Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Fish and Wildlife Branch Technical Report No. 2013-21 December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Scientific Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards First Edition 2013 PUBLISHED BY: Fish and Wildlife Branch Ministry of Environment 3211 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 5W6 SUGGESTED CITATION FOR THIS MANUAL: Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. 2013. Fish & Wildlife Branch scientific research permit environmental condition standards. Fish and Wildlife Branch Technical Report No. 2013-21. 3211 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan. 60 pp. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Fish & Wildlife Branch scientific research permit environmental condition standards: The Research Permit Process Renewal working group (Karyn Scalise, Sue McAdam, Ben Sawa, Jeff Keith and Ed Beveridge) compiled the information found in this document to provide necessary information regarding species protocol environmental condition parameters. COVER PHOTO CREDITS: http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/weather-icons-vector- graphic_596650.htm CONTENT PHOTO CREDITS: as referenced CONTACT: [email protected] COPYRIGHT Brand and product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of brand names does not constitute an endorsement. Except as noted, all illustrations are copyright 2013, Ministry of Environment. ii Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Beaufort Wind Scale ........................................................................................................... 2 Cloud Cover ......................................................................................................................... 5 Temperature ....................................................................................................................... 6 Precipitation ........................................................................................................................ 6 Noise Index.......................................................................................................................... 9 Glossary ............................................................................................................................. 11 List of Tables Table 1. Beaufort modern wind scale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale). ... 1 Table 2. Cloud cover scales (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okta). ..................................... 5 Table 3. Noise index after North American Amphibian Monitoring Program. ................... 9 Table 4. Decibel Loudness Comparison Chart. ................................................................. 10 List of Figures Figure 1. Beaufort scale diagrammatically represented (Howtoons 2006). ....................... 4 Figure 2. Moon phases (MoonConnection.com 2013). ...................................................... 8 iii Introduction This document serves as a reference source for recording environmental conditions when encountered while executing field work using the recommended Sensitive Species survey protocol. While not fully comprehensive, the environmental conditions addressed in this document will provide the reader with concise reference information to help complete data collection requirements. Environmental conditions include: wind, cloud cover, temperature, precipitation, moon phases and noise. The Research Permit Process Renewal Working Group welcomes any and all comments towards improving the existing content as this is considered a dynamic document. December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Page 1 of 60 Beaufort Wind Scale The continued use of the Beaufort scale (Table 1; Figure 1) in weather forecasts is partly a matter of pragmatism and partly for realism. The wind is never steady and the forecaster, working in terms of pressure gradient and resultant wind speed, is only too happy to express that variability and the general uncertainty in an economic way through the Beaufort scale. Hearing a forecast on the radio it is easier to distinguish between winds of Forces 4 and 7 than it might be between speeds such as, say, 13 and 30 knots (http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/About-Franks-Site). In Canada, maritime winds forecast to be in the range of 6 to 7 are designated as "strong"; 8 to 9 "gale force"; 10 to 11 "storm force"; 12 "hurricane force". Appropriate wind warnings are issued by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada: strong wind warning, gale (force wind) warning, storm (force wind) warning and hurricane force wind warning. These designations