Matching Items (18)
Description
In the U.S., less than 20 percent of wildlife strikes are reported, which leaves a large portion of incidents unaccounted for. Although wildlife strikes at airports often go unreported, since the early 1990's the number of wildlife strikes has increased five-fold and the number of damaging strikes has increased 1.5-fold. Goals for this project include determining if biological and landscape variables are good predictors of wildlife strikes. We define response variables as the number of reported wildlife strikes per 10,000 airport operations. We studied seven major airports around Phoenix, Arizona and 30 large airports in the western U.S. In the Phoenix metro valley, airports varied from having 0.3 strikes per year per 10,000 operations to having 14.5 strikes from 2009 to 2013. We determined bird richness by using the citizen-science database "eBird,"and measured species richness within a 15 kilometer area of each airport. Species richness between hotspots ranged from 131 to 320. Seasonal differences were determined using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis for the seven Phoenix metro airports as well as the 30 western U.S. airports. Our results showed that there was a seasonal difference in wildlife strikes in the majority of our airports. We also used land use data from CAP LTER to determine any environmental factors such as vicinity to water or fence line located within five kilometers from airports using ArcGIS. These results are important because they are helpful in determining the factors influencing wildlife strikes based on the number of strikes reported.
ContributorsSalaki, Logan (Co-author) / Montgomery, Brett (Co-author) / Bateman, Heather (Thesis director) / Niemczyk, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Zoos are doing amazing projects to help wildlife globally and locally. A lot of people aren't aware of what goes on with these conservation projects because much of it happens behind the scenes. So I decided to make a film to explain how zoos facilitate our world's wildlife. My film can be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmLGf138zY
ContributorsRossman, Chloe June (Author) / Sandler, Kevin (Thesis director) / Wells, Stuart (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Due to the widely accepted trend of urbanization displacing wildlife from their natural habitats and niches, many wildlife conservation organizations have sprouted up, even in Phoenix. Liberty Wildlife Foundation is one that rehabilitates avian wildlife. Several studies have mentioned an opposing theory: that urbanization helps conserve those species that have turned urban environments into a niche of their own. Since these wildlife conservation centers are localized in cities themselves, this brings into question these organizations' definitions of the term "wildlife." This study examined injury and recovery statistics to determine just how many of the patients admitted were conventional wildlife versus urban-dwelling city birds, and whether this classification had any effect on their likeliness of recovery and release. The data showed that out of over 130 species, a few key urban species contributed to an overwhelmingly large majority of injured birds admitted to the center in 2017; urban and non-urban birds, however, had relatively equal average release frequencies, demonstrating then that their likelihood of recovery was predominantly dependent on the injury borne by them.
ContributorsVirdee, Rishika Kaur (Author) / Liebig, Juergen (Thesis director) / Lynch, John (Committee member) / Haight, Kevin (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Unmanned aerial vehicles have received increased attention in the last decade due to their versatility, as well as the availability of inexpensive sensors (e.g. GPS, IMU) for their navigation and control. Multirotor vehicles, specifically quadrotors, have formed a fast growing field in robotics, with the range of applications spanning from surveil- lance and reconnaissance to agriculture and large area mapping. Although in most applications single quadrotors are used, there is an increasing interest in architectures controlling multiple quadrotors executing a collaborative task. This thesis introduces a new concept of control involving more than one quadrotors, according to which two quadrotors can be physically coupled in mid-flight. This concept equips the quadro- tors with new capabilities, e.g. increased payload or pursuit and capturing of other quadrotors. A comprehensive simulation of the approach is built to simulate coupled quadrotors. The dynamics and modeling of the coupled system is presented together with a discussion regarding the coupling mechanism, impact modeling and additional considerations that have been investigated. Simulation results are presented for cases of static coupling as well as enemy quadrotor pursuit and capture, together with an analysis of control methodology and gain tuning. Practical implementations are introduced as results show the feasibility of this design.
ContributorsLarsson, Daniel (Author) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Berman, Spring (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
In this project, I examined the relationship between lockdowns implemented by COVID-19 and the activity of animals in urban areas. I hypothesized that animals became more active in urban areas during COVID-19 quarantine than they were before and I wanted to see if my hypothesis could be researched through Twitter crowdsourcing. I began by collecting tweets using python code, but upon examining all data output from code-based searches, I concluded that it is quicker and more efficient to use the advanced search on Twitter website. Based on my research, I can neither confirm nor deny if the appearance of wild animals is due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. However, I was able to discover a correlational relationship between these two factors in some research cases. Although my findings are mixed with regard to my original hypothesis, the impact that this phenomenon had on society cannot be denied.
