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Leroux C, Barré K, Valet N, Kerbiriou C, Le Viol I. Distribution of common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) activity is altered by airflow disruption generated by wind turbines. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303368. [PMID: 38820349 PMCID: PMC11142562 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying bat and bird activity peaks (attraction) or losses (avoidance) near wind turbines remain unknown. Yet, understanding them would be a major lever to limit the resulting habitat loss and fatalities. Given that bat activity is strongly related to airflows, we hypothesized that airflow disturbances generated leeward (downwind) of operating wind turbines-via the so-called wake effect-make this area less favorable for bats, due to increased flight costs, decreased maneuverability and possibly lower prey abundance. To test this hypothesis, we quantified Pipistrellus pipistrellus activity acoustically at 361 site-nights in western France in June on a longitudinal distance gradient from the wind turbine and on a circular azimuth gradient of wind incidence angle, calculated from the prevailing wind direction of the night. We show that P. pipistrellus avoid the wake area, as less activity was detected leeward of turbines than windward (upwind) at relatively moderate and high wind speeds. Furthermore, we found that P. pipistrellus response to wind turbine (attraction and avoidance) depended on the angle from the wake area. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in airflows around operating wind turbines can strongly impact the way bats use habitats up to at least 1500 m from the turbines, and thus should prompt the consideration of prevailing winds in wind energy planning. Based on the evidence we present here, we strongly recommend avoiding configurations involving the installation of a turbine between the origin of prevailing winds and important habitats for bats, such as hedgerows, water or woodlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Leroux
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Station Marine, Concarneau, France
- Auddicé biodiversité– ZAC du Chevalement, Roost-Warendin, France
| | - 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, Station Marine, Concarneau, France
| | - Nicolas Valet
- Auddicé biodiversité– ZAC du Chevalement, Roost-Warendin, 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, Station Marine, Concarneau, France
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Station Marine, Concarneau, France
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Kelling M, Currie SE, Troxell SA, Reusch C, Roeleke M, Hoffmeister U, Teige T, Voigt CC. Effects of tag mass on the physiology and behaviour of common noctule bats. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:38. [PMID: 38725032 PMCID: PMC11084088 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00477-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND External tags, such as transmitters and loggers, are often used to study bat movements. However, physiological and behavioural effects on bats carrying tags have rarely been investigated, and recommendations on the maximum acceptable tag mass are rather based on rules of thumb than on rigorous scientific assessment. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive three-step assessment of the potential physiological and behavioural effects of tagging bats, using common noctules Nyctalus noctula as a model. First, we examined seasonal changes in body mass. Second, we predicted and then measured potential changes in flight metabolic rate in a wind tunnel. Third, we conducted a meta-analysis of published data to assess effects of different tag masses on the weight and behaviour of bats. RESULTS Individual body mass of common noctules varied seasonally by 7.0 ± 2.6 g (range: 0.5-11.5 g). Aerodynamic theory predicted a 26% increase in flight metabolic rate for a common noctule equipped with a 3.8 g tag, equating to 14% of body mass. In a wind tunnel experiment, we could not confirm the predicted increase for tagged bats. Our meta-analysis revealed a weak correlation between tag mass and emergence time and flight duration in wild bats. Interestingly, relative tag mass (3-19% of bat body mass) was not related to body mass loss, but bats lost more body mass the longer tags were attached. Notably, relatively heavy bats lost more mass than conspecifics with a more average body mass index. CONCLUSION Because heavy tags (> 3 g) were generally used for shorter periods of time than lighter tags (~ 1 g), the long-term effects of heavy tags on bats cannot be assessed at this time. Furthermore, the effects of disturbance and resource distribution in the landscape cannot be separated from those of tagging. We recommend that tags weighing 5-10% of a bat's mass should only be applied for a few days. For longer studies, tags weighing less than 5% of a bat's body mass should be used. To avoid adverse effects on bats, researchers should target individuals with average, rather than peak, body mass indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit Kelling
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Shannon E Currie
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parksville, 3010, Australia
| | - Sara A Troxell
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Reusch
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel Roeleke
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Uwe Hoffmeister
- Natura Büro für Zoologische und Botanische Fachgutachten, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Teige
- Büro für Faunististische und Ökologische Fachgutachten, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian C Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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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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Leroux C, Le Viol I, Valet N, Kerbiriou C, Barré K. Disentangling mechanisms responsible for wind energy effects on European bats. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 346:118987. [PMID: 37741193 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Mitigating anthropogenic climate change involves deployments of renewable energy worldwide, including wind energy, which can cause significant impacts on flying animals. Bats have highly contrasted responses to wind turbines (WT), either through attraction increasing collision risks, or avoidance leading to habitat losses. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown despite the expected rapid evolution of WT size and densities. Here, using an extensive acoustic sampling (i.e. 361 sites-nights) up to 1483 m from WT at regional scale, we disentangle the effects of WT size (ground clearance and rotor diameter), configuration (density and distance), and operation (blade rotation speed and wake effect) on hedgerow use by 8 bat species/groups and one vertical community distribution index. Our results reveal that all WT parameters affected bat activity and their vertical distribution. Especially, we show that the relative activity of high-flying species in the community was lower for higher WT density and lower ground clearance. Medium-flying species were sensitive to wind turbine distance, with either attraction or avoidance depending on proximity to the wake area and wind conditions. Specifically, wind turbine distance, wake effect and their interaction each affected the activity of one, three, and three species out of eight, respectively. Blade rotation and rotor diameter affected the activity of four and three species/groups, respectively, and ground clearance affected the activity of five ones. Taken together, WT configuration, operation, and size parameters affected the activity of three, five, and seven out of eight species/groups, respectively. These results call for the consideration of all these factors when assessing the ecological sustainability of future wind farms. The study especially advocates to avoid high WT densities, large rotors, and to site WT as far as possible from optimal habitats such as woody edges and not between them and the source of prevailing winds, in order to limit bats-WT interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Leroux
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université Station Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France; Auddicé Biodiversité - ZAC du Chevalement, 5 rue des Molettes, 59286, Roost-Warendin, France.
