CSI in space: Analyzing bloodstain patterns in microgravity

As more people seek to go where no man has gone before, researchers are exploring how forensic science can be adapted to extraterrestrial environments.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

BLOODSTAIN PATTERN EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED IN REDUCED GRAVITY ABOARD A PARABOLIC AIRCRAFT

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CREDIT: ZACK KOWALSKE

As more people seek to go where no man has gone before, researchers are exploring how forensic science can be adapted to extraterrestrial environments.

A new study by Staffordshire University and the University of Hull highlights the behaviour of blood in microgravity and the unique challenges of bloodstain pattern analysis aboard spacecraft. 

Bloodstain expert Zack Kowalske is a Crime Scene Investigator based in Atlanta, USA, and led the study as part his PhD research at Staffordshire University.

“Studying bloodstain patterns can provide valuable reconstructive information about a crime or accident. However, little is known about how liquid blood behaves in an altered gravity environment. This is an area of study that, while novel, has implications for forensic investigations in space,” he commented.

“Forensic science is more than just trying to solve crimes; it additionally has a role in accident reconstruction or failure analysis. With this concept, consider how various forensic disciplines could be utilized in a critical accident onboard a space station or shuttle.”

Experiments were conducted aboard a Zero Gravity Corporation modified Boeing 727 parabolic aircraft. A mixture of 40% glycerin and 60% red food colouring was used, simulating the relative density and viscosity of human blood. Blood droplets were propelled from a hydraulic syringe toward a target during periods of reduced gravity between 0.00 and 0.05 g. From these blood stains, the researchers reconstructed the angle of impact.

Co-author Professor Graham Williams, from the University of Hull, explained: “With the lack of gravitational influence, surface tension and cohesion of blood droplets are amplified. What this means is that blood in space has a higher tendency to stick to surfaces until a greater force causes detachment. Within the application of bloodstain formation, it means that blood drops exhibit a slower spread rate and, therefore, have shapes and sizes that would not be reflective on Earth.

“On Earth, gravity and air drag have a noticeable influence on skewing the calculated angle. The initial hypothesis was that because of the absence of gravity, certain mathematical calculations would be more accurate. However, the amplified effect of surface tension became a predominant factor that caused the calculation to have greater variance, even in the absence of gravity.”

This is the first study relating to the behavior of blood in free flight. With the rate of technological evolution in space exploration, the authors say that the need for reliable forensic science techniques will become increasingly important.

Zack added: “We find ourselves in a new era of forensic science; just as mid-19th century research asked the question of what a bloodstain meant in relation to cause; we are once again at the beginning of new questions that tie in how new environments influence forensic science.

“Astroforensics is a novel subdiscipline that is in its infancy. Broadening the understanding of all forensic sciences in non-terrestrial environments is critical as we expand into a space-faring species. Research is needed, research that spans across all disciplines.”

Read the full paper Bloodstain pattern dynamics in microgravity: Observations of a pilot study in the next frontier of forensic science.

Read more about the study on The Conversation – We’re working out how to solve crimes in space – the final frontier of forensic science.

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JOURNAL

Forensic Science International Reports

DOI

10.1016/j.fsir.2024.100358 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Bloodstain pattern dynamics in microgravity: Observations of a pilot study in the next frontier of forensic science

 

Populations of the future: updated tool helps to visualize projections

Reports and Proceedings

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

New projections of population and human capital provide insights into what our future could look like all the way until the year 2100 under different developmental scenarios. The findings are presented in the datasets compiled by IIASA scientists in partnership with the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital.

The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) framework is a crucial toolkit for exploring projections of the future state of socioeconomic development and its relationship with climate change, which is widely embraced by the global scientific community. One part of these projections is the population and human capital component of the SSPs — it’s “human core”. It focuses on building future estimates of what the populations of different countries would look like in terms of size, age, levels of educational attainment, sex ratio, life expectancy, migration trends, and other characteristics.

The first set of population and human capital projections following the SSPs was developed in 2013 (WIC2013) and was last updated in 2018 (WIC2018). In 2021, the SSP community requested another update of the human core of the SSPs, which culminated in the recent launch of an updated version, referred to as WIC2023. This updated version provides data, projection assumptions, and results on the populations of 200 countries and regions by age, sex, and education for alternative scenarios from 2020 to 2100, based on seven different future scenarios.

The updated WIC2023 population projection data is available in a new version of the Wittgenstein Centre Human Capital Data Explorer (WCDE). Although the tool is primarily targeted at scientists and policymakers, its simple interface and ease of use make it a go-to solution for anyone interested in learning more about the future of our society. The tool was developed by researchers in the IIASA Population and Just Societies (POPJUS) Program, in partnership with the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, a collaborative center of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Vienna Institute of Demography), IIASA, and the University of Vienna. The projections are also available through the Zenodo data repository.