ContributorsHeimlich, Kiana Raye (Author) / Dorn, Ronald (Thesis director) / Martin, Roberta (Committee member) / Donovan, Mary (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Based on existing research, state wildlife agencies should be diversifying their management activities to reflect both utilitarian and biocentric values. Yet agencies are still focused primarily on managing land and wildlife resources for hunting and fishing, partly because of revenues associated with permits and licenses (Jacobson et al., 2022; Manfredo, 2008). My research examines the values which state agencies emphasize in managing wildlife and engaging the public. Public-facing agency webpages are one way to investigate the values that drive agencies’ management priorities and activities. By looking at how information is represented on their main webpages, one can infer who the intended audience is, and which values guide their actions. Thus, my research aims to analyze how state management activities and associated information—as featured on their websites—represent public wildlife values and the trend away from utilitarianism (especially hunting and fishing) toward protectionism through wildlife conservation. Specifically, I ask: How do state-level wildlife agencies present and communicate wildlife management issues and reflect their different wildlife values—ranging from utilitarianism with emphasis on recreational use and enjoyment by people toward mutualist benefits that also protect wildlife—through their websites?
ContributorsAvilez, Dayanara (Author) / Larson, Kelli (Thesis director) / Carr Kelman, Candice (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Anthropogenic linear infrastructures, including roads, railways, and canals, provide important resources to humans. However, linear infrastructures can reduce landscape connectivity for many wildlife populations. To mitigate these effects, crossing structures and crossing areas can facilitate animal movement across linear infrastructures. Compared to roads, little research has evaluated the factors influencing wildlife use of crossings along major canals. The Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal is a major linear feature in Arizona, and exhibits multiple types of crossing structures and areas. In Chapter 1, the objective was to evaluate the spatial (i.e., landscape features, crossing attributes) and temporal (i.e., season, time of day) factors influencing wildlife use of overpasses (n = 43) and siphons (n = 13) along the CAP canal. Using remote wildlife cameras, 17 species were detected using overpasses and siphons along the CAP canal during one year. Animals exhibited species-specific preferences for landscape features, such as topography and vegetation, and canal crossing types, although many species decreased use of overpasses associated with human development. In Chapter 2, the objective was to evaluate the influence of human activities at overpasses on use by mule deer across multiple analytical scales. Mule deer occupancy and relative habitat use at overpasses decreased in relation to human activity, including recreation. In Chapter 3, the objective was to evaluate seasonal use of underpasses (n = 12) by mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Using specialized remote wildlife cameras, 30 species were detected using underpasses along the CAP canal across three seasons, and some animals exhibited variable crossing frequencies in relation to the summer monsoon season. Overall in this project, several species of small to large-sized mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates used a variety of crossing types, including overpasses and underpasses, along a major canal. Ultimately, this study suggests that to promote landscape connectivity for the wildlife community associated with canals and other types of linear infrastructures, it is important to provide a variety of crossing types that occur across a range of landscape characteristics.
ContributorsHamilton, Kaela M (Author) / Lewis, Jesse S (Thesis advisor) / Bateman, Heather L (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The Salt River wild horses are a historic population of unbranded, unclaimed, wild and free-roaming horses, that were born in the wild and merit protection within our National Forest and protection of the Wild Horse and Burro act of 1970. Terms like undomesticated or feral are thrown around in place of “wild”. The past couple of decades or so, there has been an ongoing debate about the current state of the horses on the range. The horses that are along the Salt River, are considered to be state protected and not federally protected, which has sparked a vast discussion on the social, ethical and moral aspects. There has been an overabundance of horses on the range and are causing potential issues to the environment and other farmland. According to the BLM, wild horse and burro populations have a demonstrated ability to grow at 18-20 percent per year. With the widespread and overabundance that is occurring with the horses and burros, it has been said to have a great ecological cost on the rangeland ecosystem by overgrazing native plants, exacerbating invasive establishment and out-competing other ungulates like cattle. Overabundant free-roaming horse and burro populations have large and growing economic and ecological costs for the American public. Without effective management actions, horse and burro populations will double within the next 4-5 years. In this project, with the help of Dr. Julie Murphree, the Salt River Horse Management group and Arizona’s State Liaison for the Department of Agriculture, I conducted various ride-a-longs and conducted my own literature study to further solidify the knowledge I gained when navigating through the Salt River Wild Horse Management group. I can use their data as well as my own observations in the field to catalog their behaviors and look for any signs that would give reason to why this method of population control may or may not be used. I was able to note the horses in their “natural state” which would give me the opportunity to see any behavior changes in various population groups (or otherwise known as Bands). The main objective of this paper is to understand PZP as a population control tool and the effect it has on the Salt River Horses in Arizona.
