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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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2
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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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3
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Erratum: Structurally rich dry grasslands – Potential stepping stones for bats in open farmland. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1168225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
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4
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Foxley T, Lintott P, Stone E. What drives bat activity at field boundaries? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 329:117029. [PMID: 36577300 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117029] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Field boundaries are important habitat for bats in agricultural landscapes, serving as commuting and foraging areas for many species. The goal of our study was to better understand the drivers of bat activity in agricultural landscapes to inform conservation policy and make specific recommendations for habitat management. We placed sixty-four full spectrum bat detectors at random recording locations, weekly, along field boundaries in North Somerset between July and October 2020. We used an automated classifier to analyse recordings and performed error rate modelling to account for and remove the majority of error in automated classifications. We used generalised additive models to explore bat response to recording location metrics, controlling for spatial-autocorrelation and temporal differences in sampling. We validated our models with k-fold cross-validation and explored the utility of our models for predicting bat activity at new sites. We found that field boundary characteristics better describe bat activity than adjacent field characteristics or measures of local landscape for the majority of species studied. Bat activity was higher along tall, wide, vegetated field boundaries containing trees; there was lower activity at arable recording locations. Still, bat activity was highly variable and predictive error was high. We found a large spatial effect driving activity patterns, meaning models are not able to predict activity beyond the extent of the study area. We recommend management strategies that give incentives to farmers for replacing fences with hedgerows, planting hedgerow trees, and maintaining tall and outgrown field boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Foxley
- Bat Conservation Research Lab, School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK.
| | - Paul Lintott
- Bat Conservation Research Lab, School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Emma Stone
- Bat Conservation Research Lab, School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
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5
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Ewert SP, Knörnschild M, Jung K, Frommolt KH. Structurally rich dry grasslands – Potential stepping stones for bats in open farmland. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.995133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Agricultural intensification has caused decrease and fragmentation of European semi-natural dry grasslands. While a high biodiversity value of dry grasslands is acknowledged for plants and insects, locally and on landscape level, their relevance for mobile species, such as bats, is unknown. Here we investigate the use of dry grassland fragments by bats in an agriculturally intensified region in Germany and evaluate local and landscape factors influencing bat activity and assemblages. Specifically, we predicted that a combination of local dry grassland structural richness and landscape features as well as their interactions affect bat activity and foraging above dry grasslands. We also expected that these features influence compositions of local bat assemblages. We repeatedly sampled at 12 dry grassland plots with acoustic monitoring and assessed activity and foraging of bat species/sonotypes, which we grouped into guilds known for foraging in open land, at vegetation edges and in narrow spaces. We determined structural richness of the dry grassland plots in field and derived landscape features from digital landscape data. A relatively high proportion of bat species/sonotypes used dry grasslands regularly. The edge space foragers responded positively to higher local structural richness. Their dry grassland use increased when surrounding forests and woody features were less available, but they foraged more on dry grasslands closer to water bodies. Narrow space bat activity on dry grasslands decreased with less landscape connectivity. Open and narrow space foragers responded to local structural richness only in landscape context. For all bat guilds we found increased use of structurally richer dry grasslands when there was more open farmland in the surroundings. This was also the case for edge space foragers, when landscapes were more homogeneous. Lastly, with increasing structural richness, bat assemblages were more dominated by edge space foragers. We show the importance of European dry grassland fragments for the highly mobile group of bats under certain local structural and landscape compositional conditions. Our results underline the value of heterogeneous dry grassland fragments as potential stepping stones in intensively used farmland areas and contribute to evidence based decision making in dry grassland management and bat conservation.
