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Huang TK, Feng X, Derbridge JJ, Libby K, Diffendorfer JE, Thogmartin WE, McCracken G, Medellin R, López-Hoffman L. Potential for spatial coexistence of a transboundary migratory species and wind energy development. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17050. [PMID: 39048593 PMCID: PMC11269593 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66490-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Global expansion in wind energy development is a notable achievement of the international community's effort to reduce carbon emissions during energy production. However, the increasing number of wind turbines have unintended consequences for migratory birds and bats. Wind turbine curtailment and other mitigation strategies can reduce fatalities, but improved spatial and temporal data are needed to identify the most effective way for wind energy development and volant migratory species to coexist. Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) account for a large proportion of known bat fatalities at wind facilities in the southwestern US. We examined the geographic concordance between existing wind energy generation facilities, areas of high wind potential amenable for future deployment of wind facilities, and seasonally suitable habitat for these bats. We used ecological niche modeling to determine species distribution during each of 4 seasons. We used a multi-criteria GIS-based approach to produce a wind turbine siting suitability map. We identified seasonal locations with highest and lowest potential for the species' probability of occurrence, providing a potential explanation for the higher observed fatalities during fall migration. Thirty percent of 33,606 wind turbines within the southwestern US occurred in highly suitable areas for Mexican free-tailed bats, primarily in west Texas. There is also broad spatial overlap between areas of high wind potential and areas of suitable habitat for Mexican free-tailed bats. Because of this high degree of overlap, our results indicate that post-construction strategies, such as curtailing the timing of operations and deterrents, would be more effective for bat conservation than strategic siting of new wind energy installations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta-Ken Huang
- Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Tamkang University, No.151, Yingzhuan Rd., Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City, 251301, Taiwan
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Xiao Feng
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, 113 Collegiate Loop, PO Box 3062190, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Jonathan J Derbridge
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Kaitlin Libby
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jay E Diffendorfer
- US Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, P.O. Box 25046, DFC, MS980, Denver, CO, 80225, USA.
| | - Wayne E Thogmartin
- US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA
| | - Gary McCracken
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department, The University of Tennessee, 569 Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Rodrigo Medellin
- Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, University City, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Laura López-Hoffman
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, The University of Arizona, 803 E 1St Street, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
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2
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Solick DI, Hopp BH, Chenger J, Newman CM. Automated echolocation classifiers vary in accuracy for northeastern U.S. bat species. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300664. [PMID: 38829847 PMCID: PMC11146688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Acoustic surveys of bat echolocation calls are an important management tool for determining presence and probable absence of threatened and endangered bat species. In the northeastern United States, software programs such as Bat Call Identification (BCID), Kaleidoscope Pro (KPro), and Sonobat can automatically classify ultrasonic detector sound files, yet the programs' accuracy in correctly classifying calls to species has not been independently assessed. We used 1,500 full-spectrum reference calls with known identities for nine northeastern United States bat species to test the accuracy of these programs using calculations of Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Sensitivity (SN), Specificity (SP), Overall Accuracy, and No Information Rate. We found that BCID performed less accurately than other programs, likely because it only operates on zero-crossing data and may be less accurate for recordings converted from full-spectrum to zero-crossing. NPV and SP values were high across all species categories for SonoBat and KPro, indicating these programs' success at avoiding false positives. However, PPV and SN values were relatively low, particularly for individual Myotis species, indicating these programs are prone to false negatives. SonoBat and KPro performed better when distinguishing Myotis species from non-Myotis species. We expect less accuracy from these programs for acoustic recordings collected under normal working conditions, and caution that a bat acoustic expert should verify automatically classified files when making species-specific regulatory or conservation decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald I. Solick
- Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Vesper Bat Detection Services, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Bradley H. Hopp
- Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - John Chenger
- Bat Conservation and Management, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christian M. Newman
- Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
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Voigt CC, Bernard E, Huang JCC, Frick WF, Kerbiriou C, MacEwan K, Mathews F, Rodríguez-Durán A, Scholz C, Webala PW, Welbergen J, Whitby M. Toward solving the global green-green dilemma between wind energy production and bat conservation. Bioscience 2024; 74:240-252. [PMID: 38720909 PMCID: PMC11075649 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wind energy production is growing rapidly worldwide in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, wind energy production is not environmentally neutral. Negative impacts on volant animals, such as bats, include fatalities at turbines and habitat loss due to land-use change and displacement. Siting turbines away from ecologically sensitive areas and implementing measures to reduce fatalities are critical to protecting bat populations. Restricting turbine operations during periods of high bat activity is the most effective form of mitigation currently available to reduce fatalities. Compensating for habitat loss and offsetting mortality are not often practiced, because meaningful offsets are lacking. Legal frameworks to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of wind energy on bats are absent in most countries, especially in emerging markets. Therefore, governments and lending institutions are key in reconciling wind energy production with biodiversity goals by requiring sufficient environmental standards for wind energy projects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enrico Bernard
- Laboratório de Ciência Aplicada a Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Joe Chun-Chia Huang
- Department of Life Science at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | | | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique at Sorbonne Université Station Marine, in Concarneau, France
| | - Kate MacEwan
- Western EcoSystems Technology, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, Falmer, England, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carolin Scholz
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management at Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Justin Welbergen
- The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Whitby
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, Texas, United States
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4
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Ballester C, Dupont SM, Corbeau A, Chambert T, Duriez O, Besnard A. A standardized protocol for assessing the performance of automatic detection systems used in onshore wind power plants to reduce avian mortality. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 354:120437. [PMID: 38402787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
While wind power plants are an important contribution to the production of renewable energy to limit climate change, collision mortality from turbines is a danger for birds, including many protected species. To try to mitigate collision risks, automatic detection systems (ADSs) can be deployed on wind power plants; these work by detecting incoming birds using a detection/classification process and triggering a specific reaction (scaring off the bird or shutting down the turbine). Nonetheless, bird fatalities still occur at ADS-equipped wind power plants, which raises the question of the performance of these tools. To date, the lack of a transparent, peer-reviewed experimental process to compare the performance of types of ADS has meant there is no robust protocol to assess these systems. With the aim of filling this gap, we developed two standardized protocols that provide objective and unbiased assessments of the performance of different types of ADS, based on their probability of detecting/classifying birds at risk of collision. Both protocols rely on precise 3D tracking of wild birds by human observers using a laser rangefinder, and the comparison of these tracks with those detected and recorded by an ADS. The first protocol evaluates a system's general performance, generating comparable data for all types of ADS. In this protocol, detection/classification probability is estimated conditional on several abiotic and biotic environmental factors such as bird size, distance from the target, the flight angle and azimuth of the bird, as well as weather conditions. The second protocol aims to verify that the performance of an ADS installed on a given wind power plant complies with its regulatory requirements. In this protocol, detection/classification probability is specifically estimated for a given target species at a given regulatory detection distance. This protocol also estimates the proportion of time an ADS is functional on site over a year, and the proportion of reaction orders successfully operated by wind turbines. These protocols have been field-tested and made publicly available for use by government agencies and wind power plant operators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrielle Ballester
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Sophie M Dupont
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France; Laboratoire de Biologie des ORganismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), FRE 2030, Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Corbeau
- CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution) - University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Thierry Chambert
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélien Besnard
