bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in the nordic-baltic region gunars petersons latvia...

Bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in the Nordic-Baltic region

Gunars Petersons Latvia University of Agriculture, LV-3004, Jelgava, Latvia

Viesturs Vintulis University of Latvia, LV-1586, Riga, Latvia

Jens Rydell Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, SE-10648 Stockholm, Sweden

Swarming insects tend to concentrate at high protruding objects such as trees, towers and wind turbines

…en del insekter migrerar på natten på hög höjd (flera 1000 m) … i miljoner…

… and this may also apply to migrating insects, including many pests …

Cabbage moth Plutella xylostella Beet aphid Aphis fabae

Using ultrasonic echolocation, bats are experts at finding insect swarms in the open air or near land-marks

Some forage at 1000 m altitude or more …

V = 90 m x / 3 s = 100 m/s = 360 km/h!

GermanyFatality rate = 10-12 bats/turbine x year! 30 000 turbines x 10 = 300 000 bats/year!70% are migrants born in the Nordic-Baltic region!

Open air bats >90% of fatalities

Nyctalus noctula(Nyctalus leisleri)Pipistrellus nathusiiPipistrellus pygmaeus(Pipistrellus pipistrellus)Eptesicus nilssoniiVespertilio murinus

Seasonal patterns

Region Wind farm (location) No. of Fatality Reference turbines rate*

NW Germany Cappel-Neufeldt (fields) 5 3.1 Bach & Bach 2010 Others (8) (fields) 77 0.0 Grünkorn et al. 2005

E Germany Puschwitz (woodland) 10 4.1 Endl et al. 2004 Others (11) (fields) 86 1.8 Endl et al. 2004

S Germany Ittenschwander Horn (peak) 2 18.3 Behr et al. 2006 Rosskopf (peak) 4 26.0 Brinkmann et al. 2006 Brudergarten (peak) 3 15.0 Brinkmann et al. 2006 Hohe Eck (peak) 1 41.0 Brinkmann et al. 2006 Schillinger Berg (peak) 2 31.6 Brinkmann et al. 2006

England Coldham 1 (fields) 8 1.2 Bioscan 2008France Bouin (coast line) 8 19.0 Dulac 2008

* Fatality rate = number of fatalities per turbine per year, adjusted for scavenger removals and differences in searching efficiency between searchers and sites

Patterns in northern Europe

Population effects?

Population size not known for any bat anywhere

Revisits at wind farms in Alberta, CanadaUnpublished results R. Barclay, Calgary Univ.

Thanks Robert!

The Habitats Directive (EU)

Bats of all species

a) Could not be killed deliberately b) Places used for reproduction and

roosting may not be damaged deliberately c) May not be disturbed deliberately during reproduction or migration

Deliberately means that the actor is aware of the risk but still carries out the act

1. Avoid building turbines in places where many bats occur a. lakesb. wetlandsc. coastline

2. Stop the turbines under critical periodsSunset-sunrise in July-August if wind speed < 6m/s and temp. > 10oC

Map: the average annual wind speed in Latvia at the height of 50 meters

Wind turbines surveyed in Latvia in August – September 2013

Site Number of turbines

Number of visits

Vēde 2 5

Sārnate 1 1

Alsunga 2 1

Saraiķi 2 1

Grobiņa 4 1

Liepāja N 1 13

Liepāja S 1 5

Dorupe - Otaņķi

2 7

Pipistrellus nathusii 25

Pipistrellus pygmaeus 1

Eptesicus nilssonii 13

Vespertilio murinus 1

Species and numbers of indivudals found dead at wind turbines in Latvia 2013

Latvia in perspective…

Country/region No visits No bats No bats/visit Reference

Latvia 34 40 1.18 This studySouthern Sweden 160 17 0.11 Ahlén 2002Thüringen, Germany 94 7 0.06 Kusenbach 2004Saxen, Germany 6987 114 0.02 Seiche 2008

Thanks!