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Barré K, Froidevaux JSP, Leroux C, Mariton L, Fritze M, Kerbiriou C, Le Viol I, Bas Y, Roemer C. Over a decade of failure to implement
UNEP
/
EUROBATS
guidelines in wind energy planning: A call for action. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12805] [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] Open
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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- Auddicé Biodiversité–ZAC du Chevalement Roost‐Warendin France
| | - Léa Mariton
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement Paris France
| | - Marcus Fritze
- German Bat Observatory Berlin Germany
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation University of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
| | - Yves Bas
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Sorbonne Université Paris France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier 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 Paris France
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
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7
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Leroux C, Kerbiriou C, Le Viol I, Valet N, Barré K. Distance to hedgerows drives local repulsion and attraction of wind turbines on bats: Implications for spatial siting. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
- 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
| | - Nicolas Valet
- 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 Paris France
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Station de Biologie Marine Concarneau France
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8
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Not only hedgerows, but also flower fields can enhance bat activity in intensively used agricultural landscapes. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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9
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Erasmy M, Leuschner C, Balkenhol N, Dietz M. Three-dimensional stratification pattern in an old-growth lowland forest: How does height in canopy and season influence temperate bat activity? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17273-17288. [PMID: 34938507 PMCID: PMC8668798 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8363] [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: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of animal-habitat interactions is of primary importance for the formulation of conservation recommendations. Flying, gliding, and climbing animals have the ability to exploit their habitat in a three-dimensional way, and the vertical canopy structure in forests plays an essential role for habitat suitability. Forest bats as flying mammals may seasonally shift their microhabitat use due to differing energy demands or changing prey availability, but the patterns are not well understood. We investigated three-dimensional and seasonal habitat use by insectivorous bats in a temperate lowland old-growth forest, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus. We acoustically sampled broadleaved and mixed coniferous plots in the forest interior and in gaps in three heights during two reproductive periods (pregnancy/lactation vs. postlactation). In canopy gaps, vertical stratification in bat activity was less pronounced than in the forest interior. Vertical activity patterns differed among species. The upper canopy levels were important foraging habitats for the open-space forager guild and for some edge-space foragers like the Barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus and the soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Myotis species had highest activity levels near the ground in forest gaps. Moreover, we found species-dependent seasonal microhabitat shifts. Generally, all species and species groups considered except Myotis species showed higher activity levels during postlactation. Myotis species tended toward higher activity in the forest interior during postlactation. P. pygmaeus switched from high activity levels in the upper canopy during pregnancy and lactation to high activity levels near the ground during postlactation. We conclude that a full comprehension of forest bat habitat use is only possible when height in canopy and seasonal patterns are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Erasmy
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems ResearchAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute for Plant SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems ResearchAlbrecht‐von‐Haller Institute for Plant SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife SciencesFaculty of Forest SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Markus Dietz
- Institute for Animal Ecology and Nature EducationLaubachGermany
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10
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Three-dimensional analysis of bat flight paths around small wind turbines suggests no major collision risk or behavioral changes. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00595-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Pedro ARS, Ávila F, Chaperon PN, Beltrán CA, Allendes JL, Grez AA. The Role of the Adjacent Habitat on Promoting Bat Activity in Vineyards: A Case Study from Central Chile. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.1.014] [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)
- Annia Rodríguez-San Pedro
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Ambientes Fragmentados (LEAF), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, La Granja, Santiago 8820808, Chile
| | - Felipe Ávila
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Ambientes Fragmentados (LEAF), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, La Granja, Santiago 8820808, Chile
| | - Pascal N. Chaperon
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Ambientes Fragmentados (LEAF), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, La Granja, Santiago 8820808, Chile