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Wieringa JG, Nagel J, Campbell C, Nelson DM, Carstens BC, Gibbs HL. Geographic source of bats killed at wind-energy facilities in the eastern United States. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16796. [PMID: 38332805 PMCID: PMC10851872 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Bats subject to high rates of fatalities at wind-energy facilities are of high conservation concern due to the long-term, cumulative effects they have, but the impact on broader bat populations can be difficult to assess. One reason is the poor understanding of the geographic source of individual fatalities and whether they constitute migrants or more local individuals. Here, we used stable hydrogen isotopes, trace elements and species distribution models to determine the most likely summer geographic origins of three different bat species (Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, and Lasionycteris noctivagans) killed at wind-energy facilities in Ohio and Maryland in the eastern United States. In Ohio, 41.6%, 21.3%, 2.2% of all individuals of L. borealis, L. cinereus, and L. noctivagans, respectively, had evidence of movement. In contrast, in Maryland 77.3%, 37.1%, and 27.3% of these same species were classified as migrants. Our results suggest bats killed at a given wind facility are likely derived from migratory as well as resident populations. Finally, there is variation in the proportion of migrants killed between seasons for some species and evidence of philopatry to summer roosts. Overall, these results indicate that the impact of wind-energy facilities on bat populations occurs across a large geographic extent, with the proportion of migrants impacted likely to vary across species and sites. Similar studies should be conducted across a broader geographic scale to understand the impacts on bat populations from wind-energy facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamin G. Wieringa
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Juliet Nagel
- Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland - Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - C.J. Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - David M. Nelson
- Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland - Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Bryan C. Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - H. Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
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Fritts SR, Guest EE, Weaver SP, Hale AM, Morton BP, Hein CD. Experimental trials of species-specific bat flight responses to an ultrasonic deterrent. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16718. [PMID: 38188150 PMCID: PMC10771094 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Unintended consequences of increasing wind energy production include bat mortalities from wind turbine blade strikes. Ultrasonic deterrents (UDs) have been developed to reduce bat mortalities at wind turbines. Our goal was to experimentally assess the species-specific effectiveness of three emission treatments from the UD developed by NRG Systems. We conducted trials in a flight cage measuring approximately 60 m × 10 m × 4.4 m (length × width × height) from July 2020 to May 2021 in San Marcos, Texas, USA. A single UD was placed at either end of the flight cage, and we randomly selected one for each night of field trials. Trials focused on a red bat species group (Lasiurus borealis and Lasiurus blossevillii; n = 46) and four species: cave myotis (Myotis velifer; n = 57), Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis; n = 73), evening bats (Nycteceius humeralis; n = 53), and tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus; n = 17). The trials occurred during three treatment emissions: low (emissions from subarrays at 20, 26, and 32 kHz), high (emissions from subarrays at 38, 44, and 50 kHz), and combined (all six emission frequencies). We placed one wild-captured bat into the flight cage for each trial, which consisted of an acclimation period, a control period with the UD powered off, and the three emission treatments (order randomly selected), each interspersed with a control period. We tracked bat flight using four thermal cameras placed outside the flight cage. We quantified the effectiveness of each treatment by comparing the distances each bat flew from the UD during each treatment vs. the control period using quantile regression. Additionally, we conducted an exploratory analysis of differences between sex and season and sex within season using analysis of variance. Broadly, UDs were effective at altering the bats' flight paths as they flew farther from the UD during treatments than during controls; however, results varied by species, sex, season, and sex within season. For the red bat group, bats flew farther from the UD during all treatments than during the control period at all percentiles (p < 0.001), and treatments were comparable in effectiveness. For cave myotis, all percentile distances were farther from the UD during each of the treatments than during the control, except the 90th percentile distance during high, and low was most effective. For evening bats and Brazilian free-tailed bats, results were inconsistent, but high and low were most effective, respectively. For tricolored bats, combined and low were significant at the 10th-75th percentiles, high was significant at all percentiles, and combined was most effective. Results suggest UDs may be an effective means of reducing bat mortalities due to wind turbine blade strikes. We recommend that continued research on UDs focus on low emission treatments, which have decreased sound attenuation and demonstrated effectiveness across the bat species evaluated in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma Elizabeth Guest
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States
- Bowman, San Marcos, Texas, United States
| | | | - Amanda Marie Hale
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
| | | | - Cris Daniel Hein
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Arvada, Colorado, United States
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LiCari ST, Hale AM, Weaver SP, Fritts S, Katzner T, Nelson DM, Williams DA. Understanding fatality patterns and sex ratios of Brazilian free-tailed bats ( Tadarida brasiliensis) at wind energy facilities in western California and Texas. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16580. [PMID: 38084143 PMCID: PMC10710772 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Operation of wind turbines has resulted in collision fatalities for several bat species, and one proven method to reduce these fatalities is to limit wind turbine blade rotation (i.e., curtail turbines) when fatalities are expected to be highest. Implementation of curtailment can potentially be optimized by targeting times when females are most at risk, as the proportion of females limits the growth and stability of many bat populations. The Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is the most common bat fatality at wind energy facilities in California and Texas, and yet there are few available data on the sex ratios of the carcasses that are found. Understanding the sex ratios of fatalities in California and Texas could aid in planning population conservation strategies such as informed curtailment. Methods We used PCR to determine the sex of bat carcasses collected from wind energy facilities during post-construction monitoring (PCM) studies in California and Texas. In California, we received samples from two locations within the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area in Alameda County: Golden Hills (GH) (n = 212) and Golden Hills North (GHN) (n = 312). In Texas, we received samples from three wind energy facilities: Los Mirasoles (LM) (Hidalgo County and Starr County) (n = 252), Los Vientos (LV) (Starr County) (n = 568), and Wind Farm A (WFA) (San Patricio County and Bee County) (n = 393). Results In California, the sex ratios of fatalities did not differ from 50:50, and the sex ratio remained stable over the survey years, but the seasonal timing of peak fatalities was inconsistent. In 2017 and 2018, fatalities peaked between September and October, whereas in 2019 and 2020 fatalities peaked between May and June. In Texas, sex ratios of fatalities varied between locations, with Los Vientos being female-skewed and Wind Farm A being male-skewed. The sex ratio of fatalities was also inconsistent over time. Lastly, for each location in Texas with multiple years studied, we observed a decrease in the proportion of female fatalities over time. Discussion We observed unexpected variation in the seasonal timing of peak fatalities in California and differences in the sex ratio of fatalities across time and facility location in Texas. In Texas, proximity to different roost types (bridge or cave) likely influenced the sex ratio of fatalities at wind energy facilities. Due to the inconsistencies in the timing of peak female fatalities, we were unable to determine an optimum curtailment period; however, there may be location-specific trends that warrant future investigation. More research should be done over the entirety of the bat active season to better understand these trends in Texas. In addition, standardization of PCM studies could assist future research efforts, enhance current monitoring efforts, and facilitate research on post-construction monitoring studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah T. LiCari
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
| | - Amanda M. Hale
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc, Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
| | - Sara P. Weaver
- Bowman Consulting Group, San Marcos, Texas, United States
| | - Sarah Fritts
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States
| | - Todd Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, Idaho, United States
| | - David M. Nelson
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory, Frostburg, Maryland, United States
| | - Dean A. Williams
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
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True MC, Gorman KM, Taylor H, Reynolds RJ, Ford WM. Fall migration, oceanic movement, and site residency patterns of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) on the mid-Atlantic Coast. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:35. [PMID: 37316899 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00398-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) are present during fall mating and migration, though little is currently known about most aspects of bat migration. To reveal migration patterns, and understand drivers of over-water flight, we captured and radio-tagged 115 eastern red bats using novel technology, and subsequently tracked and described their movements throughout the region. We compared over-water flight movements to randomly generated patterns using a use-availability framework, and subsequently used a generalized linear mixed effects model to assess the relationship of over-water flight to atmospheric variables. We used hidden Markov models to assess daily activity patterns and site residency. Most bats with long-distance movements traveled in a southwesterly direction, however path vectors were often oriented interior toward the continental landmass rather than along the coastline. We observed that some bats transited wide sections of the Chesapeake and Delaware bays, confirming their ability to travel across large water bodies. This over-water flight typically occurred in the early hours of the night and during favorable flying conditions. If flight over large water bodies is a proxy for over-ocean flight, then collision risk at offshore wind turbines - a major source of migratory bat fatalities - may be linked nightly to warm temperatures that occur early in the fall season. Risk, then, may be somewhat predictable and manageable with mitigation options linking wind-energy operation to weather conditions and seasonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C True
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201, Fort Collins, CO, 80525, USA
| | - Katherine M Gorman
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 149 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0321, USA.
