Date of Award

2021

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Awarded

Master of Science (MS)

Program

Biology

Department

Biological Sciences

College

Science and Mathematics

Faculty Advisor

Klug, Page

Description

North Dakota sunflower producers face a dilemma when it comes to blackbirds (Icteridae). Migrating flocks produce localized damage to production, which results in some farmers with no bird issues, while others face total economic losses. A dynamic and humane crop protection tool is necessary to reduce blackbird damage in this broad-scale agriculture setting, as damage is actively occurring, while considering the protected status of blackbirds. This study examined a novel tool, unmanned aircraft systems (hereafter, UAS), through the lens of a social evaluation of farmers’ opinions and the biological impact on blackbird flock behavior. Farmers were very willing to allow a variety of UAS operations on their property, but willingness was dependent on age, farming generation, prior blackbird damage and preventative efforts. Time of day and flock size were important factors for perception of risk toward UAS by blackbird flocks, and 52% of the flocks abandoned due to UAS hazing.

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0001-7416-2457

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/32369

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