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Red-cockaded Woodpecker acclimates to military noise




------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:           	"Mark E. Johns" <johnsme@mindspring.com>
Subject:        	FW: RCW acclimates to noise
Date sent:      	Tue, 16 Oct 2001 11:52:55 -0400

fyi

-----Original Message-----
From: Bird conservation list for Department of Defense/Partners in
Flight [mailto:DODPIF-L@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU] On Behalf Of Chris Eberly
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2001 11:29 AM
To: DODPIF-L@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU
Subject: FW: RCW acclimates to noise


Results of a SERDP funded study on RCWs and noise impacts. - Chris

-----Original Message-----

From: Teefy, Dennis A USAEC/ATC [mailto:dateefy@daapgea050.apgea.army.mil]
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 1:04 PM
To: FIELDING_ENVIRONMENTAL_SOLUTIONS@aec2.apgea.army.mil

SPECIAL EDITION OF FIELDING ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS
Hosted by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER ACCLIMATES TO MILITARY NOISE

A study completed by ERDC-CERL provides the first credible evidence that
military training noise and the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) can
successfully coexist. With funding from the Strategic Environmental Research
and Development program (SERDP), researchers designed and carried out a
rigorous three-year experiment that assessed the RCW's reaction to a range
of noise events, including small arms, artillery, armor, helicopter, and
maneuver noise.

The study documented the RCW's immediate response (flush from the nest) and
individual fitness indicators such as reproductive success for specific
noise exposures. To determine the range of the bird's normal behavior and
hearing, baseline behavior as well as the hearing range and sensitivity were
established for undisturbed groups. The experiment was designed with the
assumption that if noise caused the birds to react by frequent flushing from
the nest, it could lead to a reduced overall fitness (survival and
reproductive success). Such a result would suggest possible changes in the
population viability.

The project found that the RCW successfully acclimates to military noise.
While the frequency of flushing increased proportionately with nearness and
volume of noise, all birds returned to the nests within 12 minutes. In
addition, the noise exposure did not produce any mortality or statistically
detectable changes in reproductive success.

Results of this study will be used to help the Army work with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service in developing realistic guidance for military training
in areas with RCW habitat. Severe restrictions had been placed on
installations in the southeastern U.S. during the early 1990s due to the
lack of valid information about training impacts on the species. This SERDP
study could effectively remove or reduce training restrictions related to
noise. For more information, contact Dr. Larry Pater at CERL, 217-373-7253,
Larry.L.Pater@erdc.usace.army.mil.


------- End of forwarded message -------

-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708