Calving Success of Woodland Caribou Exposed to Low-Level Jet Fighter Overflights

Effects on woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) of low-level military jet training at Canadian Forces Base - Goose Bay (Labrador) were studied during the 1986-88 training seasons. Calf survival was periodically monitored during 1987 and 1988 in a sample of 15 females wearing satellite-tracked radiocollars. During 1987, each female's exposure to low-level overflights was experimentally manipulated on a daily basis. In 1988, daily exposure was determined by analyzing jet flight tracks following the low-level flying season. Calf survival was monitored by survey flights every 3-4 weeks. A calf survival index, the number of survey periods (maximum = 4) that a cow was accompanied by a calf, was negatively correlated with the female's exposure to low-level jet overflights during the calving and immediate post-calving period and again during the period of insect harassment during summer. No significant relationship between calf survival and exposure to low-level flying was seen during the pre-calving period, during the late post-calving period prior to insect harassment, and during fall. In view of the continued depression of population growth in the woodland caribou population within the low-level training area, jets should avoid overflying woodland caribou calving range at least during the last week of May and the first three weeks of June.Key words: caribou, Rangifer tarandus caribou, calf survival, low-level flying, jet aircraft, disturbance, LabradorRÉSUMÉ. Au cours des saisons d’entraînement de 1986 à 1988, à la base des Forces années canadiennes de Goose Bay au Labrador, on a étudié les retombées sur le caribou des bois (Rangifer tarandus caribou) de l’entraînement à basse altitude sur des avions militaires à réaction. En 1987 et 1988, on a observé périodiquement la survie des veaux dans un échantillon de 15 femelles équipées de colliers émetteurs suivis par satellite. En 1987, on a manipulé quotidiennement de façon expérimentale l’exposition de chaque femelle à des survols à basse altitude. En 1988, on a déterminé l’exposition quotidienne en analysant le parcours des avions à réaction après la saison de vol à basse altitude. On a observé la survie des veaux en effectuant des relevés en vol toutes les 3 ou 4 semaines. Un index de survie des veaux - le nombre de fois (maximum = 4) durant les relevés où une femelle était accompagnée d’un petit - a été corrélé négativement à l’exposition de la femelle au survol à basse altitude des avions à réaction au cours de la mise bas et de la période lui faisant immédiatement suite, ainsi que durant la saison estivale de harcèlement par les insectes. On n’a observé aucun lien significatif entre la survie des veaux et l’exposition aux vols à basse altitude au cours de la période précédant la mise bas, au cours de la période tardive suivant lamise bas et précédant celle du harcèlement par les insectes, ainsi que durant l’automne. Vu la baisse continue de la croissance de population du caribou des bois à l’intérieur de la zone d’entraînement à basse altitude, les avions à réaction devraient éviter de survoler le territoire de mise bas du caribou des bois au moins durant la dernière semaine de mai et les trois premières semaines de juin.Mots clés: caribou, Rangifer tarandus caribou, survie des veaux, vol à basse altitude, avion à réaction, perturbation, Labrado

Short-Term Impacts of Low-Level Jet Fighter Training on Caribou in Labrador

The short-term impacts on caribou (Rangifer tarandus) of low-level jet fighter training activity at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay (Labrador) were investigated during the 1986-88 training seasons (April-October). Visual observations of low-level (30 m agl) jet overpasses indicated an initial startle response but otherwise brief overt reaction by woodland caribou on late-winter alpine tundra habitat. Between 1986 and 1988, daily effects of jet overflights were monitored on 10 caribou equipped with satellite-tracked radiocollars, which provided daily indices of activity and movement. Half the animals were exposed to jet overflights; the other 5 caribou were avoided during training exercises and therefore served as control animals. In 1988, the control caribou were from a population that had never been overflown. Level of exposure to low-level flying within the exposed population did not significantly affect daily activity levels or distance travelled, although comparison with the unexposed population did suggest potential effects. The results indicate that significant impacts of low-level overflights can be minimized through a program of avoidance.Key words: caribou (Rangifer tarandus), low-level flying, jet aircraft, helicopters, disturbance, activity, movements, LabradorMots clés: caribou (Rangifer tarandus), vol à basse altitude, avion à réaction, hélicoptères, perturbation, activité, déplacement, Labrador

A Novel Method for Depositing Precious Metal Films on Difficult Surfaces

A guanidine-based vehicle was developed to deposit precious metal coatings on surfaces known to be difficult to coat. To demonstrate this method, a platinum coating was deposited on alumina fibers using a guanidine-platinum solution. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the only species present in the coating was platinum and that all of the carbon species had been removed upon heat treatment. SEM results showed that some porosity was present but that the coatings uniformly covered the fiber surface and adhered well to the finer

