An Evaluation of the U.S. Navy's Extremely Low Frequency Submarine Communications Ecological Monitoring Program

Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309055901
eISBN Pdf: 9780309589710
eISBN Epub: 9780309175203
Place of publication: United States
Year of digital publication: 1997
Month: June
Pages: 177
Language: English

Caption

The U.S. Navy established an ecological monitoring program to determine whether electric and magnetic fields from extremely low frequency (ELF) communications systems influenced plant and animal populations near the transmitting facilities. Although some of the researchers believe that a few biological changes might have occurred, they concluded that the results do not indicate significant adverse ecological effects.

This book evaluates the 11 ecological studies of the Navy's monitoring program and examines the adequacy of experimental design, the data collection and analysis, and the soundness of the conclusions. It also addresses whether the monitoring program was capable of detecting subtle effects due to ELF exposure and examines the biological changes observed by some program researchers, such as enhanced tree growth.

AN EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NAVY'S EXTREMELY LOW FREQUENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM
Copyright
OTHER RECENT REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
Preface
Contents
Executive Summary
- COMMON ISSUES ARISING FROM EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL STUDIES
  - USE OF EXPOSURE DATA BY ECOLOGICAL MONITORING TEAMS
  - STUDY-SITE SELECTION
  - ADEQUACY OF SITE REPLICATION
  - SPECIES SELECTION
  - RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - STATISTICAL POWER
  - RESPONSE TO REVIEW
  - APPROPRIATENESS OF INTERPRETATION
  - DIFFERENT METHODS FOR SIMILAR ORGANISMS
  - LACK OF INTEGRATION AMONG STUDIES AND SYNTHESIS OF INFORMATION
  - DATA ARCHIVING
- IITRI'S ENGINEERING SUPPORT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
- RECOMMENDATION
  - DO NOT REPEAT THE FIELD STUDIES
- SUGGESTED NEXT STEPS
  - REANALYZE THE EXPOSURE-ASSESSMENT DATA
  - VARIABLES THAT TENDED TO SHOW MEASURABLE EFFECTS SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO CONTROLLED LABORATORY STUDY
  - REANALYSIS OR LABORATORY STUDIES SHOULD BE REVIEWED INDEPENDENTLY
1 Introduction
- THE ELF COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
- THE NAVY'S ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM
- THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGE AND APPROACH
- SPECIFIC THEORIES OF BIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF EMF EXPOSURE
- SCOPE OF THE REPORT
2 EMF Measurements, Exposure Criteria, and Dosimetry
- CHARACTERIZATION OF ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS
- EXPOSURE CRITERIA FOR SITE SELECTION
- EXPOSURE DATA SUPPLIED TO RESEARCHERS
- USING FORMULAS FOR PREDICTING ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS
- DOSIMETRY
- DIFFERENCES IN EFFECT BETWEEN UNMODULATED 60-HZ AND MODULATED 76-HZ SIGNALS
- CONCLUSIONS REGARDING EMF MEASUREMENTS
3 Evaluation of Final Reports of Individual Studies
- INTRODUCTION
- WETLANDS
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SYSTEM, SITE, AND SPECIES SELECTION
  - RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN
    - Biologic Sampling
    - Environmental Characteristics
    - Statistical Methods
    - Quality Assurance and Quality Control
    - Exposure Assessment
  - RESPONSE TO REVIEW
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
    - Alternative Hypotheses
    - Interpretation
    - How Well Researchers' Conclusions Were Supported
  - COMMITTEE CRITIQUE
- SLIME MOLD
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES SELECTION
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
    - Biologic Sampling Techniques
    - Physical Measurements
    - Statistical Methods
    - Exposure Assessment
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
  - CONCLUSIONS AND COMMITTEE CRITIQUE
    - Validity
    - Uncertainties
- WISCONSIN BIRDS AND MICHIGAN BIRDS
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES SELECTION
  - RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
    - Physical Measurements
    - Statistical Methods
    - Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Replicability
    - Exposure Assessment
  - RESPONSE TO REVIEW
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
  - CONCLUSIONS
- SMALL VERTEBRATES
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - FECUNDITY, MORTALITY, GROWTH, AND MATURATION IN TREE SWALLOWS
  - GROWTH AND MATURATION IN DEER MICE
  - HOMING IN TREE SWALLOWS
  - HOMING IN SMALL MAMMALS
  - DEVELOPMENT IN TREE SWALLOWS
  - MAXIMAL AEROBIC METABOLISM IN CHICKADEES AND DEER MICE
  - COMMON LIMITATIONS OF SUBSTUDIES
    - Integration of Exposure Assessment Into Experimental Biologic Design and Statistical Treatment of Data
    - Experiments with Statistical Power Too Low to Yield Meaningful Information