The most important refinements introduced cover the disparities between individuals with varying levels of education with regard to mortality. This data is now country- and region-specific rather than being normalized to a single level by gender. In addition, education-specific migration rates are implemented in the projection model for the first time. Education-specific fertility levels have also been updated with new estimates.

The overview of the updates introduced as part of WIC2023 is documented in a recent working paper by POPJUS researchers. The paper presents a comparison between the methodology used for developing the global population and education projections under the five SSPs in this update and the previous versions. Furthermore, a brief analysis of the primary results regarding population size and composition was conducted, with comparisons made to earlier projections and other organizations, including the United Nations Population Division.

Key findings

Compared to the previous assumptions, WIC2023 highlights that the world population would peak later and at a higher level of total population. In the most likely scenario from today’s perspective, the world population would peak in 2080 at 10.13 billion and slowly decline after that to reach 9.88 billion in 2100. The main reasons for a later peak and a higher population at the end of the century lie in further reductions in mortality and slower anticipated fertility decline in high-fertility countries.

WIC2018 showed peak population being reached in 2070 at 9.7 billion, with the world population at the end of the century at 9.3 billion. WIC2013 again projected lower population growth, peaking at 9.4 billion in 2070 and declining to 8.9 billion by 2100.

On average the population in the projections will be much better educated than today’s, because the younger cohorts are better educated than the older ones virtually everywhere.

By 2050, the majority of the population would have an upper-secondary education or more (64%) according to the SSP2 scenario and 29% a post-secondary education. Africa would still be the least educated world region with 30% of the 25+ population having not completed a primary education (13% at the world level), but diminishing from 48% in 2020 (21% at the world level). 

Reference
K.C., S., Dhakad, M., Potančoková, M. , Adhikari, S., et al. (2024). Updating the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) Global Population and Human Capital Projections. IIASA Working Paper. Laxenburg, Austria: WP-24-003

 

About IIASA:
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. www.iiasa.ac.at

 

A better handle on the emissions budget for the Paris climate targets

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

A team of scientists from the University of Exeter, Met Office and Imperial College have found a new way to calculate the total carbon emissions consistent with the Paris climate targets of 1.5oC and 2oC of global warming.

Although the exceptionally warm climate in 2023 was close to exceeding the 1.5oC level, the Paris targets relate to the average warming over ten or more years.

The new study answers the question: how much carbon have we got left before we pass the Paris limits? 

About 15 years ago, climate scientists discovered a remarkably useful fact about climate change.

Despite the vast complexity of the climate system, global warming depends overwhelmingly on the total carbon dioxide emissions since pre-industrial times. 

This discovery opened up the possibility of defining total carbon budgets consistent with the Paris targets, and led to the definition of Net Zero as the point at which global warming essentially stops.

The problem is, the Earth System Models used to make climate projections disagree hugely about how much global warming we will get for a billion tonnes of carbon emissions.

The new study solves this problem by showing that observed global warming and estimated carbon emissions up to the current day are a really good indicator of how much carbon emissions are left before we pass the Paris climate targets.

The authors do this by what they call an “Emergent Constraint”, which is a fancy name for something quite simple.

Basically, they look at results from all of the available Earth System Models, which form a lovely straight line linking emissions per oC of global warming up to now, with emissions for a given level of future global warming.

This means that best estimates of global warming and emissions up to the current day can be converted simply into estimates of the total carbon budget for the Paris climate targets.

The good news is that the new study estimates emissions budgets that are at least 10% larger than the average value for the models.

The bad news is that if humankind continues to emit carbon at the currently rate, we have a little more than a decade before we exceed the Paris 1.5oC target, even for decade-mean warming.

Co-author Chris Jones, from the Met Office, said: “This emergent constraint is elegant and powerful. It both uses observations to narrow the possible range of future emissions, but also lets us consider other greenhouse gases than just CO2. In this way the remaining carbon budget is made much more policy relevant.”

Lead author Peter Cox, Director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, said: “Our study clarifies the climate problem that needs to be solved, and we hope that it will stimulate greater efforts to reduce our emissions to Net Zero.”

Peter Cox, Mark Williamson, Pierre Friedlingstein, Chris Jones, Nina Raoult, Joeri Rogelj, Rebecca Varney, 2024. Emergent constraints on carbon budgets as a function of global warming. Nat Comm. 15, 1885. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46137-7

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-46137-7 

ARTICLE TITLE

Emergent constraints on carbon budgets as a function of global warming

 

Wind power surge: China's bold leap towards a green future

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CHINESE SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

 

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GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.