| | - Hila Taylor
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 149 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0321, USA
| | - Richard J Reynolds
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, 517 Lee Hwy, Verona, VA, 24482, USA
| | - W Mark Ford
- U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 106 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0321, USA
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Barré K, Froidevaux JSP, Sotillo A, Roemer C, Kerbiriou C. Drivers of bat activity at wind turbines advocate for mitigating bat exposure using multicriteria algorithm-based curtailment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161404. [PMID: 36621471 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Wind turbine development is growing exponentially and faster than other sources of renewable energy worldwide. While multi-turbine facilities have small physical footprint, they are not free from negative impacts on wildlife. This is particularly true for bats, whose population viability can be threatened by wind turbines through mortality events due to collisions. Wind turbine curtailment (hereafter referred to as "blanket curtailment") in non-winter periods at low wind speeds and mild temperatures (i.e. when bats are active and wind energy production is low) can reduce fatalities, but show variable and incomplete effectiveness because other factors affect fatality risks including landscape features, rain, turbine functioning, and seasonality. The combined effects of these drivers, and their potential as criteria in algorithm-based curtailment, have so far received little attention. We compiled bat acoustic data recorded over four years at 34 wind turbine nacelles in France from post-construction regulatory studies, including 8619 entire nights (251 ± 58 nights per wind turbine on average). We modelled nightly bat activity in relation to its multiple drivers for three bat guilds, and assessed whether curtailment based on algorithm would be more efficient to limit bat exposure than blanket curtailment based on various combinations of unique wind speed and temperature thresholds. We found that landscape features, weather conditions, seasonality, and turbine functioning determine bat activity at nacelles. Algorithm-based curtailment is more efficient than blanket curtailment, and has the potential to drastically reduce bat exposure while sustaining the same energy production. Compared to blanket curtailment, the algorithm curtailment reduces average exposure by 20 to 29 % and 7 to 12 % for the high-risk guilds of long- and mid-range echolocators, and by 24 to 31 % for the low-risk guild of short-range echolocators. These findings call for the use of algorithm curtailment as both power production and biodiversity benefits will be higher in most situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Barré
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900 Concarneau, France.
| | - Jérémy S P Froidevaux
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900 Concarneau, France; University of Stirling, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Stirling, UK; University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TQ Bristol, UK
| | - Alejandro Sotillo
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900 Concarneau, France
| | - Charlotte Roemer
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France; CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900 Concarneau, France
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10
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Behr O, Barré K, Bontadina F, Brinkmann R, Dietz M, Disca T, Froidevaux JSP, Ghanem S, Huemer S, Hurst J, Kaminsky SK, Kelm V, Korner‐Nievergelt F, Lauper M, Lintott P, Newman C, Peterson T, Proksch J, Roemer C, Schorcht W, Nagy M. Standardised and referenced acoustic monitoring reliably estimates bat fatalities at wind turbines: comments on ‘Limitations of acoustic monitoring at wind turbines to evaluate fatality risk of bats’. Mamm Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Behr
- OekoFor GbR Kartäuserstr. 39a 79102 Freiburg Germany
| | - Kévin Barré
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université CP 135, 57 Rue Cuvier 75005 Paris France
| | - Fabio Bontadina
- SWILD – Urban Ecology & Wildlife Research Wuhrstr. 12 8003 Zurich Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Zuercherstrasse 111 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Robert Brinkmann
- Freiburger Institut für Angewandte Tierökologie (FRINAT) GmbH Dunantstraße 9 79110 Freiburg Germany
| | - Markus Dietz
- Institut für Tierökologie und Naturbildung Waldstraße 19 35321 Laubach – Gonterskirchen Germany
| | | | - Jérémy S. P. Froidevaux
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK
| | - Simon Ghanem
- KS‐Umweltgutachten Sanderstraße 28 12047 Berlin Germany
| | - Senta Huemer
- Ökoteam – Institut für Tierökologie und Naturraumplanung OG Bergmanngasse 22 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Johanna Hurst
- Freiburger Institut für angewandte Tierökologie (FRINAT) GmbH Dunantstraße 9 79110 Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Volker Kelm
- KS‐Umweltgutachten Sanderstraße 28 12047 Berlin Germany
| | | | - Mirco Lauper
- SWILD – Urban Ecology & Wildlife Research Wuhrstr. 12 8003 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Paul Lintott
- Univerity of the West of England Coldharbour Lane Bristol BS16 1QY UK
| | | | | | - Jasmin Proksch
- Kaminsky Naturschutzplanung GmbH Hauptstraße 35 97618 Hohenroth Germany
| | - Charlotte Roemer
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université) Paris France
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | | | - Martina Nagy
- Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz‐Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Invalidenstraße 43 10115 Berlin Germany
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11
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Hayes MA, Lindsay SR, Solick DI, Newman CM. Simulating the influences of bat curtailment on power production at wind energy facilities. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Hayes
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 650 Capital Mall Sacramento CA 95814 USA
| | | | - Donald I. Solick
- Electric Power Research Institute 3420 Hillview Ave. Palo Alto CA 94304 USA
- Vesper Bat Detection Services 1316 Stover St. Fort Collins CO 80524 USA
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12
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Aronson J. Current State of Knowledge of Wind Energy Impacts on Bats in South Africa. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2022.24.1.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Aronson
- Camissa Sustainability Consulting, Wenslauerstraat 4-3 1053BA Amsterdam, Netherlands
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13
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Bennett EM, Florent SN, Venosta M, Gibson M, Jackson A, Stark E. Curtailment as a successful method for reducing bat mortality at a southern Australian wind farm. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Bennett
- Elmoby Ecology Studio 23 Suburban St Clunes Victoria 3370 Australia
- School of Biology Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
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14
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Starbuck CA, Dickson BG, Chambers CL. Informing wind energy development: Land cover and topography predict occupancy for Arizona bats. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268573. [PMID: 35657796 PMCID: PMC9165840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind energy is a growing source of renewable energy with a 3-fold increase in use globally over the last decade. However, wind turbines cause bat mortality, especially for migratory species. The southwest United States has high bat species diversity and is an important area for migratory species, although little is known about their seasonal distribution. To examine potential risk to bats in areas proposed for wind energy development, we characterized bat occupancy spatially and temporally across northern Arizona, identifying use during summer when bats are reproductively active and fall during the migratory season. Our objectives were to determine occupancy of migratory species and species of greatest conservation need and develop a probability of occupancy map for species to identify areas of potential conflict with wind energy development. We selected 92 sites in 10 clusters with potential for development and used acoustic detectors to sample bats in the summer and fall of 2016 and 2017 for 6 nights per site per year. We predicted response of migratory bat species and species of special concern to 9 landscape variables using Program MARK. During summer, higher densities of forest on the landscape resulted in a higher probability of occupancy of migratory species such as hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), big free-tailed bats (Nyctinomops macrotis), and species of conservation need such as spotted bats (Euderma maculatum). During the fall, higher concentration of valleys on the landscape predicted occupancy of hoary bats, big free-tailed bats, and spotted bats. High bat occupancy in the fall was also associated with higher elevation and close proximity to forests. We recommend that wind turbines be placed in open, flat grasslands away from forested landscapes and concentrations of valleys or other topographic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa A. Starbuck