were standardized nationally in 2008, whereas "light wind" can refer to 0 to 12 or 0 to 15 knots and "moderate wind" 12 to 19 or 16 to 19 knots, depending on regional custom, definition or practice. Prior to 2008, a "strong wind warning" would have been referred to as a "small craft warning" by Environment Canada, similar to US terminology. (Canada and the USA have the Great Lakes in common.) However, there being no generally accepted definition of "small craft", and to have consistency between wind speed ranges and their associated warnings, the phrase "strong wind warning" has become the national Canadian norm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale). December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Page 2 of 60 Table 1. Beaufort modern wind scale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale). Beaufort Wave Description Wind speed Sea conditions Land conditions Sea state photo Associated Warning Flag number height < 1 km/h 0 m < 1 mph < 1 knot Calm. Smoke rises 0 Calm Flat. vertically. 0 ft < 0.3 m/s 1.1–5.5 km/h 0–0.2 m 1–3 mph Smoke drift indicates wind 1–3 knot Ripples without 1 Light air direction. Leaves crests. and wind vanes are 0–1 ft 0.3–1.5 m/s stationary. 5.6–11 km/h 0.2–0.5 4–7 mph m 4–6 knot Small wavelets. Wind felt on Crests of glassy exposed skin. Leaves 2 Light breeze appearance, rustle. Wind vanes 1–2 ft not breaking begin to move. 1.6–3.4 m/s 12–19 km/h 0.5–1 m 8–12 mph 7–10 knot Large wavelets. Leaves and small Crests begin to Gentle twigs constantly 3 break; breeze moving, light flags scattered 2–3.5 ft extended. 3.5–5.4 m/s whitecaps 20–28 km/h 1–2 m 13–17 mph Small waves 11–16 knot Dust and loose with breaking Moderate paper raised. Small 4 crests. Fairly breeze branches begin to frequent 3.5–6 ft move. 5.5–7.9 m/s whitecaps. 29–38 km/h 2–3 m Moderate 18–24 mph waves of some Branches of a Fresh 17–21 knot length. Many moderate size 5 breeze whitecaps. move. Small trees in 6–9 ft Small amounts leaf begin to sway. 8.0–10.7 m/s of spray. 6 Strong 39–49 km/h 3–4 m Long waves Large branches in December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Page 1 of 60 breeze 25–30 mph begin to form. motion. Whistling 22–20.6 knot White foam heard in overhead crests are very wires. Umbrella use 10.8– 9–13 ft frequent. Some becomes difficult. airborne spray Empty plastic bins 13.8 m/s is present. tip over. 50–61 km/h 4–5.5 m 31–38 mph 28–33 knot Sea heaps up. Some foam from breaking High wind, waves is blown Whole trees in moderate into streaks motion. Effort 7 gale, along wind needed to walk near gale 13.9– 13–19 ft direction. against the wind. 17.1 m/s Moderate amounts of airborne spray. 62–74 km/h 5.5–7.5 Moderately 39–46 mph m high waves with breaking 34–40 knot crests forming Some twigs broken spindrift. Well- from trees. Cars Gale, 8 marked streaks veer on road. fresh gale of foam are Progress on foot is 18–25 ft 17.2– blown along seriously impeded. 20.7 m/s wind direction. Considerable airborne spray. 75–88 km/h 7–10 m 47–54 mph 41–45557 knot High waves whose crests sometimes roll Some branches over. Dense break off trees, and foam is blown some small trees along wind blow over. 9 Strong gale direction. Large Construction/tempo 23–32 ft amounts of rary signs and 20.8– airborne spray barricades blow 24.4 m/s may begin to over. reduce visibility. Very high Trees are broken off waves with Storm,[7] 89–102 km/h or uprooted, 10 9–12.5 m overhanging whole gale structural damage crests. Large likely. 25–23 mph patches of December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Page 2 of 60 28–25 knot foam from wave crests give the sea a white appearance. Considerable tumbling of waves with heavy impact. Large amounts of airborne 24.5– 29–41 ft spray reduce 28.4 m/s visibility. 103– Exceptionally 117 km/h 11.5–16 high waves. m 24–23 mph Very large patches of 26–23 knot foam, driven before the Widespread Violent wind, cover vegetation and 11 storm much of the structural damage 37–52 ft sea surface. likely. 28.5– Very large 22.2 m/s amounts of airborne spray severely reduce visibility. ≥ 118 km/h Huge waves. Sea is completely Severe widespread white with damage to foam and vegetation and Hurricane 12 ≥ 14 m spray. Air is structures. Debris force [7] filled with and unsecured driving spray, objects are hurled greatly about. reducing visibility. December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Page 3 of 60 Figure 1. Beaufort scale diagrammatically represented December 2013 Fish & Wildlife Branch Research Permit Environmental Condition Standards Page 4 of 60 Cloud Cover Oktas are often referenced in Aviation weather forecasts and low level forecasts. SKC = Sky clear; FEW = 1 to 2 Oktas; SCT = 3 to