Canada geese (Branta canadensis) recently have become management problems in some areas due to overpopulation At Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). managers are concerned with the opposite situation Despite attempts to boost production, only 18 to 34 goslings of the western Canada goose (B. c. moffitti) were produced per year, from 1989 to 1993. I studied the breeding population from March to July in 1996 and 1997. Results suggest that production is limited in 3 ways: low gosling survival. low nesting success for ground nests, and low number of breeding pairs Gosling survival to fledging was 25% in 1996 and 52% in 1997. I examined the potential causes of low gosling survival, especially the effects of saline drinking water. Specific conductivities in the spring-fed marshes of the desert refuge range from 3.0 to 25.0+ μS/cm. conducted an experiment on captive wild-strain goslings. Three groups received different levels of saline \\ater as measured by specific conductivity: control (0 63 μS/cm), intermediate 12.0 ~1Slcm). and high (18.0 ~1Slcm) I found mortality only at the high level Effects on growth were growth were evident at both the intermediate and high levels, although statistically significant only at the high level. To examine the effects of saline drinking water on survival of free-ranging wild goslings, I collared and radio marked breeding adults, then monitored brood location and gosling numbers. I found that mortality was independent of specific conductivity levels on the brood-rearing impoundments. Observations suggest that the primary causes of low gosling survival involve predation and human disturbance. l compared my results lo the results of other studies. Accuracy of results appears to be related to the estimation technique used. Radio tracking of broods has the potential to be very accurate. Al Fish Springs NWR. l monitored nesting pairs. nests, and broods throughout the breeding season. Ground nests had lower nesting success in both years (56%: 41 %) than artificial nesting platforms (90%, 83%). The number of nesting pairs was 26 and 34 in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Based on these results, l made several management recommendations, including installing more artificial nesting platforms. and minimizing human disturbance.

The operation of the smart grid is expected to be heavily reliant on microprocessor-based control. Thus, there is a strong need for interoperability standards to address the heterogeneous nature of the data in the smart grid. In this research, we analyzed in detail the security threats of the Generic Object Oriented Substation Events (GOOSE) and Sampled Measured Values (SMV) protocol mappings of the IEC 61850 data modeling standard, which is the most widely industry-accepted standard for power system automation and control. We found that there is a strong need for security solutions that are capable of defending the grid against cyber-attacks, minimizing the damage in case a cyber-incident occurs, and restoring services within minimal time. To address these risks, we focused on correlating cyber security algorithms with physical characteristics of the power system by developing intelligent agents that use this knowledge as an important second line of defense in detecting malicious activity. This will complement the cyber security methods, including encryption and authentication. Firstly, we developed a physical-model-checking algorithm, which uses artificial neural networks to identify switching-related attacks on power systems based on load flow characteristics. Secondly, the feasibility of using neural network forecasters to detect spoofed sampled values was investigated. We showed that although such forecasters have high spoofed-data-detection accuracy, they are prone to the accumulation of forecasting error. In this research, we proposed an algorithm to detect the accumulation of the forecasting error based on lightweight statistical indicators. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms was experimentally verified on the Smart Grid testbed at FIU. The test results showed that the proposed techniques have a minimal detection latency, in the range of microseconds. Also, in this research we developed a network-in-the-loop co-simulation platform that seamlessly integrates the components of the smart grid together, especially since they are governed by different regulations and owned by different entities. Power system simulation software, microcontrollers, and a real communication infrastructure were combined together to provide a cohesive smart grid platform. A data-centric communication scheme was selected to provide an interoperability layer between multi-vendor devices, software packages, and to bridge different protocols together.

No description available.

Present data are insufficient to permit final recommendations as to the best winter-green crop for geese of the sight crops studied. Italian rye grass appears, however, to have very good possibilities because of its good production of forage, its utilization and apparent high preference by geese coupled with a low preference by deer. It is also a relatively inexpensive field crop. Ladino clover is good as a second year crop for both geese and deer besides being economical to plant and maintain, but should be planted early to permit satisfactory first year utilization. Oats, on the refuges on which this investigation was conducted, appears a poor choice because of its high preference by deer and low goose preference. There is a need for additional investigation to permit the accumulation of more conclusive data. Presently reported results reflect limitations which might be overcome with additional investigation. / Master of Science