| | - Clemente A. Beltrán
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Ambientes Fragmentados (LEAF), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, La Granja, Santiago 8820808, Chile
| | - Juan L. Allendes
- Servicios de Consultoría Ecológica, Bioacústica y Conservación - BIOECOS E.I.R.L, Santiago, Las Condes 7591313, Chile
| | - Audrey A. Grez
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Ambientes Fragmentados (LEAF), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Animales, Facultad Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, La Granja, Santiago 8820808, Chile
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12
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Buchholz S, Kelm V, Ghanem SJ. Mono-specific forest plantations are valuable bat habitats: implications for wind energy development. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01440-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractNear-natural or semi-natural forests such as relatively undisturbed and old deciduous or mixed woodland are considered worth protecting and ecologically valuable habitats for bat conservation. In contrast, mono-specific forest plantations are considered ecologically less valuable; thus, decision-makers recommend these plantations as suitable locations for wind power stations and therefore want to further expand wind turbines in these habitats. This is expected to have a strong negative impact on the landscape because forests would be cleared for wind turbine pads and access roads and wind turbines rise above the trees with adverse impacts for bats. Therefore, we argue that, in light of bat conservation, the suitability of forest plantations for wind energy development is not, per se, warranted and that implications of wind power stations, even in mono-specific forest plantations, should be assessed and evaluated. We conducted long-term bat activity monitoring and recorded bat echolocation calls above the canopies of different forest sites (coniferous monoculture plantations and semi-natural mixed deciduous forests) in Germany and compared different forest types in terms of species richness, total bat activity, activity of the three bat species groups and species composition. Generalised linear models revealed that forest type and the amount of forest biotopes did not enhance bat activity. Ordination showed that species composition was not affected by forest type, location and connectivity. Mono-specific forest plantations can harbour a diverse bat fauna with high species activity and are, therefore, valuable bat habitats just as near-natural or semi-natural woodlands are. Environmental impact assessment and mitigation measures are vital in all forest types before and after planning for wind energy turbines. In particular, future planning and approval processes must consider the importance of mono-specific forest plantations for bat species protection.
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13
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Finch D, Schofield H, Mathews F. Habitat Associations of Bats in an Agricultural Landscape: Linear Features Versus Open Habitats. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101856. [PMID: 33053844 PMCID: PMC7650766 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
1. Bats are important components of agricultural ecosystems. However, little is known about the extent to which bats use linear features when foraging and commuting in agricultural settings, when compared to the interior of fields. 2. As part of a large-scale citizen science project, bat detectors were placed in the centre of agricultural fields (arable and pasture) and along linear features (intensively managed hedgerows, sympathetically managed hedgerows and treelines). 3. Our results show that all 10 of the bat species groups identified were found both along linear features and in the middle of agricultural fields. Of the five species groups analysed further, all had significantly more bat activity along linear features compared to the middle of fields, except for Nyctalus noctula. However, our results showed that 29% of calls from Rhinolophus ferrumequinum were recorded in the middle of agricultural fields, compared to only 10% for Pipistrellus pipistrellus. Bat activity was more likely to be associated with treelines compared to other linear feature types. 4. Our results highlight the importance of linear feature management to bat conservation, but also the need to consider field centres during survey design and Environmental Impact Assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domhnall Finch
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK;
| | - Henry Schofield
- Vincent Wildlife Trust, Bronsil Courtyard, Eastnor, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1EP, UK;
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK;
- Correspondence:
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14
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Gaultier SP, Blomberg AS, Ijäs A, Vasko V, Vesterinen EJ, Brommer JE, Lilley TM. Bats and Wind Farms: The Role and Importance of the Baltic Sea Countries in the European Context of Power Transition and Biodiversity Conservation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:10385-10398. [PMID: 32830494 PMCID: PMC7497642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although labeled as environmentally friendly, wind power can have negative impacts on the environment, such as habitat destruction or wildlife fatalities. Considering the distribution and migratory characteristics of European bats, the negative effects of wind power should be addressed on an appropriate scale. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on interactions between wind farms and bats in Europe, and compares it with the situation in the countries of the European boreal biogeographic region. We analyzed data from papers published in international and national scientific journals, focusing on studies conducted in Europe. The issue of the impacts wind power has on bats is clearly overlooked in most of the countries of the European boreal region, with low volumes of research available on the topic. This is probably due to fewer wind farms in the area, making this recent issue a less-prioritized topic. However, the Baltic Sea, and the countries surrounding it, are of extreme importance with regards to bat migration, especially for the Pipistrellus nathusii. Therefore, more research on wind power and bats is needed in this region, as well as more cooperation between all the stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P. Gaultier