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CREDIT: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY

A recent study introduces a novel methodology for evaluating the economic viability and competitive edge of onshore wind energy against traditional power sources. This approach underscores the potential of wind power to reach grid parity, where its cost becomes comparable or lower than conventional electricity sources. The research marks a significant step in understanding the dynamics of renewable energy markets and highlights the role of wind power in China's ambitious environmental goals.

The push for renewable energy is critical in addressing climate change, with wind power at the forefront. As the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, China has embarked on a transformative journey towards greener alternatives, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060. This ambitious goal is propelled by the rapid growth in wind power, driven by technological advancements and cost reductions. China's proactive stance not only showcases its commitment to environmental sustainability but also positions it as a potential leader in the global shift towards renewable energy sources.

In a recent study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2023.100323) published in Volume 19 of the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, a joint research group led by Prof Xi LU from School of Environment and Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University presents an innovative method for assessing the economic feasibility and market advantage of onshore wind energy in comparison to conventional energy sources.

This study highlights China's significant strides in adopting wind power, crucial for its 2060 carbon neutrality goal. Wind energy's share in China's power mix has surged, reaching 6.1% with 466.5 TWh produced, and aims for a 2500 GW capacity by 2060. The urgency in power system planning has intensified, necessitating models that accurately forecast the future dynamics of cost reduction and supply potential for wind power, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060. Many existing analyses have not adequately accounted for the swift decrease in wind power generation costs observed in recent years, often offering forecasts of cost declines that are more conservative than actual trends.

Given the increasing significance of spatial and temporal dynamics in the economic competitiveness of wind energy for China's decarbonization strategy, this research developed a comprehensive model to assess the technical and economic viability of onshore wind power within the country. The evaluation was performed with a high spatial resolution of 0.0625° longitude by 0.0625° latitude, covering a period from 2020 to 2060. Results reveal vast wind power technical potentials as high as 53.9 PWh nationally, equivalent to approximately 7.2 times the electricity consumption in 2020. The average levelized cost of wind power is expected to decline from CNY 0.39 kWh-1 in 2020 to CNY 0.30 and CNY 0.21 kWh-1 in 2030 and 2060. 28.3%, 67.6%, and 97.6% of the technical potentials hold power costs lower than coal power in 2020, 2030, and 2060.

From the perspective of spatial and temporal precision in evaluation, the study represents a significant leap forward in our understanding of wind power's potential in China. The innovative approach not only sheds light on the evolving economics of wind energy but also provides a robust framework for integrating renewable energy sources into national carbon-neutrality strategies. This research is a vital contribution to the ongoing renewable energy research and climate action.

This breakthrough underscores the feasibility of integrating wind power into the energy mix at lower costs, paving the way for sustainable energy solutions. The findings highlight the importance of advancing renewable energy technologies and policies, contributing significantly to global environmental sustainability efforts.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2023.100323

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2023.100323

Funding information

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (72025401, 71974108, 72140003, and 72204132), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation BX2021148, the Shuimu Tsinghua Scholar Program 2021SM014, the Tsinghua University-Inditex Sustainable Development Fund, the Erdos - Tsinghua University Collaborative Innovation Project, the Tsinghua-Toyota Joint Research Institute Cross-discipline Program.

About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 12.6, according to the Journal Citation ReportTM 2022.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2023.100323 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Cost dynamics of onshore wind energy in the context of China's carbon neutrality target

 

Turning night into day: A revolutionary approach to 24/7 air quality monitoring using cameras

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CHINESE SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

 

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GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.

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CREDIT: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY

A new research unveils a groundbreaking approach to air quality monitoring, leveraging the power of surveillance cameras with a state-of-the-art hybrid deep learning model. This pioneering method brings a significant leap in accurately measuring air pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, and the Air Quality Index (AQI), day or night. Transforming the way we understand and tackle air pollution, this model opens up new possibilities for environmental health and safety, making air quality monitoring more accessible and effective than ever before.

Air pollution is a critical global health issue, demanding innovative monitoring solutions. Traditional methods, reliant on ground stations, are expensive and geographically limited, hindering comprehensive coverage. Recent strides in technology have spotlighted the potential of using visual data from surveillance cameras as a cost-effective alternative for air quality assessment.

A new study (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2023.100319) published in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (Volume 18, 2024) innovates a hybrid deep learning model that significantly improves outdoor air quality monitoring using surveillance camera images. This approach enhances air quality estimations, including PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and the Air Quality Index (AQI), irrespective of the time of day.

