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Young AC, Meliopoulos D, Desmond MJ, Daniel D, Abadi F. Impacts of Solar Energy Development On Breeding Birds in Desert Grasslands In South Central New Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024:10.1007/s00267-024-02072-3. [PMID: 39658698 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-02072-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 10/15/2024] [Indexed: 12/12/2024]
Abstract
Solar energy is growing at unprecedented rates, with the most development projected to occur in areas with high concentrations of threatened and endangered species, yet its effects on wildlife remain largely unexplored. In 2014 and 2015 we examined the influence of a solar facility on avian community occupancy in the Nutt grasslands of south-central New Mexico. We examined the effect of distance to solar facility as well as other habitat covariates, including vegetation structure and orthopteran abundance, on community occupancy and occupancy trends for individual species. We did not find a significant effect of distance to solar facility on occupancy probability for the songbird community. Instead, orthopteran abundance had a significant positive effect on occupancy probability for the community. Two synanthropic species, Eurasian-collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), and house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), were found almost exclusively within the solar facility and both species increased between years, suggesting that developments in natural habitats may facilitate populations of synanthropic species. These results demonstrate the variability in responses of different species to a solar facility and the interacting influence of habitat characteristics and disturbance associated with development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron C Young
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - DeeAnne Meliopoulos
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - Martha J Desmond
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA.
| | - David Daniel
- Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - Fitsum Abadi
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
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2
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Harrison S, Franklin J, Hernandez RR, Ikegami M, Safford HD, Thorne JH. Climate change and California's terrestrial biodiversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310074121. [PMID: 39074285 PMCID: PMC11317609 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310074121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
In this review and synthesis, we argue that California is an important test case for the nation and world because terrestrial biodiversity is very high, present and anticipated threats to biodiversity from climate change and other interacting stressors are severe, and innovative approaches to protecting biodiversity in the context of climate change are being developed and tested. We first review salient dimensions of California's terrestrial physical, biological, and human diversity. Next, we examine four facets of the threat to their sustainability of these dimensions posed by climate change: direct impacts, illustrated by a new analysis of shifting diversity hotspots for plants; interactive effects involving invasive species, land-use change, and other stressors; the impacts of changing fire regimes; and the impacts of land-based renewable energy development. We examine recent policy responses in each of these areas, representing attempts to better protect biodiversity while advancing climate adaptation and mitigation. We conclude that California's ambitious 30 × 30 Initiative and its efforts to harmonize biodiversity conservation with renewable energy development are important areas of progress. Adapting traditional suppression-oriented fire policies to the reality of new fire regimes is an area in which much progress remains to be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Harrison
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Janet Franklin
- Department of Geography, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA92182
| | - Rebecca R. Hernandez
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Wild Energy Center, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Makihiko Ikegami
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba305-8506, Japan
| | - Hugh D. Safford
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Vibrant Planet, Incline Village, NV89451
| | - James H. Thorne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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3
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Vander Zanden HB, Nelson DM, Conkling TJ, Allison TD, Diffendorfer JE, Dietsch TV, Fesnock AL, Loss SR, Ortiz PA, Paulman R, Rogers KH, Sanzenbacher PM, Katzner TE. The geographic extent of bird populations affected by renewable-energy development. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14191. [PMID: 38180844 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Bird populations are declining globally. Wind and solar energy can reduce emissions of fossil fuels that drive anthropogenic climate change, yet renewable-energy production represents a potential threat to bird species. Surveys to assess potential effects at renewable-energy facilities are exclusively local, and the geographic extent encompassed by birds killed at these facilities is largely unknown, which creates challenges for minimizing and mitigating the population-level and cumulative effects of these fatalities. We performed geospatial analyses of stable hydrogen isotope data obtained from feathers of 871 individuals of 24 bird species found dead at solar- and wind-energy facilities in California (USA). Most species had individuals with a mix of origins, ranging from 23% to 98% nonlocal. Mean minimum distances to areas of likely origin for nonlocal individuals were as close as 97 to >1250 km, and these minimum distances were larger for