- Biodiversity
Unit, University of Turku, Vesilinnantie 5 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Anna S. Blomberg
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Vesilinnantie 5 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Asko Ijäs
- Brahea
Centre/Centre for Maritime Studies, University
of Turku, Pohjoisranta 11 D 28100 Pori, Finland
| | - Ville Vasko
- Finnish
Museum of Natural History, University of
Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eero J. Vesterinen
- Biodiversity
Unit, University of Turku, Vesilinnantie 5 20500 Turku, Finland
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Vesilinnantie 5 20500 Turku, Finland
- Department
of Insect Ecology, Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences, Almas Allé 8, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jon E. Brommer
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Vesilinnantie 5 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Thomas M. Lilley
- Finnish
Museum of Natural History, University of
Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
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15
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von Hirschheydt G, Kindvall O, de Jong J. Testing bat abundance and diversity predictions by PREBAT, a connectivity-based habitat suitability model for insectivorous bats. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-1368-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWhere large landscape modifications are planned, e.g. for infrastructure or exploitation, ecological impact assessments are required because of their potential effects on environment and species. Methods that make such assessments more standardized, efficient, and reliable are highly desirable. This paper proposes a new connectivity-based habitat model for bats (PREBAT), which could be used as a tool for impact assessments. Using data that was specifically collected for this purpose, the performance of PREBAT is critically analyzed and discussed. For this study, 50 sites within an area of 850 km2 in eastern Sweden were inventoried for four nights each using automatic ultrasound recorders to get an empiric measure of bat occurrence that could be compared with PREBAT predictions. The correlation between the predicted values from PREBAT and the observed bat activity (number of recordings) or species richness was tested using generalized linear mixed models. Predicted values of PREBAT are significantly correlated to the number of species that regularly (more than one night) occur at a given site, but not to the total number of species. PREBAT performed also much better at predicting the activity of forest-living species than overall bat activity, which makes PREBAT particularly suitable for predicting conflicts for those species. This study proposes a new habitat model for bats that takes spatial connectivity between habitat patches into account. PREBAT is shown to perform satisfyingly and has the potential to become a useful tool in assessing the ecological impact of large-scale landscape modifications.
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Loeb SC, Hines BA, Armstrong MP, Zarnoch SJ. Effects of Omnidirectional Microphone Placement and Survey Period on Bat Echolocation Call Quality and Detection Probabilities. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.2.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan C. Loeb
- U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | | | - Michael P. Armstrong
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, USA
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The Relative Effects of Local and Landscape Characteristics of Hedgerows on Bats. DIVERSITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/d10030072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The role of hedgerows in maintaining biodiversity in areas of intensive agriculture is well known, particularly for bats. However, few studies have addressed the importance of the intrinsic characteristics of hedgerows for bats and disentangled the relative effects of local and landscape characteristics of hedgerows on bat activity. In an acoustic survey, we assessed bat activity by recording bat calls using detectors and manually verified all calls using spectrogram analysis. The parameters used to determine local hedgerow structures were the length of the line of trees, of shrub hedgerows, of wooded hedgerows without shrubs and of hedgerows including the three strata (tree, shrub and herb) at a local scale. We assessed the influence of hedgerow structure and on bat activity with an approach considering both species and community, comparing two different scales, the local and the landscape. We highlighted the importance of hedgerow characteristics for bats on both the local and landscape scales even though responses differ between species and spatial scales. We found that the presence of trees in hedgerows exerts a generally positive influence on bat activity and that hedgerows with the three strata had lower bat activity than hedgerows with trees. In our study, some bats seemed to prefer agricultural landscapes dominated by wooded hedgerows and, on the local scale, hedgerows that include trees with little diversified among strata, except for gleaning species. Our study shows that in terms of hedgerow management, conservation efforts must be designed and undertaken on both the local and landscape scales.