The research team skillfully combined Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, creating a model that intelligently captures both the spatial details present in individual images and the temporal dynamics across a sequence of images. This innovative approach is particularly adept at overcoming the longstanding challenge of accurately estimating air quality during nighttime, a period when traditional image-based methods typically falter due to low light conditions. By analyzing the visual cues in surveillance footage, such as haze and visibility, the model can predict concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and the Air Quality Index (AQI) effectively, both day and night.

Highlights

• Three time-series image datasets were constructed for air quality assessments.
• CNN and LSTM are combined to achieve an average estimated R2 > 0.9 throughout the day.
• Our method enhances nighttime air quality estimation and improves overall accuracy.
• Our method outperforms existing methods with the differences on R2 being 0.02–0.22.

Dr. Xuejun Liu, lead researcher and corresponding author, emphasizes, "Our model's ability to accurately estimate air quality from images, regardless of day or night, marks a significant step forward in utilizing technology for environmental monitoring. It opens up new avenues for comprehensive air quality assessment in regions lacking infrastructure."

This research signifies a substantial leap forward in environmental monitoring, showcasing the potential to enhance air quality assessments significantly. It opens the door to more dynamic, cost-effective monitoring solutions that could vastly improve our understanding and management of air pollution on a global scale.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2023.100319

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2023.100319

Funding information

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China [2021YFE0112300]; the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [41771420]; the State Scholarship Fund from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) [201906865016]; and the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province [KYCX21_1341].

About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 12.6, according to the Journal Citation ReportTM 2022.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2023.100319 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Surveillance-image-based outdoor air quality monitoring

 

Facing illegal wildlife trade in the European union: A call for comprehensive measures

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FACULTY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LISBON

 

IMAGE: 

SEIZURE OF ABOUT 1000 TARANTULA SPIDERS OF DIFFERENT SPECIES AT TOM JOBIM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, IN 2009. ILLEGALLY TRANSPORTED BY A BRITISH PET STORE OWNER, THE SPIDERS WERE ON THEIR WAY FROM PARAGUAY TO EUROPE TO BE SOLD AS PETS.

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CREDIT: IBAMA ARCHIVE – BRAZILIAN INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENT AND RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES

New paper now published in Science proposes three measures the European Union should implement to improve open information, legality and sustainability of wildlife trade in the region.

Wildlife trade affects all kinds of species, from insects and fungi to large plants and mammals. The global trade of numerous species poses a significant threat to their survival, increasing their risk of extinction. The European Union is a major global hub for the illegal and unsustainable trade of those species whose international trade is not regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and new measures recently adopted in the region to mitigate it are not enough.

Pedro Cardoso, a conservation biologist at the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C), at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa), says “we need better information on the trade of the vast majority of species that are not listed by CITES, to guarantee that the sourcing of these species was made legally in their country of origin and that this sourcing was made in a sustainable way”. According to the involved team of biologists, law experts and economists united under EU project GLITSS – Globalization, Illicit Trade, Sustainability and Security, the EU falls short in ensuring that trade is documented, legal and sustainable, with possible consequences on the survival of the involved species.

The first proposal of the team is to create a database of all trade - legal or illegal - of all species, regardless of their inclusion in specific regulations. Currently any species not listed is not registered by EU countries and there is no information vital to ensure the trade is traced to its origins.

The second proposal is the establishment of a regulation in the EU akin to the Lacey Act in the United States which establishes that if the capture or export of a species was illegal in the country of origin, it is illegal in the US. Adopting similar legislation in the EU would prohibit the import of specimens that violate the laws of their country of origin, not only mitigating regulatory gaps but also contributing to biodiversity preservation in nations facing enforcement challenges due to resource limitations.

Finally, the third proposal is demanding the presentation of evidence supporting the sustainability of trade practices. Even when legal, the trade on many species is putting them under threat. The EU should demand some evidence that the specimens were captured without affecting the sustainability of the populations, particularly important if they were sourced from the wild.

These proposed measures aim to transform the EU from being a global hub for unregistered, illegal, or unsustainable wildlife activities into a model of environmental protection concerning wildlife trade.

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JOURNAL

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.ado1142 

ARTICLE TITLE

Reform wildlife trade in the European Union

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Mar-2024

 

Bald eagles eat prairie dogs? Researchers underscore relationship between raptors and rodents in the southern plains

Peer-Reviewed Publication

RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION

 

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ADULT BALD EAGLE DELIVERS PRAIRIE DOG TO A NEST NEAR BOULDER, COLORADO ASSOCIATED WITH RESEARCH IN AN UPCOMING PAPER IN VOL 55 WESTERN BIRDS JOURNAL.