O desenvolvimento e utilização do padrão IEC 61850 alterou a concepção e operação das subestações de energia elétrica. O desempenho e confiabilidade do sistema de proteção depende da rede de comunicação de dados. Esta pesquisa propõe um parâmetro de dimensionamento e comparação de desempenho para o tempo de transferência das mensagens Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) entre Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). Esse parâmetro foi obtido através do levantamento experimental da curva do tempo de transferência das mensagens GOOSE versus a ocupação percentual da largura de banda dos IEDs. Para a realização dos experimentos foram utilizados três IEDs, um switch Ethernet gerenciável, três microcomputadores do tipo PC, um relógio sincronizador Global Positioning System (GPS), cordões de fibra óptica, cabos do tipo par trançado sem blindagem e aplicativos de software. Os resultados mostraram que a partir de um limiar característico, o qual é distinto para cada IED ensaiado, o tempo de transferência excede o limite máximo permitido pelo padrão IEC 61850. A partir da análise destes dados, foi desenvolvido um sistema preditivo de monitoramento de banda para supervisionar a interface de rede dos IEDs. O sistema preditivo apresentou para a medição de banda um erro relativo médio igual a 0,55% em relação ao aplicativo comercial utilizado na comparação, já a predição feita pela rede neural artificial apresentou um erro de estimativa menor do que 3% para 91,30% das amostras utilizadas, além de modelar adequadamente o comportamento da série temporal que representa a ocupação de banda do IED monitorado. / The development and utilization of IEC 61850 standard changed the design and operation of electric power substations. The performance and reliability of the protection system depends on the data communication network. This research proposes a parameter for dimensioning and comparising the transfer time of Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages between different Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). This parameter was obtained from experimental data related to the transfer time of GOOSE messages curve versus IEDs bandwidth percentage occupation. In this context, a laboratory structure was set up in order to carry out these experiments. This structure mainly consists of three IEDs, an Ethernet switch, three personal computers, a GPS Clock, fiber optic cables, unshielded twisted pair cables, as well as support software. The results show the existence of a characteristic threshold, different for each IED tested, after which the transfer time exceeded the total transmission time allowed for the IEC 61850 standard. Based on these results, a predictive bandwidth monitoring system was developed to supervise the IEDs bandwidth interface. The bandwidth measurement has a mean relative error of 0.55% regarding to the commercial software used for comparison. Finally, the forecasting made by the artificial neural network has a relative error of 3% for 91,30% of the samples used in test phase. In addition, that it was able to model the behaviour of the time series that represent the bandwidth occupation.

O desenvolvimento e utilização do padrão IEC 61850 alterou a concepção e operação das subestações de energia elétrica. O desempenho e confiabilidade do sistema de proteção depende da rede de comunicação de dados. Esta pesquisa propõe um parâmetro de dimensionamento e comparação de desempenho para o tempo de transferência das mensagens Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) entre Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). Esse parâmetro foi obtido através do levantamento experimental da curva do tempo de transferência das mensagens GOOSE versus a ocupação percentual da largura de banda dos IEDs. Para a realização dos experimentos foram utilizados três IEDs, um switch Ethernet gerenciável, três microcomputadores do tipo PC, um relógio sincronizador Global Positioning System (GPS), cordões de fibra óptica, cabos do tipo par trançado sem blindagem e aplicativos de software. Os resultados mostraram que a partir de um limiar característico, o qual é distinto para cada IED ensaiado, o tempo de transferência excede o limite máximo permitido pelo padrão IEC 61850. A partir da análise destes dados, foi desenvolvido um sistema preditivo de monitoramento de banda para supervisionar a interface de rede dos IEDs. O sistema preditivo apresentou para a medição de banda um erro relativo médio igual a 0,55% em relação ao aplicativo comercial utilizado na comparação, já a predição feita pela rede neural artificial apresentou um erro de estimativa menor do que 3% para 91,30% das amostras utilizadas, além de modelar adequadamente o comportamento da série temporal que representa a ocupação de banda do IED monitorado. / The development and utilization of IEC 61850 standard changed the design and operation of electric power substations. The performance and reliability of the protection system depends on the data communication network. This research proposes a parameter for dimensioning and comparising the transfer time of Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages between different Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). This parameter was obtained from experimental data related to the transfer time of GOOSE messages curve versus IEDs bandwidth percentage occupation. In this context, a laboratory structure was set up in order to carry out these experiments. This structure mainly consists of three IEDs, an Ethernet switch, three personal computers, a GPS Clock, fiber optic cables, unshielded twisted pair cables, as well as support software. The results show the existence of a characteristic threshold, different for each IED tested, after which the transfer time exceeded the total transmission time allowed for the IEC 61850 standard. Based on these results, a predictive bandwidth monitoring system was developed to supervise the IEDs bandwidth interface. The bandwidth measurement has a mean relative error of 0.55% regarding to the commercial software used for comparison. Finally, the forecasting made by the artificial neural network has a relative error of 3% for 91,30% of the samples used in test phase. In addition, that it was able to model the behaviour of the time series that represent the bandwidth occupation.

