Effects of electromagnetic radiations from cell phone towers on bird community
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Date
2016
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
Electromagnetic radiations from cell phone towers has become a global concern for its effect on human health and on flora and fauna. This research summarizes the effect of electromagnetic radiations from cell phone tower on bird abundance, bird diversity and nesting ecology of bird species in agricultural fields and in residential areas. Bird observations were recorded within 200 m and 1 km radius of cell phone tower both in agricultural fields and in residential areas of Alamgir and Gill villages of Ludhiana, Punjab, India from May 2014 to April 2015. Species richness was found to be more within 1 km radius as compared to 200 m radius of cell phone tower in both the villages. In agricultural fields of both the villages, Common Moorhen, Black-winged Stilt, Jungle Prinia, and Brahminy Starling were not found within 200 m radius of cell phone tower. In residential areas of both the villages, White-breasted Kingfisher and Cattle Egret were not recorded within 200 m radius of cell phone tower. In both agricultural fields and residential areas of Alamgir and Gill village, no nesting sites were found within 200 m radius of cell phone tower. Within 1 km radius of cell phone tower in both the villages, 2 nests of Red-wattled Lapwing were located in agricultural fields. In residential areas of both Almgir and in Gill village, 3 and 5 nesting sites of Blue Rock Pigeon were located respectively within 1 km radius of cell phone tower. In agricultural fields of Alamgir village, 15 bird species were observed common both within 200 m and 1 km radius of cell phone tower, out of these significant difference was found between the populations of 7 bird species. Twelve bird species were found to be common both within 200 m and 1 km radius of cell phone tower in residential area of Alamgir village, out of these significant difference was found between the populations of 2 bird species. In agricultural area of Gill village, 17 bird species were observed common both within 200 m and 1 km radius of cell phone tower, out of these significant difference was found between the populations of 5 bird species. Eleven bird species were found as common both within 200 m and 1 km radius of cell phone tower, out of these significant difference was found between the populations of 5 bird species. It may be concluded that some bird species were not recorded near cell phone tower even within safe limits of Power density from cell phone tower. Further studies are required to evaluate the species wise effect of electromagnetic radiations of cell phone towers in different habitats.
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Keywords
Bird abundance, Cell phone towers, Electromagnetic radiations, Electric field strength, Species richness, Species diversity, Species evenness