species found at solar-energy facilities in deserts than at wind-energy facilities in grasslands (Cohen's d = 6.5). Fatalities were drawn from an estimated 30-100% of species' desingated ranges, and this percentage was significantly smaller for species with large ranges found at wind facilities (Pearson's r = -0.67). Temporal patterns in the geographic origin of fatalities suggested that migratory movements and nonmigratory movements, such as dispersal and nomadism, influence exposure to fatality risk for these birds. Our results illustrate the power of using stable isotope data to assess the geographic extent of renewable-energy fatalities on birds. As the buildout of renewable-energy facilities continues, accurate assessment of the geographic footprint of wildlife fatalities can be used to inform compensatory mitigation for their population-level and cumulative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B Vander Zanden
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - David M Nelson
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Tara J Conkling
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Taber D Allison
- Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Jay E Diffendorfer
- Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Thomas V Dietsch
- Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Amy L Fesnock
- Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs, California, USA
| | - Scott R Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Patricia A Ortiz
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, Idaho, USA
- Pacific Region Migratory Birds and Habitat Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Robin Paulman
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Krysta H Rogers
- Wildlife Health Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rancho Cordova, California, USA
| | - Peter M Sanzenbacher
- Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Palm Springs, California, USA
| | - Todd E Katzner
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, Idaho, USA
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Hallingstad E, Riser-Espinoza D, Brown S. Incidental eagle carcass detection can contribute to fatality estimation at operating wind energy facilities. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0277150. [PMID: 37992068 PMCID: PMC10664926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277150] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Risk of birds colliding with wind turbines, especially protected species like bald eagle and golden eagle in the U.S., is a fundamental wildlife challenge the wind industry faces when developing and operating projects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires wind energy facilities that obtain eagle take permits document permit compliance through fatality monitoring. If trained Operations and Maintenance (O&M) staff can reliably detect and report carcasses during their normal routines, and their detection probability can be estimated, then their 'incidental detections' could contribute substantially towards demonstrating permit compliance. Our primary objective was to quantify incidental detection of eagle carcasses by O&M staff under a variety of landscape contexts and environmental conditions throughout a single year. We used the incidental detection probabilities, along with raptor carcass persistence data and area adjustments, to calculate overall probability of incidental detection (i.e., incidental g). We used feathered decoys as eagle-carcass surrogates for monthly detection trials at 6 study sites throughout the U.S. We evaluated the primary drivers of incidental detection using logit regression models including season, viewshed complexity, and a derived variable called the "density quartile" as covariates. We used an Evidence of Absence-based approach to estimate the overall probability of incidental detection. The incidental detection probabilities ranged from 0.28 to 0.78 (mean = 0.48). Detection probabilities decreased as viewshed complexity increased and as distance from the turbine increased. The resulting overall probability of incidental detection ranged from 0.07 to 0.47 (mean = 0.31). The primary drivers of variability in incidental g were detection probability and the area adjustment. Results of our research show that O&M staff were effective at detecting trial carcasses incidentally. Incorporating incidental detection in eagle fatality monitoring efforts is a reliable means of improving estimates of a facility's direct impacts on eagles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hallingstad
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
| | | | - Samantha Brown
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
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Unuofin JO, Iwarere SA, Daramola MO. Embracing the future of circular bio-enabled economy: unveiling the prospects of microbial fuel cells in achieving true sustainable energy. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:90547-90573. [PMID: 37480542 PMCID: PMC10439864 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28717-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable development and energy security, highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), necessitate the use of renewable and sustainable energy sources. However, upon careful evaluation of literature, we have discovered that many existing and emerging renewable energy systems (RESs) prioritize renewability over true sustainability. These systems not only suffer from performance inconsistencies and lack of scalability but also fall short in fully embodying the principles of sustainability and circular economy. To address this gap, we propose considering microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a viable alternative and integral part of the renewable energy ecosystem. MFCs harness the omnipresence, abundance, and cost-effectiveness of their essential components, making them a promising candidate. Through our comprehensive analysis, we shed light on the limitations and advancements of this technology, which underscore the remarkable potential of MFCs to revolutionize our perception of clean, sustainable energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Onolame Unuofin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Samuel Ayodele Iwarere
