Author:
Schuster Eva,Bulling Lea,Köppel Johann
Abstract
Abstract
Wind energy development contributes substantially to achieve climate protection goals. Unintended side effects, especially on wildlife, have long been discussed and substantial research has evolved over the last decade. At this stage, it is important to identify what we have learnt so far, as well as which predominant uncertainties and gaps remain. This review article aims to consolidate the state of knowledge, providing a qualitative analysis of the main effects of wind energy development on- and offshore, focusing on frequently studied species groups (bats, breeding and resting birds, raptors, migratory birds, marine mammals). We reviewed over 220 publications from which we identified predominant hypotheses that were summarized and displayed in tables. Journal publications, conference contributions, and further studies have been considered. We found that research focusing on offshore wind energy within the last couple of years has increased significantly as well, catching up with the vast amount of onshore studies. Some hypotheses have been verified by numerous publications and a consensus has been reached (e.g., correlation between bat activity and weather factors), while others are still being debated more (e.g., determination of migratory corridors) or remain unknown (e.g., effect on population level). Factors influencing potential effects were mainly related to species characteristics (morphology, phenology, abundance, behavior, and response to turbines) or site characteristics (landscape features, weather, and habitat quality). Consolidating the state of research provides the groundwork for the identification of mitigation measures and advanced planning approaches. However, the quantification of effects remains challenging and uncertainties will always persist.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Pollution,Ecology,Global and Planetary Change
Reference224 articles.
1. Ahlén I (2003) Wind turbines and bats—a pilot study. Uppsala, Sweden. http://publikationer.slu.se/Filer/08WindBatFinalReport.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2013
2. Ahlén I, Baagøe HJ, Bach L (2009) Behavior of scandinavian bats during migration and foraging at sea. J Mammal. 90(6):1318–1323. doi:10.1644/09-MAMM-S-223R.1
3. Amorim F, Rebelo H, Rodrigues L (2012) Factors influencing bat activity and mortality at a wind farm in the mediterranean region. Acta Chiropterolog. 14(2):439–457. doi:10.3161/150811012X661756
4. Arnett EB (2005) Relationships between Bats and Wind Turbines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. An Assessment of Fatality Search Protocols, Patterns of Fatality, and Behavioral Interactions with Wind Turbines. A final report submitted to the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. Edited by Bat Conservation International. Austin, Texas, USA. http://www.batsandwind.org/pdf/ar2004.pdf. Accessed 20 June 2013
5. Arnett EB, Baerwald EF (2013) Impacts of wind energy development on bats: implications for conservation. In: Rick AA and Scott CP (eds.) Bat evolution, ecology, and conservation, Springer New York, p 435–456. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-7397-8
Cited by
118 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献