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Brett G. Dickson
- Lab of Landscape Ecology and Conservation Biology, Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Carol L. Chambers
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
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15
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Tabak MA, Murray KL, Reed AM, Lombardi JA, Bay KJ. Automated classification of bat echolocation call recordings with artificial intelligence. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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16
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Rabie PA, Welch-Acosta B, Nasman K, Schumacher S, Schueller S, Gruver J. Efficacy and cost of acoustic-informed and wind speed-only turbine curtailment to reduce bat fatalities at a wind energy facility in Wisconsin. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266500. [PMID: 35395032 PMCID: PMC8992975 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research estimates hundreds of thousands of turbine-related bat fatalities in North America annually. In an effort to reduce impacts of wind energy production on bat populations, many facilities implement operational curtailment strategies that limit turbine blade rotation during conditions when nighttime wind speeds are low. Incorporating real-time bat activity data into wind speed-only curtailment (WOC) strategies may increase operational flexibility by allowing turbines to operate normally when bats are not present near turbines. We evaluated costs and benefits of implementing the Turbine Integrated Mortality Reduction (TIMR) system, an approach that informs a curtailment-triggering algorithm based on wind speed and real-time bat acoustic data, compared to a WOC strategy in which turbines were curtailed below 4.5 meters per second (m/s) at a wind energy facility in Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin. TIMR is a proprietary system and we had no access to the acoustic data or bat call analysis software. Operational parameters for the TIMR system were set to allow curtailment at all wind speeds below 8.0 m/s during the study period when bats were acoustically detected. Overall, the TIMR system reduced fatalities by 75% compared to control turbines, while the WOC strategy reduced fatalities by 47%. An earlier analysis of the same TIMR data neglected to account for carcasses occurring outside the plot boundary and estimated an 84.5% fatality reduction due to the TIMR system. Over the study period, bat activity led to curtailment of TIMR turbines during 39.4% of nighttime hours compared to 31.0% of nighttime hours for WOC turbines, and revenue losses were approximately 280% as great for TIMR turbines as for turbines operated under the WOC strategy. The large cost difference between WOC and TIMR was driven by the 4.5 m/s versus 8.0 m/s wind speed thresholds for curtailment, but our study site has a relatively low average wind speed, which may also have contributed; other wind operators considering the TIMR system will need to consider their ability to absorb production losses in relation to their need to reduce bat fatality rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Rabie
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brandi Welch-Acosta
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Kristen Nasman
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | | | | | - Jeffery Gruver
- Rocky Mountain Bat Conservancy, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
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17
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Site Wind Right: Identifying Low-Impact Wind Development Areas in the Central United States. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11040462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
To help avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, society needs to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. Wind energy provides a clean, renewable source of electricity; however, improperly sited wind facilities pose known threats to wildlife populations and contribute to degradation of natural habitats. To support a rapid transition to low-carbon energy while protecting imperiled species, we identified potential low-impact areas for wind development in a 19-state region of the central U.S. by excluding areas with known wildlife sensitivities. By combining maps of sensitive habitats and species with wind speed and land use information, we demonstrate that there is significant potential to develop wind energy in the region while avoiding significant negative impacts to wildlife. These low-impact areas have the potential to yield between 930 and 1550 GW of name-plate wind capacity. This is equivalent to 8–13 times current U.S. installed wind capacity. Our analysis demonstrates that ambitious low-carbon energy goals are achievable while minimizing risks to wildlife.
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18
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Pereira CG, Falcão F, Bernard E. One size doesn’t fit all: Singularities in bat species richness and activity patterns in wind-energy complexes in Brazil and implications for environmental assessment. ZOOLOGIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-4689.v39.e21041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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19
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Cryan PM, Gorresen PM, Straw BR, Thao S(S, DeGeorge E. Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:ani12010009. [PMID: 35011115 PMCID: PMC8744972 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bats often fly near wind turbines. The fatalities associated with this behavior continue to be an issue for wind energy development and wildlife conservation. We tested an experimental method intended to reduce bat fatalities at the wind turbines. We assumed that bats navigate over long distances at night by dim-light vision and might be dissuaded from approaching artificially lit structures. For over a year, we experimentally lit wind turbines at night with dim, flickering ultraviolet (UV) light while measuring the presence and activity of bats, birds, and insects with thermal-imaging cameras. We detected no statistical differences in the activity of the bats, insects, or birds at a test turbine when lit with UV light compared with that of unlit nights. Additional experiments to test this or other possible bat-deterrence methods may benefit from considering subtle measures of animal response that can provide useful information on the possible behavioral effects of fatality-reduction experiments. Abstract Wind energy producers need deployable devices for wind turbines that prevent bat fatalities. Based on the speculation that bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experiment to cast dim, flickering UV light across wind turbine surfaces at night. Our objectives were to refine and test a practical system for dimly UV-illuminating turbines while testing whether the experimental UV treatment influenced the activity of bats, birds, and insects. We mounted upward-facing UV light arrays on turbines and used thermal-imaging cameras to quantify the presence and activity of night-flying animals. The results demonstrated that the turbines can be lit to the highest reaches of the blades with “invisible” UV light, and the animal responses to such experimental treatment can be concurrently monitored. The UV treatment did not significantly change nighttime bat, insect, or bird activity at the wind turbine. Our findings show how observing flying animals with thermal cameras at night can help test emerging technologies intended to variably affect their behaviors around wind turbines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Cryan
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Paulo M. Gorresen
- Hawaii Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI 96720, USA;
- USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Science Center, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, HI 96718, USA
| | - Bethany R. Straw
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA;
| | - Syhoune (Simon) Thao
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Wind Technology Center, Boulder, CO 80007, USA; (S.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Elise DeGeorge
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Wind Technology Center, Boulder, CO 80007, USA; (S.T.); (E.D.)
