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Title: Productivity, mortality, and response to disturbance of nesting Swainson's hawks on the Hanford Site

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to characterize Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainson) use of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site and to evaluate the potential for engineering and other human activities on the Hanford Site to negatively affect the nesting Swainson's hawk population. Activities associated with the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) were used as the primary external stimuli in studying hawk responses to potential human disturbance. Parked and moving vehicles were the most common disturbance sources observed in Swainson's hawk territories. Hawks appeared to be sensitive to disturbance from pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles near nests. Novel stimuli were much more likely to evoke strong responses than were recurring events. Adult hawks reacted more frequently and vigorously than did juveniles. When disturbed, adult hawks usually flew toward the location of the disturbance; juvenile hawks usually flew away from disturbances. Human activity associated with BWIP may have had negative on one pair of nesting Swainson's hawks and may have precluded the use of an additional traditional nesting territory. Negative impacts to nesting Swainson's hawks from human activity could be minimized by confining activities to the non-nesting period or to distances greater than 2.2 km from nest sites. Tree grovesmore » and elevated perches, including utility poles, across the Hanford Site are probably critical to the success of nesting Swainson's hawks. Potential mitigation strategies associated with energy research and development activities on the Hanford Site could include provisions for maintenance and establishment of drought-tolerant trees and native vegetation. 22 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5212015
Report Number(s):
PNL-6496
ON: DE88007919
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BIRDS; MORTALITY; PRODUCTIVITY; HANFORD RESERVATION; BASELINE ECOLOGY; VEHICLES; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; AGE DEPENDENCE; AGE GROUPS; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; MITIGATION; NESTS; REPRODUCTION; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; ANIMALS; ECOLOGY; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; VERTEBRATES; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; 510500* - Environment, Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989); 052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage

Citation Formats

Poole, L D, Marr, N V, and McCorquodale, S M. Productivity, mortality, and response to disturbance of nesting Swainson's hawks on the Hanford Site. United States: N. p., 1988. Web. doi:10.2172/5212015.
Poole, L D, Marr, N V, & McCorquodale, S M. Productivity, mortality, and response to disturbance of nesting Swainson's hawks on the Hanford Site. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5212015
Poole, L D, Marr, N V, and McCorquodale, S M. 1988. "Productivity, mortality, and response to disturbance of nesting Swainson's hawks on the Hanford Site". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5212015. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5212015.
@article{osti_5212015,
title = {Productivity, mortality, and response to disturbance of nesting Swainson's hawks on the Hanford Site},
author = {Poole, L D and Marr, N V and McCorquodale, S M},
abstractNote = {The objectives of this study were to characterize Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainson) use of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site and to evaluate the potential for engineering and other human activities on the Hanford Site to negatively affect the nesting Swainson's hawk population. Activities associated with the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) were used as the primary external stimuli in studying hawk responses to potential human disturbance. Parked and moving vehicles were the most common disturbance sources observed in Swainson's hawk territories. Hawks appeared to be sensitive to disturbance from pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles near nests. Novel stimuli were much more likely to evoke strong responses than were recurring events. Adult hawks reacted more frequently and vigorously than did juveniles. When disturbed, adult hawks usually flew toward the location of the disturbance; juvenile hawks usually flew away from disturbances. Human activity associated with BWIP may have had negative on one pair of nesting Swainson's hawks and may have precluded the use of an additional traditional nesting territory. Negative impacts to nesting Swainson's hawks from human activity could be minimized by confining activities to the non-nesting period or to distances greater than 2.2 km from nest sites. Tree groves and elevated perches, including utility poles, across the Hanford Site are probably critical to the success of nesting Swainson's hawks. Potential mitigation strategies associated with energy research and development activities on the Hanford Site could include provisions for maintenance and establishment of drought-tolerant trees and native vegetation. 22 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.},
doi = {10.2172/5212015},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5212015}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1988},
month = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1988}
}