Electrocution of raptors at power lines in Central Kazakhstan

Along three transects of medium voltage power lines in the steppe of Central Kazakhstan, surveys for bird casualties were carried out in summer 2006 in order to estimate the quantitative and qualitative impact of power lines on bird mortality in this area. In total, 409 dead birds of 34 different species were found. Raptors represented 44 % of the total (179 individuals, 10 species). Most of them died due to electrocution. The proportion of raptors strongly varied between early and late summer, the increase in August suggests that especially young birds are prone to electrocution. The density of raptor casualties varied from 0.1 to 7.6 birds per line km and month. Adverse effects of power lines on bird life could be avoided by changing the pole construction (use of suspended insulators) or protective measures (e. g. caps).Zur Bestimmung des qualitativen und quantitativen Ausmaßes des Stromtodes von Vögeln in Zentralkasachstan wurden im Sommer 2006 Transektzählungen entlang von drei Mittelspannungsleitungen in dieser Region durchgeführt. Insgesamt wurden 409 tote Vögel (34 verschiedene Arten) gefunden, davon 44 % Greifvögel (179 Individuen, 10 Arten). Der Großteil starb durch Elektrokution. Der Anteil der Greifvögel variierte stark zwischen Früh- und Spätsommer. Der Anstieg im August lässt vermuten, dass Jungvögel besonders gefährdet sind. Die Greifvogeldichte betrug zwischen 0,1 und 7.6 Vögel pro Transekt-km und Monat. Durch veränderte Mastenkonstruktion (hängende Isolatoren) oder Schutzmaßnahmen (isolierende Hauben) kann viel zum Vogelschutz beigetragen werden

Vegetation, Ökosystemdynamik und Renaturierung von zentralasiatischen Flussauen am Beispiel des Tarim in Xinjiang, NW-China

Naturally, the floodplains of Central Asian rivers harbour riparian, so-called ‘Tugai’ forests, reeds with Phragmites australis, and shrub communities which form a mosaic depending on the variety of available ground water. In recent decades, these natural ecosystems have been strongly altered anthropogenically or even completely destroyed. In order to restore those ecosystems, knowledge on vegetation, ecosystem dynamics, and natural regeneration processes is essential. In our study, we present results of ecological investigations at the Tarim River. We gathered comprehensive data on soil, vegetation, forest stand age, tree vitality, river course dynamics, and land use and brought it to the landscape level. Thus, recommendations are derived for the maintenance of these floodplain ecosystems, in particular with regard to their biological diversity.Entlang der Flussauen Zentralasiens findet sich natürlicherweise ein Mosaik aus Auenwäldern (‚Tugai-Wäldern‘), Schilfröhrichten mit Phragmites australis und Sträuchern, welches von der Verfügbarkeit des Grundwassers abhängt. In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten wurden diese natürlichen Ökosysteme durch den Menschen stark beeinträchtigt bis hin zu völlig zerstört. Um diese Ökosysteme wiederherzustellen, sind genaue Kenntnisse über die Vegetation, die Ökosystemdynamik und natürliche Regenerationsprozesse unabdingbar. In der vorliegenden Studie berichten wir über Ergebnisse unserer langjährigen ökologischen Untersuchungen am Tarim-Fluss. Diese umfassen Untersuchungen des Bodens, der Vegetation, der Altersstruktur und Vitalität der Tugai-Wälder, der Flusslaufdynamik und der Landnutzung, welche auf Landschaftsebene ausgewertet wurden. Auf dieser Grundlage leiten wir Empfehlungen zum dauerhaften Erhalt dieser Flussauenökosystem ab unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der biologischen Vielfalt

Signals for Low Scale Gravity in the Process γγ→ZZ\gamma \gamma \to ZZ

We investigate the sensitivity of future photon-photon colliders to low scale gravity scenarios via the process $\gamma\gamma \to ZZ$ where the Kaluza-Klein boson exchange contributes only when the initial state photons have opposite helicity. We contrast this with the situation for the process $\gamma \gamma \to \gamma \gamma$ where the $t$ and $u$ channel also contribute. We include the one-loop Standard Model background whose interference with the graviton exchange determines the experimental reach in measuring any deviation from the Standard Model expectations and explore how polarization can be exploited to enhance the signal over background. We find that a 1 TeV linear collider has an experimental reach to mass scale of about 4 TeV in this channel.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure

Ökosystemrenaturierung und nachhaltiges Management von Flüssen und Feuchtgebieten – Einführung in den Sonderband

The restoration of ecosystems has become a major challenge throughout the world in the 21st century (see comprehensive surveys from, e. g. Temperton et al. 2004, van Andel & Aronson 2006, Walker et al. 2007, and Zerbe & Wiegleb 2009). Due to non-sustainable land use and inefficient use of natural resources, many ecosystems have been degraded or completely destroyed. Consequently, the functioning of ecosystems has been severely affected and many ecosystem services have been lost

Immunity from Seizure for Artworks on Loan to United States Museums

This Comment will first examine the text of the IFSA to determine the scope of protection available under the Act. Second, this Comment will note the Congressional purposes underlying the IFSA, as evidenced by the available legislative history. Third, this Comment will examine the scope of immunity available under the Act. Fourth, this Comment will consider the procedures and substantive criteria employed in deciding whether immunity should be granted. Finally, this Comment will question the compatability of the IFSA with the more recently enacted Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, under which Congress transferred the authority for granting immunity to foreign sovereigns from the State Department to the courts, in order to depoliticize determinations of immunity

Dynamical bunching and density peaks in expanding Coulomb clouds

Expansion dynamics of single-species, non-neutral clouds, such as electron bunches used in ultrafast electron microscopy, show novel behavior due to high acceleration of particles in the cloud interior. This often leads to electron bunching and dynamical formation of a density shock in the outer regions of the bunch. We develop analytic fluid models to capture these effects, and the analytic predictions are validated by PIC and N-particle simulations. In the space-charge dominated regime, two and three dimensional systems with Gaussian initial densities show bunching and a strong shock response, while one dimensional systems do not; moreover these effects can be tuned using the initial particle density profile and velocity chirp.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures(spread over 18 png files); No changes to the text --- however I had mis-spelled Chong-Yu Ruan's first name in the metadata. (It was originally Chung-Yu). This typo has been addresse

Behind the Wheel

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College