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20
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Peterson TS, Mcgill B, Hein CD, Rusk A. Acoustic Exposure to Turbine Operation Quantifies Risk to Bats at Commercial Wind Energy Facilities. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Mcgill
- School of Biology and Ecology, 5751 Murray Hall, University of Maine Orono ME 04469 USA
| | - Cris D. Hein
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden CO 80401 USA
| | - Adam Rusk
- Stantec Consulting Services Inc., 6800 College Boulevard Overland Park KS 66211 USA
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21
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Timing and Weather Offer Alternative Mitigation Strategies for Lowering Bat Mortality at Wind Energy Facilities in Ontario. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11123503. [PMID: 34944278 PMCID: PMC8698177 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wind farms represent one of the largest sources of anthropogenic mortality for bats. Wind proponents attempt to mitigate these effects via operational curtailment, such that wind energy is not produced on nights with low wind speeds during the late summer and fall. Our study modeled bat activity and mortality on two timescales (nightly and seasonally) and in response to a range of weather variables. We showed that bat mortality risks could be lowered and opportunities for wind energy production can be increased by focusing curtailment efforts to the periods of the night and year when bats are most active and by considering a wider range of weather variables, compared to standard curtailment strategies. Abstract Relatively high mortality of migratory bats at wind energy facilities has prompted research to understand the underlying spatial and temporal factors, with the goal of developing more effective mitigation approaches. We examined acoustic recordings of echolocation calls at 12 sites and post-construction carcass survey data collected at 10 wind energy facilities in Ontario, Canada, to quantify the degree to which timing and regional-scale weather predict bat activity and mortality. Rain and low temperatures consistently predicted low mortality and activity of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and three species of migratory tree bats: hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), eastern red bat (L. borealis), and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans). Bat activity occurred in waves with distinct peaks through the season; regardless of seasonal timing, most activities occurred in the first half of the night. We conclude that wind energy facilities could adopt a novel and more effective curtailment strategy based on weather and seasonal and nocturnal timing that would minimize mortality risks for bats while increasing the opportunities for power generation, relative to the mitigation strategy of increasing cut-in wind speed to 5.5 m/s.
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22
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Horton KG, Van Doren BM, Albers HJ, Farnsworth A, Sheldon D. Near-term ecological forecasting for dynamic aeroconservation of migratory birds. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1777-1786. [PMID: 33826183 PMCID: PMC9290813 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Near-term ecological forecasting has the potential to mitigate negative impacts of human modifications on wildlife by directing efficient action through relevant and timely predictions. We used the U.S. avian migration system to highlight ecological forecasting applications for aeroconservation. We used millions of observations from 143 weather surveillance radars to construct and evaluate a migration forecasting system for nocturnal bird migration over the contiguous United States. We identified the number of nights of mitigation required to reduce the risk of aerial hazards to 50% of avian migrants passing a given area in spring and autumn based on dynamic forecasts of migration activity. We also investigated an alternative approach, that is, employing a fixed conservation strategy based on time windows that historically capture 50% of migratory passage. In practice, during both spring and autumn, dynamic forecasts required fewer action nights compared with fixed window selection at all locations (spring: mean of 7.3 more alert days; fall: mean of 12.8 more alert days). This pattern resulted in part from the pulsed nature of bird migration captured in the radar data, where the majority (54.3%) of birds move on 10% of a migration season's nights. Our results highlight the benefits of near-term ecological forecasting and the potential advantages of dynamic mitigation strategies over static ones, especially in the face of increasing risks to migrating birds from light pollution, wind energy infrastructure, and collisions with structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle G. Horton
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Benjamin M. Van Doren
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Cornell Lab of OrnithologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Heidi J. Albers
- Department of EconomicsUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | | | - Daniel Sheldon
- College of Information and Computer SciencesUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusettsUSA
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23
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Adams EM, Gulka J, Williams KA. A review of the effectiveness of operational curtailment for reducing bat fatalities at terrestrial wind farms in North America. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256382. [PMID: 34788295 PMCID: PMC8598023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Curtailment of turbine operations during low wind conditions has become an operational minimization tactic to reduce bat mortality at terrestrial wind energy facilities. Site-specific studies have demonstrated that bat activity is higher during lower wind speeds and that operational curtailment can effectively reduce fatalities. However, the exact nature of the relationship between curtailment cut-in speed and bat fatality reduction remains unclear. To evaluate the efficacy of differing curtailment regimes in reducing bat fatalities, we examined data from turbine curtailment experiments in the United States and Canada in a meta-analysis framework. We used multiple statistical models to explore possible linear and non-linear relationships between turbine cut-in speed and bat fatality. Because the overall sample size for this meta-analysis was small (n = 36 control-treatment studies from 17 wind farms), we conducted a power analysis to assess the number of control-treatment curtailment studies needed to understand the relationship between fatality reduction and change in cut-in speed. We also identified the characteristics of individual curtailment field studies that may influence their power to detect fatality reductions, and in turn, contribute to future meta-analyses. We found strong evidence that implementing turbine curtailment reduces fatality rates of bats at wind farms; the estimated fatality ratio across all studies was 0.37 (p < 0.001), or a 63% decrease in fatalities. However, the nature of the relationship between the magnitude of treatment and reduction in fatalities was more difficult to assess. Models that represented the response ratio as a continuous variable (e.g., with a linear relationship between the change in cut-in speed and fatalities) and a categorical variable (to allow for possible non-linearity in this relationship) both had substantial support when compared using AICc. The linear model represented the best fit, likely due to model simplicity, but the non-linear model was the most likely without accounting for parsimony and suggested fatality rates decreased when the difference in curtailment cut-in speeds was 2m/s or larger. The power analyses showed that the power to detect effects in the meta-analysis was low if fatality reductions were less than 50%, which suggests that smaller increases in cut-in speed (i.e., between different treatment categories) may not be easily detectable with the current dataset. While curtailment is an effective operational mitigation measure overall, additional well-designed curtailment studies are needed to determine precisely whether higher cut-in speeds can further reduce bat fatalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M. Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, Maine, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Julia Gulka
