to bounce back (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007). Impressively, the ban lead to the removal of the bald eagles from the endangered species list (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007). The environmental repercussions of DDT were realized and caught in time to save bald eagles from extinction.

      Now, a similar threat is faced by an even more important species: the honey bee. In the spring of 2007, commercial beekeepers, who loan their bees out to help farmers pollinate their crops, began to see more and more cases of what became known as colony collapse disorder (CCD) (Turner, 2014). Continue Reading

The Un-BEE-lievable News

Channy Chhim, Environmental Science

Dean Fish, Geology

Chelsey Mullen, Pre-Veterinary Science

When people think about bees, they instantly think of being stung and maybe even allergies associated with them. However, cases of stinging tend to be from more aggressive species like hornets or wasps.These aggressive species tend to give bees a bad reputation, despite the fact that the honey bee is an integral part of our agricultural system. Honey bees not only produce honey, but they also pollinate, and therefore enable the procreation of, our fruit and flowering crops, which contributes to 40% of our food supply (Siegel and Betz, 2010). In 2010, honey bees aided the production of over $19 billion of crops in the United States alone, whereas all other pollinators combined contributed to the production of almost $10 billion of crops (US Fish and Wildlife, 2016). This means that honey bees alone are responsible for two thirds of animal pollinated crops. Wild populations of bees provide a free pollination service, which is worth $215 billion on a global scale (Goulson, Nicholls, Botías, & Rotheray, 2015). These crops not only include produce such as apples, squash, and almonds, but also commodities such as chocolate and coffee. Although the pollination services that bees offer are an integral aspect of the world’s agricultural production of insect pollinated crops, they go largely unrecognized. This is especially troubling now because bee populations are not only declining, but doing so at an alarming rate (Goulson, Nicholls, Botías, & Rotheray, 2015). Continue Reading

Significance of Wind Turbines on Bird Mortality

Birds flying over a field at dawn in winter. J. Marijis. Shutterstock

Birds flying over a field at dawn in winter. (Marijis, J.)

Jacqueline Kennedy- Environmental Science, Gina Chesmore- Animal Science, Johanna Smith- Animal Science

As scientists decipher threats to human health and the ecosystem, they look to birds to find indicators of these threats. Particular bird species are susceptible to changes in the environment, making them good indicators of environmental conditions. Rachel Carson was among one of the first scientists to study this linkage; she observed the impact of DDT on bird populations after World War II, when the compound was widely used as a pesticide. If it were not for birds, the Environmental Protection Agency would not have discovered the negative effects of the pesticide so readily. As a result of these findings the United States banned DDT in 1972 (Beard, 2006). Another example of birds as an indicator species is the use of canaries in coal mines to detect carbon monoxide and other toxic gases, since the birds are more sensitive to toxins and would show signs of poisoning before the miners did. Other examples include mortality of crows as an indication of West Nile Virus and sick vultures in Asia due to diclofenac, a drug administered to livestock in order to help them heal from wounds (Balmford, 2013). In order to continue to utilize birds as an indicator species, we must find ways to preserve their populations, as they are a necessary part of the food chain that can lead to scientific discovery in regards to both human health and ecosystem health. Continue Reading