| | - Isabelle Le Viol
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université Station Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France.
| | - Nicolas Valet
- Auddicé Biodiversité - ZAC du Chevalement, 5 rue des Molettes, 59286, Roost-Warendin, 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 Station Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France.
| | - 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 Station Marine, 1 place de la Croix, 29900, Concarneau, France.
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Niga Y, Fujioka E, Heim O, Nomi A, Fukui D, Hiryu S. A glimpse into the foraging and movement behaviour of Nyctalus aviator; a complementary study by acoustic recording and GPS tracking. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230035. [PMID: 37388314 PMCID: PMC10300664 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Species of open-space bats that are relatively large, such as bats from the genus Nyctalus, are considered as high-risk species for collisions with wind turbines (WTs). However, important information on their behaviour and movement ecology, such as the locations and altitudes at which they forage, is still fragmentary, while crucial for their conservation in light of the increasing threat posed by progressing WT construction. We adopted two different methods of microphone array recordings and GPS-tracking capturing data from different spatio-temporal scales in order to gain a complementary understanding of the echolocation and movement ecology of Nyctalus aviator, the largest open-space bat in Japan. Based on microphone array recordings, we found that echolocation calls during natural foraging are adapted for fast flight in open-space optimal for aerial-hawking. In addition, we attached a GPS tag that can simultaneously monitor feeding buzz occurrence, and confirmed that foraging occurred at 300 m altitude and that the flight altitude in mountainous areas is consistent with the turbine conflict zone, suggesting that the birdlike noctule is a high-risk species in Japan. Further investigations on this species could provide valuable insights into their foraging and movement ecology, facilitating the development of a risk assessment regarding WTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Niga
- Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan
| | - Emyo Fujioka
- Organization for Research Initiatives and Development, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan
- The University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 9-61, Yamabe-Higashimachi, Furano, Hokkaido 079-1563, Japan
| | - Olga Heim
- Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan
| | - Akito Nomi
- Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan
| | - Dai Fukui
- The University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 9-61, Yamabe-Higashimachi, Furano, Hokkaido 079-1563, Japan
| | - Shizuko Hiryu
- Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan
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Sarel A, Palgi S, Blum D, Aljadeff J, Las L, Ulanovsky N. Natural switches in behaviour rapidly modulate hippocampal coding. Nature 2022; 609:119-127. [PMID: 36002570 PMCID: PMC9433324 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Throughout their daily lives, animals and humans often switch between different behaviours. However, neuroscience research typically studies the brain while the animal is performing one behavioural task at a time, and little is known about how brain circuits represent switches between different behaviours. Here we tested this question using an ethological setting: two bats flew together in a long 135 m tunnel, and switched between navigation when flying alone (solo) and collision avoidance as they flew past each other (cross-over). Bats increased their echolocation click rate before each cross-over, indicating attention to the other bat1–9. Hippocampal CA1 neurons represented the bat’s own position when flying alone (place coding10–14). Notably, during cross-overs, neurons switched rapidly to jointly represent the interbat distance by self-position. This neuronal switch was very fast—as fast as 100 ms—which could be revealed owing to the very rapid natural behavioural switch. The neuronal switch correlated with the attention signal, as indexed by echolocation. Interestingly, the different place fields of the same neuron often exhibited very different tuning to interbat distance, creating a complex non-separable coding of position by distance. Theoretical analysis showed that this complex representation yields more efficient coding. Overall, our results suggest that during dynamic natural behaviour, hippocampal neurons can rapidly switch their core computation to represent the relevant behavioural variables, supporting behavioural flexibility. During rapid behavioural switches in flying bats, hippocampal neurons can rapidly switch their core computation to represent the relevant behavioural variables, supporting behavioural flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Sarel
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shaked Palgi
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dan Blum
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Johnatan Aljadeff
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Department of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Liora Las
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Nachum Ulanovsky
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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Ellerbrok JS, Delius A, Peter F, Farwig N, Voigt CC. Activity of forest specialist bats decreases towards wind turbines at forest sites. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia S. Ellerbrok
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology University of Marburg Karl‐von‐Frisch‐Str. 8, 35043 Marburg Germany
- Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Alfred‐Kowalke‐Str. 17, 10315 Berlin Germany
| | - Anna Delius
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology University of Marburg Karl‐von‐Frisch‐Str. 8, 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Franziska Peter
- Natural Resource Conservation University Kiel Olshausenstr. 75, 24118 Kiel Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology University of Marburg Karl‐von‐Frisch‐Str. 8, 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Christian C. Voigt
- Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Alfred‐Kowalke‐Str. 17, 10315 Berlin Germany
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Scholz C, Voigt CC. Diet analysis of bats killed at wind turbines suggests large‐scale losses of trophic interactions. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Scholz
- Department Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Christian C. Voigt
- Department Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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Voigt CC, Kaiser K, Look S, Scharnweber K, Scholz C. Wind turbines without curtailment produce large numbers of bat fatalities throughout their lifetime: A call against ignorance and neglect. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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