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, Maine, United States of America
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24
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de Jong J, Millon L, Håstad O, Victorsson J. Activity Pattern and Correlation between Bat and Insect Abundance at Wind Turbines in South Sweden. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113269. [PMID: 34828001 PMCID: PMC8614415 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wind power is an important energy system in the global transition towards renewable energy. As new wind farms are erected in increasing numbers, they will have an impact on many organisms, e.g., through habitat changes and collision mortalities. In this study, we measure bat activity, insect abundance, and weather conditions to test the hypothesis that insect abundance attracts bats to wind turbines because of feeding opportunities. We found that the relationship between insect abundance and bat activity was relatively weak, providing some support for the feeding-attraction hypothesis. However, we also found a strong correlation between bat passes and weather conditions. This suggests that stop-regulation based on weather conditions might be a solution to avoid collisions. However, this study highlights some of the problems with defining the limits for stop-regulation, as bat activity may be high also at relatively high wind speeds and low temperatures. Abstract We present data on species composition and activity of bats during two years at three different wind- turbines, located in south Sweden, both at the base and nacelle height. To test the hypothesis that bats are attracted to wind turbines because of feeding opportunities, insects were sampled at nacelle height at one wind turbine using a suction trap, simultaneously as bat activity were measured. At this wind turbine, we also compared two different technical systems for ultrasound recordings and collect meteorological data. The variation in bat activity was high between nights and between wind turbines. In addition to the expected open-air foraging species (Pipistrellus, Nyctalus, Vespertilio and Eptesicus), some individuals of unexpected species (Myotis, Barbastella, and Plecotus) were found at nacelle height. There was a weak but significant positive relation between bat activity and insect abundance, so the hypothesis could not be rejected, suggesting there might be other factors than insect abundance explaining the frequency of bat visits at the nacelle. We found a strong correlation between bat passes and weather conditions. A reasonable way to mitigate collisions is with stop-regulation. However, this study highlights some of the problems with defining the limits for stop-regulation based on weather conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny de Jong
- Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM), Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7012, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-70-2271914
| | - Lara Millon
- Calluna AB, Linköpings Slott, 582 28 Linköping, Sweden;
| | - Olle Håstad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7084, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Jonas Victorsson
- Kalmar County Administration, Regeringsgatan 1, 39231 Kalmar, Sweden;
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25
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Monitoring and Modeling Tree Bat (Genera: Lasiurus, Lasionycteris) Occurrence Using Acoustics on Structures off the Mid-Atlantic Coast-Implications for Offshore Wind Development. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113146. [PMID: 34827878 PMCID: PMC8614452 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary “Tree bats” are North American bats that day-roost in trees year-round and undertake seasonal migration in lieu of hibernation. These bats have been shown to be highly susceptible to collisions with wind energy turbines and are known to fly offshore during migration. Therefore, as offshore wind energy expands off the eastern U.S. coast, there is some concern about potential impacts. We monitored bats in coastal Virginia, USA, using acoustic monitors—devices that collect the unique echolocation call signatures of bat species. We found that nightly tree bat visitation offshore or on barrier islands was associated with wind speed, temperature, visibility, and seasonality. Using statistical modeling, we developed a predictive tool to assess occurrence probabilities at varying levels of wind speed, temperature, and seasonality. Probability of occurrence and therefore assumed risk to collision is highest on high temperature and visibility nights, low wind speed nights, and during the spring and fall seasons. We suggest a similar modeling regime could be used to predict the occurrence of bats at offshore wind sites to inform potential mitigation efforts. Abstract In eastern North America, “tree bats” (Genera: Lasiurus and Lasionycteris) are highly susceptible to collisions with wind energy turbines and are known to fly offshore during migration. This raises concern about ongoing expansion of offshore wind-energy development off the Atlantic Coast. Season, atmospheric conditions, and site-level characteristics such as local habitat (e.g., forest coverage) have been shown to influence wind turbine collision rates by bats onshore, and therefore may be related to risk offshore. Therefore, to assess the factors affecting coastal presence of bats, we continuously gathered tree bat occurrence data using stationary acoustic recorders on five structures (four lighthouses on barrier islands and one light tower offshore) off the coast of Virginia, USA, across all seasons, 2012–2019. We used generalized additive models to describe tree bat occurrence on a nightly basis. We found that sites either indicated maternity or migratory seasonal occurrence patterns associated with local roosting resources, i.e., presence of trees. Across all sites, nightly occurrence was negatively related to wind speed and positively related to temperature and visibility. Using predictive performance metrics, we concluded that our model was highly predictive for the Virginia coast. Our findings were consistent with other studies—tree bat occurrence probability and presumed mortality risk to offshore wind-energy collisions is highest on low wind speed nights, high temperature and visibility nights, and during spring and fall. The high predictive model performance we observed provides a basis for which managers, using a similar monitoring and modeling regime, could develop an effective curtailment-based mitigation strategy.
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Solick DI, Newman CM. Oceanic records of North American bats and implications for offshore wind energy development in the United States. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14433-14447. [PMID: 34765117 PMCID: PMC8571582 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Offshore wind energy is a growing industry in the United States, and renewable energy from offshore wind is estimated to double the country's total electricity generation. There is growing concern that land-based wind development in North America is negatively impacting bat populations, primarily long-distance migrating bats, but the impacts to bats from offshore wind energy are unknown. Bats are associated with the terrestrial environment, but have been observed over the ocean. In this review, we synthesize historic and contemporary accounts of bats observed and acoustically recorded in the North American marine environment to ascertain the spatial and temporal distribution of bats flying offshore. We incorporate studies of offshore bats in Europe and of bat behavior at land-based wind energy studies to examine how offshore wind development could impact North American bat populations. We find that most offshore bat records are of long-distance migrating bats and records occur during autumn migration, the period of highest fatality rates for long-distance migrating bats at land-based wind facilities in North America. We summarize evidence that bats may be attracted to offshore turbines, potentially increasing their exposure to risk of collision. However, higher wind speeds offshore can potentially reduce the amount of time that bats are exposed to risk. We identify knowledge gaps and hypothesize that a combination of operational minimization strategies may be the most effective approach for reducing impacts to bats and maximizing offshore energy production.
