ELF Communications System Ecological Monitoring Program: Michigan Bird Studies.

The U.S. Navy has completed a program monitoring flora, fauna, and ecological relationships for possible effects from electromagnetic fields produced by its Extremely Low Frequency ELF Communications System. This report documents studies of the resident and migratory birds in Michigan. Researchers from the University of Minnesota,Duluth UMD used a line-transect method to simultaneously census the avian community present in areas near treatment and far reference from the Michigan transmitter. Monthly censuses May to September were performed annually from 1986 through 1993. Data collected over the entire period of study were analyzed using repeated analysis of variance. Study parameters included total species richness, species abundance, abundance of common bird species, and abundance of birds within selected guilds. Analyses showed a few statistically significant changes in the intersite relationship of parameters over time however, the pattern of changes was not related to EM exposures. The number of significant changes was small, and not greater than that expected to occur by chance alone. Study results in Michigan are similar to those obtained by UMD for surveys performed near the Wisconsin transmitter UMD researchers conclude no effects on avian ecology from operation of the ELF Communications System.