Negative Quasi-Probability as a Resource for Quantum Computation

A central problem in quantum information is to determine the minimal physical resources that are required for quantum computational speedup and, in particular, for fault-tolerant quantum computation. We establish a remarkable connection between the potential for quantum speed-up and the onset of negative values in a distinguished quasi-probability representation, a discrete analog of the Wigner function for quantum systems of odd dimension. This connection allows us to resolve an open question on the existence of bound states for magic-state distillation: we prove that there exist mixed states outside the convex hull of stabilizer states that cannot be distilled to non-stabilizer target states using stabilizer operations. We also provide an efficient simulation protocol for Clifford circuits that extends to a large class of mixed states, including bound universal states.Comment: 15 pages v4: This is a major revision. In particular, we have added a new section detailing an explicit extension of the Gottesman-Knill simulation protocol to deal with positively represented states and measurement (even when these are non-stabilizer). This paper also includes significant elaboration on the two main results of the previous versio

Some recent radio talks.

Salt movement in soils - By T. C. STONEMAN, B.Sc. (Agric), Adviser, Soil Conservation Service Although this subject may sound rather remote from practical farming, it is, never- theless, a field of study which has a most important bearing on the measures used in the handling and reclamation of salt-affected country. Pastures and disease - By J. CRAIG, M.R.C.V.S., Senior Veterinary Surgeon If we were to ask the man on the land what his purpose was in farming, we would probably get many different sorts of answers. But certainly an answer common to each, would include, in general terms, a desire to farm his land to its potential, build up his livestock numbers and maintain them in positive health. Spring budding of citrus - By H. S. ARGYLE, Horticultural Instructor A horticulturally-inclined member of the fair sex, recently sought information regarding the mysteries of budding citrus trees. Of course, she said, I know that the top part grows from a bud, but where do you get the bit at the bottom? The citrus white fly - By C. P. H. JENKINS, M.A., Government Entomologist White flies or snow flies are tiny insects easily recognised by their short rounded wings and the white flocculent powder which covers the entire body. Several native species exist in Western Australia and they may be found feeding upon gum leaves and various bush plants, but fortunately they have not turned their attention to cultivated crops. In some parts of the world, however, white flies cause considerable damage and attack such things as citrus, tomatoes and other vegetables. Drives for fox destruction - By A. G. VEITCH, Supervising Vermin Control Officer The Agricultural Protection Board has received a number of requests from branches of the Farmers\u27 Union throughout the agricultural areas, for assistance in organising fox drives in their respective areas prior to the lambing season. It would be as well to say som

Early Advanced LIGO binary neutron-star sky localization and parameter estimation

2015 will see the first observations of Advanced LIGO and the start of the gravitational-wave (GW) advanced-detector era. One of the most promising sources for ground-based GW detectors are binary neutron-star (BNS) coalescences. In order to use any detections for astrophysics, we must understand the capabilities of our parameter-estimation analysis. By simulating the GWs from an astrophysically motivated population of BNSs, we examine the accuracy of parameter inferences in the early advanced-detector era. We find that sky location, which is important for electromagnetic follow-up, can be determined rapidly (~5 s), but that sky areas may be hundreds of square degrees. The degeneracy between component mass and spin means there is significant uncertainty for measurements of the individual masses and spins; however, the chirp mass is well measured (typically better than 0.1%).Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Published in the proceedings of Amaldi 1

How much of the invader’s genetic variability can slip between our fingers? A case study of secondary dispersal of Poa annua on King George Island (Antarctica)

We studied an invasion of Poa annua on King George Island (Maritime Antarctic). The remoteness of this location, its geographic isolation, and its limited human traffic provided an opportunity to trace the history of an invasion of the species. Poa annua was recorded for the first time at H. Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station in the austral summer of 1985/6. In 2008/9, the species was observed in a new locality at the Ecology Glacier Forefield (1.5 km from “Arctowski”). We used AFLP to analyze the genetic differences among three populations of P. annua: the two mentioned above (Station and Forefield) and the putative origin of the introduction, Warsaw (Poland). There was 38% genetic variance among the populations. Pairwise ФPT was 0.498 between the Forefield and Warsaw populations and 0.283 between Warsaw and Station. There were 15 unique bands in the Warsaw population (frequency from 6% to 100%) and one in the Station/Forefield populations (which appears in all analyzed individuals from both populations). The Δ(K) parameter indicated two groups of samples: Warsaw/Station and Forefield. As indicated by Fu’s Fs statistics and an analysis of mismatch distribution, the Forefield population underwent a bottleneck and/or founder effect. The Forefield population was likely introduced by secondary dispersal from the Station population