Les systèmes de contrôle et d'automatisation industriels (IACS - Industrial Control and Automation Systems) reposent largement et de plus en plus sur les Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication. A l'origine, les IACS utilisaient des protocoles propriétaires sur des réseaux fermés, assurant ainsi une sécurité par obscurité et isolement. Mais les technologies et les usages ont évolué et cette sécurité intrinsèque n'existe plus désormais. Cette évolution concerne entre autre le domaine électrique : le réseau électrique devenant le "smart grid".Le standard IEC 61850 est un pilier pour le développement du smart grid. Il a pour objectif de rendre possible l'interopérabilité dans les "Systèmes et réseaux de communication pour l'automatisation des services de distribution d'énergie". Pour cela, la norme définit un modèle de données commun ainsi qu'une pile de protocoles répondant à divers besoins de communication.Le standard IEC 61850 n'aborde pas la question de la cyber sécurité malgré une prise de conscience générale qu'un risque cyber pèse sur les IACS.Ces travaux de recherche proposent de répondre à cette question de la cyber sécurité par de la détection d'intrusion dans les réseaux IEC 61850, et plus précisément dans les communications temps-réel GOOSE. L'idée est d'exploiter au maximum les sources d'informations que sont les spécifications du protocole et la configuration du système pour développer un système de détection d'intrusion réseau (NIDS - Network Intrusion Detection System) sur mesure. Cette approche comportementale déterministe est un gage de précision de détection.Ce manuscrit compte quatre chapitres. Les deux premiers consistent en un état de l'art détaillé sur les NIDS pour les IACS d'une part, et l'analyse du risque cyber d'autre part. Les deux autres chapitres présentent les contributions proprement dites de ces travaux de thèse. Le chapitre 3 explore tout d'abord le risque cyber pesant sur un poste électrique et pouvant compromettre la sûreté de fonctionnement du système. Dans un deuxième temps, est proposée une extension du modèle de données IEC 61850 dédiées à la détection d'intrusion dans les communication GOOSE. Le chapitre 4 commence avec la démonstration expérimentale de la faisabilité d'une attaque de type injection de données sur le protocole GOOSE, puis explique comment utiliser les fichiers de configuration du système pour spécifier les règles de détection. Un analyseur syntaxique pour le protocole GOOSE a été intégré à l'analyseur de trafic open source Bro, permettant l'implémentation d'un algorithme de détection. / Information and Communication Technologies have been pervading Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) for a few decades now. Initially, IACS ran proprietary protocols on closed networks, thus ensuring some level of security through obscurity and isolation. Technologies and usages have evolved and today this intrinsic security does not exist any longer, though. This transition is in progress in the electricity domain, the power infrastructure turning into the "smart grid".The IEC 61850 standard is key to the smart grid development. It is aimed at making interoperability possible in ``Communication networks and systems for power utility automation''. It thus defines a common data object model and a stack of protocols answering different purposes.Although the cyber risk in IACS is now widely acknowledged, IEC 61850 does not address cyber security in any way whatsoever.This work tackles the question of cyber security through network intrusion detection in IEC 61850 networks, and more specifically in real-time GOOSE communications. The idea is to get the most out of the protocol specifications and system configuration while developing a tailored NIDS. This enables detection accuracy.

Human/wildlife interactions at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge were investigated in this research. Personal interviews and a mapping exercise were used to examine a variety of questions about recreational use. These included visitor backgrounds (their recreational histories, socioeconomic profiles, and past refuge visits), their perceptions (of current and proposed management policies, and visitor effects on wildlife), and their experiences of the refuge (their activities, most memorable experiences and exploration of the environment). Most visitors questioned were middle-aged individuals who resided in New Mexico. The refuge's unique character--its diversity of wildlife and landscape features--was perceived as its greatest asset. Visitors saw the refuge as a wildlife sanctuary, protected and controlled by officials who prevented visitors from having damaging impacts on the resource. While visitors differed by season of visit and purpose of visit, most did agree that the refuge should be managed for the sake of wildlife first. After that, visitors felt that it should be managed for the sake of recreation. Snow Geese responses to certain visitor behaviors were also examined. Simulations of visitor behaviors were made in the presence of small groups of geese. Behavioral observations of geese were made prior to, during, and after simulations. Environmental factors (weather, habitat, and temporal) were also examined. This analysis revealed a general tendency among geese to respond to visitor simulations in characteristic ways. However, variations in geese responses were also observed. Several factors may have most strongly influenced geese behavior. The predictability of visitor behaviors as perceived by geese influenced their patterns of response. Then too, certain environmental factors (habitat and temporal) were important, as well as the particular nature of the animal behaviors themselves. This research indicates that significant transactions occur between people, animals, and the environment. Understanding them is crucial in managing natural resources for ecological as well as recreational values.