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Diffendorfer JE, Stanton JC, Beston JA, Thogmartin WE, Loss SR, Katzner TE, Johnson DH, Erickson RA, Merrill MD, Corum MD. Demographic and potential biological removal models identify raptor species sensitive to current and future wind energy. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jay E. Diffendorfer
- U.S. Geological Survey Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center Denver Colorado80225USA
| | - Jessica C. Stanton
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center La Crosse Wisconsin54603USA
| | - Julie A. Beston
- U.S. Geological Survey Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center Denver Colorado80225USA
- Biology Department University of Wisconsin‐Stout Menomonie Wisconsin54751USA
| | - Wayne E. Thogmartin
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center La Crosse Wisconsin54603USA
| | - Scott R. Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma74078USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho83706USA
| | - Douglas H. Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Jamestown North Dakota58401USA
| | - Richard A. Erickson
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center La Crosse Wisconsin54603USA
| | - Matt D. Merrill
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Energy Science Center Reston Virginia20192USA
| | - Margo D. Corum
- U.S. Geological Survey Energy Resources Program Reston Virginia20192USA
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Wieringa JG, Carstens BC, Gibbs HL. Predicting migration routes for three species of migratory bats using species distribution models. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11177. [PMID: 33959415 PMCID: PMC8054759 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding seasonal variation in the distribution and movement patterns of migratory species is essential to monitoring and conservation efforts. While there are many species of migratory bats in North America, little is known about their seasonal movements. In terms of conservation, this is important because the bat fatalities from wind energy turbines are significant and may fluctuate seasonally. Here we describe seasonally resolved distributions for the three species that are most impacted by wind farms (Lasiurus borealis (eastern red bat), L. cinereus (hoary bat) and Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat)) and use these distributions to infer their most likely migratory pathways. To accomplish this, we collected 2,880 occurrence points from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility over five decades in North America to model species distributions on a seasonal basis and used an ensemble approach for modeling distributions. This dataset included 1,129 data points for L. borealis, 917 for L. cinereus and 834 for L. noctivagans. The results suggest that all three species exhibit variation in distributions from north to south depending on season, with each species showing potential migratory pathways during the fall migration that follow linear features. Finally, we describe proposed migratory pathways for these three species that can be used to identify stop-over sites, assess small-scale migration and highlight areas that should be prioritized for actions to reduce the effects of wind farm mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamin G Wieringa
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Bryan C Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - H Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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29
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Weaver SP, Jones AK, Hein CD, Castro-Arellano I. Estimating bat fatality at a Texas wind energy facility: implications transcending the United States–Mexico border. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Wind energy development causes bat fatalities. Despite emphasis on understanding and reducing these impacts, few data are available for the southwest region of the United States and northern Mexico. We monitored bat fatalities for a full year (March 2017–March 2018) at a wind energy facility in south Texas near the United States–Mexico border. We established search plots of 100-m radius at eight randomly selected turbines (of 255) and searched the roads and pads at an additional 92 turbines. We conducted weekly searches from spring through fall and bimonthly during winter. We used GenEst (Generalized Mortality Estimator) to estimate bat fatalities corrected for searcher efficiency, carcass removal, and density-weighted proportion of area searched. We found 205 bats during standardized searches, the majority of which were Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis, 76%). The corrected fatality estimates were 16 bats/megawatt/year (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12 – 30 bats/megawatt/year) across all species. Species composition at our site is similar to that of northern Mexico, an area of expanding wind energy development with no published studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara P Weaver
- Bowman Consulting Group, Ltd, San Marcos, TX, USA
- Biology Department, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
| | | | - Cris D Hein
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA
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30
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Ultrasonic acoustic deterrents significantly reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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31
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Wieringa JG, Nagel J, Nelson DM, Carstens BC, Gibbs HL. Using trace elements to identify the geographic origin of migratory bats. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10082. [PMID: 33133780 PMCID: PMC7580586 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of the wind energy industry has had benefits in terms of increased renewable energy production but has also led to increased mortality of migratory bats due to interactions with wind turbines. A key question that could guide bat-related management activities is identifying the geographic origin of bats killed at wind-energy facilities. Generating this information requires developing new methods for identifying the geographic sources of individual bats. Here we explore the viability of assigning geographic origin using trace element analyses of fur to infer the summer molting location of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis). Our approach is based on the idea that the concentration of trace elements in bat fur is related through the food chain to the amount of trace elements present in the soil, which varies across large geographic scales. Specifically, we used inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of fourteen trace elements in fur of 126 known-origin eastern red bats to generate a basemap for assignment throughout the range of this species in eastern North America. We then compared this map to publicly available soil trace element concentrations for the U.S. and Canada, used a probabilistic framework to generate likelihood-of-origin maps for each bat, and assessed how well trace element profiles predicted the origins of these individuals. Overall, our results suggest that trace elements allow successful assignment of individual bats 80% of the time while reducing probable locations in half. Our study supports the use of trace elements to identify the geographic origin of eastern red and perhaps other migratory bats, particularly when combined with data from other biomarkers such as genetic and stable isotope data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamin G Wieringa
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America.,Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Juliet Nagel
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Lab, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - David M Nelson
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Lab, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Bryan C Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - H Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America.,Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
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Solick D, Pham D, Nasman K, Bay K. Bat Activity Rates do not Predict Bat Fatality Rates at Wind Energy Facilities. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.1.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Donald Solick
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Environmental & Statistical Consultants, 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Diem Pham
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Environmental & Statistical Consultants, 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Kristen Nasman
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Environmental & Statistical Consultants, 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Kimberly Bay
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Environmental & Statistical Consultants, 2121 Midpoint Drive, Suite 201, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
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Genetic Approaches Are Necessary to Accurately Understand Bat-Wind Turbine Impacts. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12060236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Bats are killed at wind energy facilities worldwide and we must improve our understanding of why this is happening and implement effective strategies to minimize impacts. To this end, we need accurate assessments of which individuals from which bat species are being killed at individual wind projects and at regional and range-wide scales. Traditional fatality searches have relied on physical characteristics to ascertain species and sex of bat carcasses collected at wind turbines; however, the resulting data can be incomplete and inaccurate. In contrast, the use of readily available and low-cost molecular methods improves both the quality and quantity of available data. We applied such methods to a bat fatality dataset (n = 439 bats) from far-south Texas, USA. Using DNA barcoding, we increased accurate species identification from 83% to 97%, and discovered the presence of 2 bat species outside of their known geographic ranges. Using a PCR-based approach to determine sex, the number of carcasses with correct sex assignment increased from 35% to 94%, and we documented a female-biased sex ratio for all species combined and for Dasypterus ega. We recommend that molecular methods be used during future survey efforts to accurately assess the impacts of wind energy on bats.
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USA Wind Energy-Caused Bat Fatalities Increase with Shorter Fatality Search Intervals. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12030098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Wind turbine collision fatalities of bats have likely increased with the rapid expansion of installed wind energy capacity in the USA since the last national-level fatality estimates were generated in 2012. An assumed linear increase of fatalities with installed capacity would expand my estimate of bat fatalities across the USA from 0.89 million in 2012 to 1.11 million in 2014 and to 1.72 million in 2019. However, this assumed linear relationship could have been invalidated by shifts in turbine size, tower height, fatality search interval during monitoring, and regional variation in bat fatalities. I tested for effects of these factors in fatality monitoring reports through 2014. I found no significant relationship between bat fatality rates and wind turbine size. Bat fatality rates increased with increasing tower height, but this increase mirrored the increase in fatality rates with shortened fatality search intervals that accompanied the increase in tower heights. Regional weighting of mean project-level bat fatalities increased the national-level estimate 17% to 1.3 (95% CI: 0.15–3.0) million. After I restricted the estimate’s basis to project-level fatality rates that were estimated from fatality search intervals <10 days, my estimate increased by another 71% to 2.22 (95% CI: 1.77–2.72) million bat fatalities in the USA’s lower 48 states in 2014. Project-level fatality estimates based on search intervals <10 days were, on average, eight times higher than estimates based on longer search intervals. Shorter search intervals detected more small-bodied species, which contributed to a larger all-bat fatality estimate.
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35
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Urban Sprawl, Food Subsidies and Power Lines: An Ecological Trap for Large Frugivorous Bats in Sri Lanka? DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12030094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Electrocution is one of the less known anthropogenic impacts likely affecting the bat population. We surveyed 925 km of overhead distribution power lines that supply energy to spreading urbanized areas in Sri Lanka, recording 300 electrocuted Indian flying foxes (Pteropus giganteus). Electrocutions were recorded up to 58 km from the nearest known colony, and all of them were in urbanized areas and very close ( X ¯ = 4.8 m) to the exotic fruiting trees cultivated in gardens. Predictable anthropogenic food subsidies, in the form of cultivated fruits and flowers, seem to attract flying foxes to urban habitats, which in turn become ecological traps given their high electrocution risk. However, electrocution rates greatly varied among the 352 power lines surveyed (0.00–24.6 indiv./km), being highest in power lines with four wires oriented vertically ( X ¯ = 0.92 indiv./km) and almost zero in power lines with wires oriented horizontally. Therefore, the latter design should be applied to projected new power lines and old vertically oriented lines in electrocution hotspots should be substituted. Given that flying foxes are key seed dispersers and pollinators, their foraging habitat selection change toward urban habitats together with high electrocution risk not only may contribute to their population decline but also put their ecosystem services at risk.