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Pinaud D, Claireau F, Leuchtmann M, Kerbiriou C. Modelling landscape connectivity for greater horseshoe bat using an empirical quantification of resistance. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Pinaud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéUM7372 CNRSUniversité La Rochelle Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Fabien Claireau
- Center for Ecology and Conservation SciencesUMR7204 MNHN‐CNRS‐UPMC‐Sorbonne UniversitéNational Museum of Natural History Paris France
- Zoology Institute and MuseumUniversity of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
- Naturalia Environnement Avignon France
| | | | - Christian Kerbiriou
- Center for Ecology and Conservation SciencesUMR7204 MNHN‐CNRS‐UPMC‐Sorbonne UniversitéNational Museum of Natural History Paris France
- Biological Marine StationNational Museum of Natural History Concarneau France
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19
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The relevance of vegetation structures and small water bodies for bats foraging above farmland. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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20
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Voigt CC, Lindecke O, Schönborn S, Kramer-Schadt S, Lehmann D. Habitat use of migratory bats killed during autumn at wind turbines. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:771-783. [PMID: 27411249 DOI: 10.1890/15-0671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The killing of large numbers of migratory bats at wind turbines is a pressing conservation problem. Even though avoidance and mitigation measures could benefit from a better knowledge of the species' migratory habits, we lack basic information about what habitats and corridors bats use during migration. We studied the isotopic niche dimensions of three bat species that are frequently killed at wind turbines in Germany: non-migratory Pipistrellus pipistrellus, mid-distance migratory Nyctalus noctula, and long- distance migratory Pipistrellus nathusii. We measured stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) in five tissues that differed in isotopic retention time (fur, wing membrane tissue, muscle, liver, blood) to shed light on the species-specific habitat use during the autumn migration period using standard ellipse areas (SEAc). Further, we used stable isotope ratios of non-exchangeable hydrogen (δ²H(K)) in fur keratin to assess the breeding origin of bats. We inferred from isotopic composition (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) of fur keratin that isotopic niche dimensions of P. nathusii was distinct from that of N. noctula and P. pipistrellus, probably because P. nathusii was using more aquatic habitats than the other two species. Isoscape origin models supported that traveled distances before dying at wind turbines was largest for P. nathusii, intermediate for N. noctula, and shortest for P. pipistrellus. Isotopic niche dimensions calculated for each sample type separately reflected the species' migratory behavior. Pipistrellus pipistrellus and N. noctula showed similar isotopic niche breadth across all tissue types, whereas SEAc values of P. nathusii increased in tissues with slow turnaround time. Isotopic data suggested that P. nathusii consistently used aquatic habitats throughout the autumn period, whereas N. noctula showed a stronger association with terrestrial habitats during autumn compared to the pre-migration period.
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Abstract
Most bat species show plasticity in their choice of habitat and landscape. This study focuses on the distribution and activity of bats along the hillsides and onto the shores of a low salinity marine Norwegian fiord at 62°N. Ultrasound was recorded using D500 detectors in June and July at 42 different sites from the shoreline and up the hillsides to around 200 m. Detectors were placed in well-preserved woodlands. OnlyPipistrellussp., northern batsEptesicus nilssoniiand bats of theMyotisgenus were common. There was a clear non-linear spatial distribution pattern along these slopes, with a pronounced increase in the number of recorded bats at short distances from the shore. On all six nights, the detector closest to the shore had the highest number of recorded bats. A pattern was also seen in bat distribution over time.Pipistrellussp., northern bats andMyotisspecies all had a peak near the shore during the darkest part of the night, which is around 01.35 h in mid-summer at this latitude. At greater distances,Pipistrellussp. and northern bats had a peak around 40 minutes to one hour before the darkest part of the night, respectively. Here,Myotisspp. peaked about an hour after 01.35.
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