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Michael Olawale Daramola
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
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Hallingstad E, Riser-Espinoza D, Brown S, Rabie P, Haddock J, Kosciuch K. Game bird carcasses are less persistent than raptor carcasses, but can predict raptor persistence dynamics. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279997. [PMID: 36595543 PMCID: PMC9810176 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Researchers conduct post-construction fatality monitoring (PCFM) to determine a wind energy facility's direct impacts on wildlife. Results of PCFM can be used to evaluate compliance with permitted take, potentially triggering adaptive management measures or offsetting mitigation; reducing uncertainty in fatality rates benefits wind companies, wildlife agencies, and other stakeholders. As part of PCFM, investigators conduct carcass persistence trials to account for imperfect detection during carcass surveys. In most PCFM studies, pen-raised game birds and other non-raptor surrogates have been used to estimate persistence of all large birds, including raptors. However, there is a growing body of evidence showing carcass persistence varies by bird type; raptor fatality estimates based on game bird carcass persistence may therefore be biased high. We conducted raptor and game bird carcass persistence field trials for 1 year at 6 wind energy facilities. Raptor carcass persistence varied by habitat and season, whereas the best-supported game bird model only included habitat. Raptor persistence probabilities were higher than corresponding game bird persistence probabilities for 13 of the 16 habitat and season combinations. Analysis of a curated large bird persistence meta-dataset showed that raptor carcass persistence varied by season, habitat, and region. The probability of persisting through a 30-day search interval ranged from 0.44 to 0.99 for raptors and from 0.16 to 0.79 for game birds. Raptor persistence was significantly higher than game bird persistence for 95% of the sampled strata. We used these carcass persistence estimates to develop linear mixed-effects models that predict raptor persistence probabilities based on estimated game bird persistence probabilities. Our scaling model provides an important statistical method to address gaps in raptor persistence data at sites in a broad range of landscape contexts in the continental United States and should be used to inform fatality estimation when site-specific raptor persistence data are limited or absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hallingstad
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Daniel Riser-Espinoza
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Samantha Brown
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Paul Rabie
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Jeanette Haddock
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Karl Kosciuch
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
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Katzner TE, Allison TD, Diffendorfer JE, Hale AM, Lantz EJ, Veers PS. Counterfactuals to Assess Effects to Species and Systems from Renewable Energy Development. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.844286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Conkling TJ, Vander Zanden HB, Allison TD, Diffendorfer JE, Dietsch TV, Duerr AE, Fesnock AL, Hernandez RR, Loss SR, Nelson DM, Sanzenbacher PM, Yee JL, Katzner TE. Vulnerability of avian populations to renewable energy production. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211558. [PMID: 35360356 PMCID: PMC8965424 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Renewable energy production can kill individual birds, but little is known about how it affects avian populations. We assessed the vulnerability of populations for 23 priority bird species killed at wind and solar facilities in California, USA. Bayesian hierarchical models suggested that 48% of these species were vulnerable to population-level effects from added fatalities caused by renewables and other sources. Effects of renewables extended far beyond the location of energy production to impact bird populations in distant regions across continental migration networks. Populations of species associated with grasslands where turbines were located were most vulnerable to wind. Populations of nocturnal migrant species were most vulnerable to solar, despite not typically being associated with deserts where the solar facilities we evaluated were located. Our findings indicate that addressing declines of North American bird populations requires consideration of the effects of renewables and other anthropogenic threats on both nearby and distant populations of vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J. Conkling
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID 87648, USA
| | | | | | - Jay E. Diffendorfer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA
| | - Thomas V. Dietsch
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | | | - Amy L. Fesnock
- Desert District Office, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
| | - Rebecca R. Hernandez
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Wild Energy Initiative, John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Scott R. Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - David M. Nelson
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD 21532, USA
| | - Peter M. Sanzenbacher
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife Office, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
| | - Julie L. Yee
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID 87648, USA
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