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36
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Smallwood KS, Bell DA. Effects of Wind Turbine Curtailment on Bird and Bat Fatalities. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas A. Bell
- East Bay Regional Park District, 2950 Peralta Oaks Court Oakland CA 94605 USA
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37
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Abstract
Wind energy siting to minimize impacts to bats would benefit from impact predictions following pre-construction surveys, but whether pre- or even post-construction activity patterns can predict fatalities remains unknown. We tested whether bat passage rates through rotor-swept airspace differ between groups of wind turbines where bat fatalities were found and not found during next-morning dog searches for fatalities. Passage rates differed significantly and averaged four times higher where freshly killed bats were found in next-morning fatality searches. Rates of near misses and risky flight behaviors also differed significantly between groups of turbines where bats were found and not found, and rate of near misses averaged eight times higher where bat fatalities were found in next-morning searches. Hours of turbine operation averaged significantly higher, winds averaged more westerly, and the moon averaged more visible among turbines where and when bat fatalities were found. Although dogs found only one of four bats seen colliding with turbine blades, they found many more bat fatalities than did human-only searchers at the same wind projects, and our fatality estimates were considerably higher. Our rates of observed bat collisions, adjusted for the rates of unseen collisions, would predict four to seven times the fresh fatalities we found using dogs between two wind projects. Despite markedly improved carcass detection through use of dogs, best estimates of bat fatalities might still be biased low due to crippling bias and search radius bias.
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Huzzen BE, Hale AM, Bennett VJ. An effective survey method for studying volant species activity and behavior at tall structures. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8438. [PMID: 32095329 PMCID: PMC7023825 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of anthropogenic modification of air space on wildlife, particularly volant species, is not fully understood. Thus, it is essential to understand wildlife-interactions with tall structures to implement effective mitigation strategies. Yet, we are currently lacking standard protocols for visual surveys of wildlife behavior at such heights. Our study sought to determine an effective, repeatable method using readily available night vision and thermal technology to survey wildlife at tall structures. Using bats as the taxonomic group of interest, we (1) created a key to identify bats and their behavior, (2) compared the effectiveness of 2 different technologies, and (3) assessed optimal equipment placement to visually capture bat activity and behavior in proximity to wind turbine towers. For the latter, we tested thermal cameras at four distances from the base of the tower. The results of our study revealed that thermal cameras captured ∼34% more flying animals than night vision at a 2 m distance. However, due to the heat signature of the turbine towers themselves, it was challenging to identify behaviors and interactions that occurred in close proximity to the towers. In contrast, it was difficult to identify bats approaching the towers using night vision, yet we were able to clearly observe interactions with the towers themselves. With regards to equipment placement, we visually captured more bats with the thermal cameras placed 2 m from the tower base compared to farther distances. From our findings, we recommend that when using either thermal or night vision technology at tall structures, they be placed 2 m from the base to effectively observe interactions along the length of these structures. In addition, we further recommend that consideration be given to the use of these two technology types together to effectively conduct such surveys. If these survey techniques are incorporated into standard protocols, future surveys at a variety of tall structures are likely to become comparable and repeatable, thereby more effectively informing any mitigation strategies that may be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brynn E Huzzen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, United States of America
| | - Amanda M Hale
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, United States of America
| | - Victoria J Bennett
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, United States of America
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Romano WB, Skalski JR, Townsend RL, Kinzie KW, Coppinger KD, Miller MF. Evaluation of an acoustic deterrent to reduce bat mortalities at an Illinois wind farm. WILDLIFE SOC B 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- W. Brad Romano
- Environmental and Wildlife Permitting Invenergy LLC One South Wacker Drive, Suite 1800 Chicago IL 60606 USA
| | - John R. Skalski
- Columbia Basin Research, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1515 Seattle WA 98101 USA
| | - Richard L. Townsend
- Columbia Basin Research, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1515 Seattle WA 98101 USA
| | - Kevin W. Kinzie
- GE Renewable Energy 300 Garlington Road Greenville SC 29615 USA
| | - Karyn D. Coppinger
- GE Renewable Energy Contractor 1080 Shadow Ridge Road Laporte CO 80535 USA
| | - Myron F. Miller
- GE Renewable Energy 327 Overlook Drive West Lafayette IN 47906 USA
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40
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Rodhouse TJ, Rodriguez RM, Banner KM, Ormsbee PC, Barnett J, Irvine KM. Evidence of region-wide bat population decline from long-term monitoring and Bayesian occupancy models with empirically informed priors. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11078-11088. [PMID: 31641456 PMCID: PMC6802066 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Strategic conservation efforts for cryptic species, especially bats, are hindered by limited understanding of distribution and population trends. Integrating long-term encounter surveys with multi-season occupancy models provides a solution whereby inferences about changing occupancy probabilities and latent changes in abundance can be supported. When harnessed to a Bayesian inferential paradigm, this modeling framework offers flexibility for conservation programs that need to update prior model-based understanding about at-risk species with new data. This scenario is exemplified by a bat monitoring program in the Pacific Northwestern United States in which results from 8 years of surveys from 2003 to 2010 require updating with new data from 2016 to 2018. The new data were collected after the arrival of bat white-nose syndrome and expansion of wind power generation, stressors expected to cause population declines in at least two vulnerable species, little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). We used multi-season occupancy models with empirically informed prior distributions drawn from previous occupancy results (2003-2010) to assess evidence of contemporary decline in these two species. Empirically informed priors provided the bridge across the two monitoring periods and increased precision of parameter posterior distributions, but did not alter inferences relative to use of vague priors. We found evidence of region-wide summertime decline for the hoary bat ( λ ^ = 0.86 ± 0.10) since 2010, but no evidence of decline for the little brown bat ( λ ^ = 1.1 ± 0.10). White-nose syndrome was documented in the region in 2016 and may not yet have caused regional impact to the little brown bat. However, our discovery of hoary bat decline is consistent with the hypothesis that the longer duration and greater geographic extent of the wind energy stressor (collision and barotrauma) have impacted the species. These hypotheses can be evaluated and updated over time within our framework of pre-post impact monitoring and modeling. Our approach provides the foundation for a strategic evidence-based conservation system and contributes to a growing preponderance of evidence from multiple lines of inquiry that bat species are declining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Rodhouse
- National Park Service and Human and Ecosystem Resiliency and Sustainability LabOregon State University‐CascadesBendORUSA
| | - Rogelio M. Rodriguez
- Human and Ecosystem Resiliency and Sustainability Lab and Northwestern Bat HubOregon State University‐CascadesBendORUSA
| | | | - Patricia C. Ormsbee
- Willamette National ForestSpringfieldORUSA
- Present address:
Human and Ecosystem Resiliency and Sustainability LabOregon State University‐Cascades1500 SW Chandler Ave.BendOR97702USA
| | - Jenny Barnett
- Mid‐Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge ComplexU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceBurbankWAUSA
| | - Kathryn M. Irvine
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science CenterUS Geological SurveyBozemanMTUSA
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