The arctic is currently experiencing some of the greatest rates of warming. Newly emerging diseases in the arctic are of particular interest due to the implications these may have at southern latitudes if temperatures continue to rise around the globe. It is important to document changes in pathogen populations, such as alterations in range, virulence, prevalence, and abundance, and the effect these may have on their host populations. Parasites influence the reproductive success of their hosts in some cases. Studies on impacts of ectoparasites on avian reproductive success have generally been focused on species with altricial young. I studied the abundance of an apparently newly emerging nest-parasite and the effects of this parasite on Rosss (<i>Chen rossii</i>) and lesser snow goose (<i>Chen caerulescens caerulescens</i>) reproductive success in the Karrak Lake goose colony, Nunavut, Canada from 2001 to 2004. <p>The nest parasite, identified as the flea <i>Ceratophyllus vagabundus vagabundus</i>, was associated with goose eggs covered with spots of blood. The proportion of goose egg-shells covered by blood was positively correlated with flea abundance in the nest. This relationship allowed the use egg blood-coverage as an index of flea abundance for remaining analyses. Flea abundance in goose nests was associated with variables associated with the host and the hosts habitat. I used general linear models in conjunction with Akaikes information criterion (AIC) to determine which factors were most important in influencing flea abundance in goose nests. The most parsimonious model to explain the relationship between egg blood coverage and flea abundance in goose nests included goose clutch size, age of nest bowl (new vs. old), history of nesting by geese on a specific plot within the colony, habitat within 0.5m of nest, and year. The best predictor of flea abundance was the age of the nest bowl, with nest bowls re-used by geese containing more fleas than new bowls. This relationship was expected as fleas over-wintered in goose nests at the Karrak Lake colony.<p> Logistic regression and AIC were used to determine whether egg blood-coverage was an important variable influencing nest success. All top five models included blood-coverage. Goose nest success was negatively influenced by fleas in most years. There was a threshold of egg blood-coverage at which nest success was affected, and this threshold varied, with >20% blood indicating a significant decline in nest success in two years, and >5% blood-coverage indicating a decrease in nest success in one year. To my knowledge, this is the first study that has examined the parasites of avian nests in an arctic ecosystem and was also the first to investigate the effect of nest parasites on birds with precocial young. More research is needed to determine what factors limit this flea population and whether fleas may become a regulating factor for geese in the Karrak Lake colony.

The arctic is currently experiencing some of the greatest rates of warming. Newly emerging diseases in the arctic are of particular interest due to the implications these may have at southern latitudes if temperatures continue to rise around the globe. It is important to document changes in pathogen populations, such as alterations in range, virulence, prevalence, and abundance, and the effect these may have on their host populations. Parasites influence the reproductive success of their hosts in some cases. Studies on impacts of ectoparasites on avian reproductive success have generally been focused on species with altricial young. I studied the abundance of an apparently newly emerging nest-parasite and the effects of this parasite on Rosss (<i>Chen rossii</i>) and lesser snow goose (<i>Chen caerulescens caerulescens</i>) reproductive success in the Karrak Lake goose colony, Nunavut, Canada from 2001 to 2004. <p>The nest parasite, identified as the flea <i>Ceratophyllus vagabundus vagabundus</i>, was associated with goose eggs covered with spots of blood. The proportion of goose egg-shells covered by blood was positively correlated with flea abundance in the nest. This relationship allowed the use egg blood-coverage as an index of flea abundance for remaining analyses. Flea abundance in goose nests was associated with variables associated with the host and the hosts habitat. I used general linear models in conjunction with Akaikes information criterion (AIC) to determine which factors were most important in influencing flea abundance in goose nests. The most parsimonious model to explain the relationship between egg blood coverage and flea abundance in goose nests included goose clutch size, age of nest bowl (new vs. old), history of nesting by geese on a specific plot within the colony, habitat within 0.5m of nest, and year. The best predictor of flea abundance was the age of the nest bowl, with nest bowls re-used by geese containing more fleas than new bowls. This relationship was expected as fleas over-wintered in goose nests at the Karrak Lake colony.<p> Logistic regression and AIC were used to determine whether egg blood-coverage was an important variable influencing nest success. All top five models included blood-coverage. Goose nest success was negatively influenced by fleas in most years. There was a threshold of egg blood-coverage at which nest success was affected, and this threshold varied, with >20% blood indicating a significant decline in nest success in two years, and >5% blood-coverage indicating a decrease in nest success in one year. To my knowledge, this is the first study that has examined the parasites of avian nests in an arctic ecosystem and was also the first to investigate the effect of nest parasites on birds with precocial young. More research is needed to determine what factors limit this flea population and whether fleas may become a regulating factor for geese in the Karrak Lake colony.