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CREDIT: DANA BOVE

We all know that bald eagles like fish. Few of us, however, picture them soaring over grasslands seeking out prairie dog snacks. In a new paper from the Journal of Raptor Research, lead author Courtney Duchardt and coauthors make the case that prairie dogs are an important resource for at least four species of raptors overwintering in the Southern Great Plains, bald eagles included. Their paper, titled “Overwintering Raptor Abundance and Community Composition in Relation to Prairie Dog Colonies in the Southern Great Plains,” explains the first broad scale look into the relationship between prairie dogs and their aerial predators, and illuminates an important trophic interaction with implications for raptor conservation through the lens of climate change.

 

Grasslands across North America have shrunk significantly since the 1970’s, and for those remaining, habitat quality is a far cry from what it used to be. Since the ‘90’s, the total population of grassland birds across North America has decreased by 53%, illustrating the link between grassland health and bird abundance. Grassland raptors, with their large spatial requirements, likely suffer graver consequences from these reductions in habitat quality than other birds.

 

Duchardt, from the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University, and her colleagues, provide strong evidence that the stability and predictability of prairie dog colonies provides an important prey source for overwintering raptors across the Southwest Great Plains. Between 1998 and 2002 the research team conducted winter road surveys in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Their results were illuminating — nine raptor species occurred in tandem with prairie dog colonies. Notably, bald eagles and rough-legged hawks were included in this pattern, even though they don’t often encounter prairie dogs on their breeding grounds. However, as Duchardt points out, “prairie dogs are perfectly sized raptor-snacks,” so it makes sense that both species would see them as caloric jackpots.

 

Climate change could alter cycles of prairie dog reproduction. Already, variation in climate norms has increased the occurrence of plague among colonial breeding rodents like prairie dogs. If raptors feed on prairie dogs as often as this new study suggests, these shifts in prairie dog availability could push raptors to range further for food. The further they range, the more often they encounter dangers like wind turbines, which have been shown to negatively affect golden eagles and ferruginous hawks. This is of special concern for juvenile raptor which have a hard enough time during their first year of life without added stressors.

 

An obvious next step is to prioritize protection of prairie dog colonies in areas where raptors are associating with them as a prey source. However, supporting prairie dogs for the sake of raptor health is politically tricky. “Prairie dogs are contentious and seen as pests in most parts of their range. However, their role as a keystone species helps to demonstrate that, even though there are conflicts, they are important,” says Duchardt. “To support raptors wintering in the Southern Plains, we need to consider prairie dog management.”

 

Raptors are bioindicators, meaning they serve as proxies for habitat health, and they play a key part in naturally supporting ecosystem functioning as top predators on the landscape. Even with the reality of human-prairie dog conflict, there are pathways forward. “Ranching can be compatible with diverse wildlife communities because many of the wildlife co-evolved with bison, and sustainable ranching can replicate that,” says Duchardt. Using innovative management tools and educating the public on the importance of prairie dogs and raptors in these regions, Duchardt is optimistic that a middle ground can be found — one that allows bald eagles to munch on prairie dogs for years to come.

  

Adult prairie dog on a colony in southwestern Oklahoma.

CREDIT

Courtney Duchardt

Ferruginous hawk processing a recently killed prairie dog captured on a game camera in the Thunder Basin National Grassland of Wyoming.

CREDIT

Lauren Porensky 

Paper

Allison Salas, Courtney Duchardt, and Natasha Carr "Overwintering Raptor Abundance and Community Composition in Relation to Prairie Dog Colonies in the Southern and Central Great Plains," Journal of Raptor Research 58(1), 37-53, (19 February 2024).
https://doi.org/10.3356/JRR-22-119

 

Notes to Editor:

1. The Journal of Raptor Research (JRR) is an international scientific journal dedicated entirely

to the dissemination of information about birds of prey. Established in 1967, JRR has published

peer-reviewed research on raptor ecology, behavior, life history, conservation, and techniques.

JRR is available quarterly to members in electronic and paper format.

 

2. The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is the world’s largest professional society for raptor

researchers and conservationists. Founded in 1966 as a non-profit organization, our primary

goal is the accumulation and dissemination of scientific information about raptors. The

Foundation organizes annual scientific conferences and provides competitive grants & awards

for student researchers & conservationists. The Foundation also provides support & networking

opportunities for students & early career raptor researchers.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Raptor Research

DOI

10.3356/JRR-22-119 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Bald Eagles Eat Prairie Dogs? Researchers Underscore Relationship Between Raptors and Rodents in the Southern Plains