Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-311). Also available in electronic form via the UNC-CH Libraries internet website. Adobe Acrobat Reader required. Address as of 09/12/2008: http://dc.lib.unc.edu/u?/etd,1117

No description available.

A study was undertaken to determine the abundance, distribution, perching heights, diets and territory sizes of Red-Tailed Hawks on Sauvie Island, Oregon. Sauvie Island supported a large wintering population of non-territorial Red-Tailed Hawks. The establishment of territories began around 10 January. Average perch height was found to be 14.2 m. Average perch height increased from fall to spring, corresponding-to the onset of the breeding season and to the onset of egg-laying and incubation. Voles (Microtus spp.) were the principal prey year-round, though waterfowl were more important in terms of biomass in the winter and early spring. Territory sizes on the Island ranged from .31 - 3.73 km squared The abundance of voles was assessed in different habitats within five Red-Tailed Hawk territories. Territory size was shown to be inversely correlated to the population density of voles. The implications of this finding for the type of territoriality exhibited by Red-Tailed Hawks is discussed, as are some proximate factors affecting habitat selection.

I assumed that the reproductive strategies of the two Accipiter species investigated in this study, the northern Goshawk (A. gentilis) and the Cooper's hawk (A. cooperii), would be similar to the strategies of other monogamous raptors with sex role partitioning. Any differences in the species' reproductive strategies, particularly hunting strategies, were expected to be a function of their size differences. Contrary to predictions, results indicated that, in north-central New Mexico during brood rearing, both species had similar hunting strategies and utilized similar prey species. These results also indicated that the reproductive strategies of the Cooper's hawk were not adequately described by simple models of sex role partitioning. In this population, over 50% of the female Cooper's hawks deserted during the fledgling-dependency period and made no attempt to renest. In all cases of desertion, the male provided uniparental care until the young were independent. Based on time-energy budget estimates, the deserting females were in poorer physical condition at the time of desertion than were the nondeserting females. This was attributed to the deserter preferentially feeding the nestlings when the quantity of food delivered to the nest by either parent was inadequate to meet the family's requirements. Based on these observations, I developed a dynamic stochastic optimization model to explore the hypotheses that (1) the optimal reproductive strategy of the female Cooper's hawks is the strategy that maximizes her reproductive fitness; and (2) the major factors affecting the female's reproductive fitness and, thus, her optimal strategies are her physical condition, the physical condition of the nestlings, the risks to the nestlings associated with each strategy, and the foraging capabilities of her mate. The model defined reproductive fitness as the weighted average of the nestlings' expected survival and the female's expected reproductive potential in the next breeding season. Using independent sources for the parameters, the model validation compared the model predictions with actual observations of the behavior of radio-tagged, nesting females in this population of Cooper's hawks. The model correctly predicted 90% of the strategies exhibited by the nesting females, which supported the initial hypotheses.

High intensity Activated cross WalK (HAWK), as an innovative pedestrian-activated beacon, has become a hot topic and was introduced in 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). According to the 2009 MUTCD?HAWK should be installed at least 100 feet from a stop-controlled intersection. This thesis first evaluates the distance between HAWK and stop-controlled intersection recommended by 2009 MUTCD. On the basis of the knowledge of HAWK operation, this thesis applies the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to model the pedestrian delay at an HAWK location. The HAWK pedestrian delay model includes the major street arrival rate, minor street arrival rate, pedestrian arrival rate and the distance between HAWK and intersection. Four different functional forms are investigated in order to select an appropriate one that could more accurately model pedestrian delay. The minimum green time for vehicles, as an important variable in the HAWK pedestrian delay model and a peculiar element in HAWK operations, is also evaluated with VISSIM simulation based on different vehicle and pedestrian volume combinations. The impact of the HAWK on pedestrian delay is simulated by comparing pedestrian delay in scenarios with and without HAWK. The results indicate that the minimum distance between HAWK and stop-controlled intersection recommended in MUTCD may be inadequate for high demand situations. More distance from HAWK to stop-controlled intersection needs to be considered in order to avoid vehicle spillback to the upstream intersection. Based upon the results of training and validating datasets, it can be indicated that the HAWK pedestrian delay model developed in this study is capable of effectively evaluating the pedestrian delay with a satisfactory accuracy. The study also identifies that a minimum green time for vehicles should be considered in order to reduce the vehicular delay and different minimum green times be provide for vehicles based on different pedestrian volume and vehicle volume combinations. A model of minimum green time for vehicles is then derived from HAWK pedestrian delay model. Finally, the study results indicate that a HAWK installation may increase pedestrian delay for the stop-controlled intersection scenario when vehicle demand is low.

No description available.

This thesis presents a critical analysis of the contemporary Islamic discourse of interfaith dialogue (IFD) founded on normative examinations of the Qur'an and hadith. Expanding from this baseline, theories of religious universalism and particularism are engaged as well as underlying themes of humanism, social stability, and acceptance of God's will. These are further placed along a Dove-Hawk framework to demonstrate the patterns underlying interpretations regarding the legitimacy of IFD in situations of conflict. It examines the writings and speeches of nine recent and contemporary Muslim intellectual-activists scholars. This analysis reveals a fragmented discourse, which is generally supportive of IFD, and indicates limits to the religious legitimization of IFD during Christian-Muslim hostilities.

The SK 60 Aircraft has been a workhorse for the Air Force’s training of future pilots since the late 1960s. The aging SK60 aircraft is going out of style, and the system has merely a few years of total running time left. A replacement for the SK 60 needs to be implemented in the coming years, and the Armes Forces Flying School has been commissioned to conduct flight tests on suitable replacement systems. This study will conduct a system analysis of two aircrafts mentioned in the Flying Schools report. The systems are mainly valued on their suitability as a replacement for the SK 60 from a training perspective. The systems are also valued based on the possibility of expanding the military utility of each system such as their ability to carry out attack operations. Based on the sample the Pilatus Aircraft PC -21 and BAE Systems Hawk MK 120 aircrafts were chosen for evaluation. The two planes are different yet comparable which makes them suitable for comparison in this study. Hawk MK 120 was deemed as the most suitable replacement for the SK 60. The MK 120 appeared as slightly more favorable than the PC-21 after valuation and appraisal, both from an educational point of view but also with regard to its ability for extended military purposes.

Forty-three and 54 Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) pairs were found occupying territories in northern Utah and southeastern Idaho during 1972 and 1973, respectively. Of these 38 and 27 nesting pairs laid eggs. Nesting success was 77.1 percent in 1972 and 74.6 percent in 1973. for successful nests, an average of 2.9 and 2.6 young hatched and 2.7 and 2.3 young fledged during the respective years. This population is reproductively comparable to others in Utah and Colorado. Analysis of prey items collected from the nests indicated that black-tailed jack-rabbits (Lepus californicus) constitute 86 percent of the biomass (by weight) of three major prey species consumed by ferruginous hawks in this area. Jackrabbit density may be a major determinant of the number of young produced in a given year. Weight gained by the nestlings showed a marked sexual dimorphism. Female fledgelings weighed up to 1.43 times as much as males. Criteria were developed for sexing ferruginous hawks by measuring the diameter of the hallux. Mortality of 17 birds from the study area was recorded, of which 47 percent were immature birds. A total of 108 fledglings were banded and marked with color-coded patagial wing markers. Band reports of five (10 percent) of these birds were received. Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) provided nest sites for 96.0 percent of the nests while three percent were built on the ground. Plant community types were determined at 63 nesting sites from aerial photographs. Dominant vegetation around nest sites were desert shrub types and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) seedings. The possible impact of land management practices on ferruginous hawks is discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 9, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.