ContributorsRendon, Chyna (Author) / Murphree, Julie (Thesis director) / Saul, Steven (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Wildlife rehabilitation as a practice in the United States exists in a complicated ethical landscape. The Wildlife Rehabilitator's Code of Ethics exists to guide the profession and states that rehabilitators must respect the wildness and maintain the dignity of an animal in their care. This thesis explores the question: How do the attitudes and actions of wildlife rehabilitators exemplify the ways in which they understand and enact respect for an animal’s dignity and wildness while in their care? Additionally, in what circumstances do rehabilitators align and diverge from each other in their interpretation and demonstration of this respect? These questions were answered through a literature review, interviews with rehabilitators, and site visits to wildlife rehabilitation centers in the Phoenix metropolitan area. My results suggest that rehabilitators are aligned in their understanding of respect for wildness and dignity as it applies to the animals in their care that are actively undergoing rehabilitation. Rehabilitators achieved consensus on the idea that they should interact with the animals as little as possible while providing their medically necessary care. Rehabilitators began to diverge when considering the animals in their sanctuary spaces. Specifically, they varied in their perception of wildness in sanctuary animals, which informed how some saw their responsibilities to the animals. Lesser perceived wildness correlated to increased acceptance of forming affectionate relationships with the sanctuary animals, and even feelings of obligation to form these relationships. Based on my research, I argue that the Wildlife Rehabilitator's Code of Ethics should be revised to reflect the specific boundary that wildlife rehabilitators identified in the rehabilitation space and provide substantive guidance as to what respecting wildness and dignity means in this field.
ContributorsBernat, Isabella Elyse (Author) / Minteer, Ben (Thesis advisor) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Schoon, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
There has been a vast increase in applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in civilian domains. To operate in the civilian airspace, a UAV must be able to sense and avoid both static and moving obstacles for flight safety. While indoor and low-altitude environments are mainly occupied by static obstacles, risks in space of higher altitude primarily come from moving obstacles such as other aircraft or flying vehicles in the airspace. Therefore, the ability to avoid moving obstacles becomes a necessity
for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Towards enabling a UAV to autonomously sense and avoid moving obstacles, this thesis makes the following contributions. Initially, an image-based reactive motion planner is developed for a quadrotor to avoid a fast approaching obstacle. Furthermore, A Dubin’s curve based geometry method is developed as a global path planner for a fixed-wing UAV to avoid collisions with aircraft. The image-based method is unable to produce an optimal path and the geometry method uses a simplified UAV model. To compensate
these two disadvantages, a series of algorithms built upon the Closed-Loop Rapid Exploratory Random Tree are developed as global path planners to generate collision avoidance paths in real time. The algorithms are validated in Software-In-the-Loop (SITL) and Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulations using a fixed-wing UAV model and in real flight experiments using quadrotors. It is observed that the algorithm enables a UAV to avoid moving obstacles approaching to it with different directions and speeds.
for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Towards enabling a UAV to autonomously sense and avoid moving obstacles, this thesis makes the following contributions. Initially, an image-based reactive motion planner is developed for a quadrotor to avoid a fast approaching obstacle. Furthermore, A Dubin’s curve based geometry method is developed as a global path planner for a fixed-wing UAV to avoid collisions with aircraft. The image-based method is unable to produce an optimal path and the geometry method uses a simplified UAV model. To compensate
these two disadvantages, a series of algorithms built upon the Closed-Loop Rapid Exploratory Random Tree are developed as global path planners to generate collision avoidance paths in real time. The algorithms are validated in Software-In-the-Loop (SITL) and Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulations using a fixed-wing UAV model and in real flight experiments using quadrotors. It is observed that the algorithm enables a UAV to avoid moving obstacles approaching to it with different directions and speeds.
ContributorsLin, Yucong (Author) / Saripalli, Srikanth (Thesis advisor) / Scowen, Paul (Committee member) / Fainekos, Georgios (Committee member) / Thangavelautham, Jekanthan (Committee member) / Youngbull, Cody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015