  - CONCLUSIONS
- LITTER DECOMPOSITION AND MICROFLORA
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES AND SYSTEM SELECTION
    - Litter Decay
    - Mycorhizal-Associated Streptomycete Populations
    - Root Pathogens
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
    - Litter Decomposition
    - Streptomycetes
    - Armillaria
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN
    - Biologic and Ecological Sampling Techniques
    - Physical and Chemical Measurements
    - Statistical Methods
  - RESPONSE TO REVIEW
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
    - Consideration of Alternative Analyses
    - Interpretation
      - Litter Decomposition
  - CONCLUSIONS
- UPLAND FLORA
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES OR SYSTEM SELECTION
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN
    - Biologic and Ecological Sampling Techniques
    - Physical and Chemical Measurements
    - Statistical Methods
  - RESPONSE TO REVIEW
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
    - Consideration of Alternative Hypotheses
    - Interpretation
  - CONCLUSIONS
    - Validity
    - Uncertainties
- AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES AND SYSTEM SELECTION
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
    - Periphyton
    - Insect Response
    - Fish Abundance and Movement
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
  - CONCLUSIONS
    - Validity
    - Uncertainties
- POLLINATING INSECTS
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES SELECTION
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
    - Biologic and Ecological Sampling Techniques
    - Physical Measurements
    - Statistical Methods
    - Quality Assurance and Quality Control
    - Exposure Assessment
  - RESPONSE TO REVIEW
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
  - CONCLUSIONS
    - Validity
    - Uncertainties
    - Summary
- SOIL ARTHROPODS AND EARTHWORMS
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES AND SYSTEM SELECTION
    - Soil and Litter Arthropods
    - Surface-Active Arthropods
    - Earthworm Field Populations
    - Earthworm Growth and Reproduction in Incubation Bags
    - Litter Inputs
    - Litter Decomposition
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN
    - Biologic and Ecological Sampling Techniques
    - Physical and Chemical Measurements
    - Statistical Methods
  - PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
    - Consideration of Alternative Analyses
    - Interpretation
  - CONCLUSIONS
- SOIL AMEBAS
  - PROJECT PROPOSAL
  - SPECIES SELECTION
  - SELECTION OF RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - EXPERIMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
    - Biologic Sampling Techniques
    - Physical Measurements and Sites
    - Statistical Methods
  - CONCLUSIONS
4 Common Issues
- USE OF EXPOSURE DATA BY ECOLOGICAL MONITORING TEAMS
  - ELF-EMF CHARACTERIZATIONS AT WETLANDS SITE
  - USE OF MAGNETIC-FIELD INTENSITY AS A ''DOSE" AT UPLAND-FLORA SITE
  - CONCLUSIONS REGARDING USE OF EXPOSURE DATA
- STUDY-SITE SELECTION
  - THE PRACTICAL PROBLEM OF SITE SELECTION
  - ADJUSTING THE RESEARCH PLAN TO PROBLEMS WITH SITE SELECTION
  - CONCLUSIONS REGARDING SITE SELECTION
- PSEUDOREPLICATION
- SPECIES SELECTION
  - STUDY SPECIES
  - CONCLUSIONS REGARDING SPECIES SELECTION
- RESPONSE-VARIABLE SELECTION
  - CRITERIA FOR RESPONSE SELECTION
  - WEAKNESS IN THE GENERAL RESEARCH DESIGN FOR RESPONSE VARIABLES
  - CONCLUSIONS REGARDING RESPONSE-VARIABLE SELECTION
- STATISTICAL POWER
- RESPONSE TO REVIEWS AND CRITIQUES
- APPROPRIATENESS OF INTERPRETATION
- DIFFERENT METHODS FOR SIMILAR ORGANISMS
- LACK OF INTEGRATION AMONG STUDIES AND SYNTHESIS OF INFORMATION
  - SELECTION OF PROJECTS
  - SELECTION OF STUDY SITES
  - CONCLUSIONS REGARDING INTEGRATION OF STUDIES AND SYNTHESIS OF INFORMATION
- DATA ARCHIVING
5 Overall Conclusions and Recommendations
- ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
- IITRI'S ENGINEERING SUPPORT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
  - CHARACTERIZING ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS
  - PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- RECOMMENDATION
  - DO NOT REPEAT THE MONITORING STUDIES
- SUGGESTED NEXT STEPS
  - REANALYSIS OF THE EXPOSURE-ASSESSMENT DATA
  - CONTROLLED LABORATORY STUDIES OF VARIABLES THAT TENDED TO SHOW MEASURABLE EFFECTS
  - ANY REANALYSIS OR LABORATORY STUDIES SHOULD BE REVIEWED INDEPENDENTLY
  - SUMMARY
References
Appendix A Biographic Information on Committee Members
Appendix B Calculations of Induced Electric Fields
- INTRODUCTION
- THEORETICAL MODEL
- NUMERICAL CALCULATIONS
  - INSECTS AND BIRDS AND OTHER SMALL VERTEBRATES
  - HARDWOOD-TREE STANDS
- SUMMARY

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An Evaluation of the U.S. Navy's Extremely Low Frequency Submarine Communications Ecological Monitoring Program

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