Effect on Biologicals from Reflected SPS Light

2 these values (0.01 to 0.03 W/m ) are relatively low. Moreover, the calculation that a given spot would be exposed to such light for only 1 minute (Case 2, Boeing Report) or 2 minutes (Case S3) would make it unlikely that even animals fully exposed to this low light would show significant reponses. The most extreme levels of irradiance are indicated by the out-of- control orientation described by Case S7. These levels of irradiance which are at least an order of magnitude greater than moonlight are certainly sufficiently high to be of potential significance to the photobiology of animals. The report does not explicitly calculate the probable duration or timing of exposures of such light, but I have been informed (personal communication, Dr. Harold Liemohn, Boeing Co.) that such unusual situations would involve extremely short pulses (seconds or minutes) of an unpredictable or irregular nature. Hence, any given habitat would be unlikely to experience such added illumination for sufficiently long or frequently enough to show appreciable responses. However, certain critical processes in insects may be triggered by a relatively short period of a single light pulse. If the light were to fall at such critical moments in an animal's life, it would trigger longer term actions. The erratic nature of this out-of-control situation precludes further estimation of the likelihood of such an event. The potential effects of nocturnal illumination from reflectance on the two aspects of behavior mentioned above, namely, celestial navigation and nocturnal hunting and foraging activity, are among the most difficult to evaluate because of the paucity of a quantitative data base. It is not unlikely that an occasional disruption or modification of normal ecological relationships such as in the situation involving the interaction between predator and prey will result from an unexpected increase in habitat

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==