and animal communities. These impacts can be assessed once specific development procedures and ecosystems are identified. Certain additional potential impacts will be more difficult to assess due to a lack of information in the scientific literature. The areas of concern include fragmentation of ecosystems, electric field effects, the possibility that some species of wildlife may be attracted to the rectenna in large numbers, and the possible disturbance of the rhythmic cycle (e.g., reproduction, dormancy, etc.) in plants and animals by reflected light from satellites. Construction and nonmicrowave operational' aspects of SPS have the potential to impact large areas of natural and man-altered ecosystems. The responses of ecosystems to various types of physical disturbances are much better known than are the responses to microwaves. For this reason, there is probably no need for a large, experimental ecological research program for nonmicrowave effects. However, a preliminary, nonexperiment al research program should be initiated. Ecological impacts may vary with the specific construction techniques used, and even those methods that have minimal impact in one ecosystem might have a severe adverse impact when used in a different ecosystem. It is possible that limited experimental research might be required to answer some critical nonmicrowave questions. A preliminary nonexperimental research program will determine whether such questions exist, and establish priorities if they do.
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