Energy Development in Colorado’s Pawnee National Grasslands: Mapping and Measuring the Disturbance Footprint of Renewables and Non-Renewables

Baynard, Chris W.; Mjachina, Ksenya V.; Schupp, Robert W.; Lambert, J. David; Chibilyev, Alexander A.

doi:10.1007/s00267-017-0846-z

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The noise propagation depends on meteorological conditions, barriers, topography, building characteristics, and ground surface materials [18,21,34]. Background noise can diminish the noise perception from WTs [34].…”

Section: Noise Propagationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

Sander,

Jung,

Schindler

2024

Preprint

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Deploying onshore wind energy as a cornerstone of future global energy systems challenges societies and decision-makers worldwide. Expanding wind energy should contribute to a more sustainable electricity generation without harnessing humans and their environment. Opponents often highlight the negative environmental impacts of wind energy to impede its expansion. This study reviews 152 studies to synthesize, summarize, and discuss critically the current knowledge, research gaps, and mitigation strategies on the environmental impacts of onshore wind energy. The investigated effects comprise impacts on the abiotic and biotic environment, with birds and bats in particular, noise and visual impacts. Effects are discussed in the context of social acceptance, other energy technologies, and wind energy expansion in forests. The review illustrates that many effects are highly case-specific and must be more generalizable. Studies are biased regarding the research focus and areas, needing more standardized research methods and long-term measurements. Most studies focus on the direct mortality of birds and bats at wind farms and are concentrated in Europe and North America. Knowledge gaps persist for many impact categories, and the efficacy of mitigation strategies has yet to be proven. More targeted, unbiased research is required that allows for an objective evaluation of the environmental impacts of wind energy and strategies to mitigate them. Impacts, such as those on biodiversity, need to be addressed in the context of other anthropogenic influences and the benefits of wind energy. This forms the basis for a socially acceptable, efficient, and sustainable expansion of wind energy.

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Section: Noise Propagationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

Sander,

Jung,

Schindler

2024

Preprint

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“…Currently, there is a rapid expansion of oil and gas development on some USFS lands (Baynard et al 2017). Currently, there is a rapid expansion of oil and gas development on some USFS lands (Baynard et al 2017).…”

Section: Continuing Challenges To Protection and Restoration Of Aquatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Oil and gas activities are governed by different laws where the Bureau of Land Management is the agency that approves permits and licenses to explore, develop, and produce energy resources on federal lands. Currently, there is a rapid expansion of oil and gas development on some USFS lands (Baynard et al 2017). One possible outcome of increased oil and gas development could be lower regional water quality due to contaminated groundwater, wastewater discharge, and accidental chemical spills (Vidic et al 2013).…”

Section: Continuing Challenges To Protection and Restoration Of Aquatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity in the Context of Multiple‐Use Management on National Forest System Lands

et al. 2018

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS) manages 193 million acres of public lands across 43 states and Puerto Rico. The original intent behind reserving lands managed by the USFS was to improve and protect forests, secure favorable conditions for water flows, and furnish a continuous supply of timber for the nation. Through time national forests have evolved, so they are managed for a broad array of uses. Differing expectations have led to conflicts between aquatic conservation and other aspects of the USFS’ mandate. In the 1990s, these conflicting goals came to a head with the listing of the northern spotted owl Strix occidentalis caurina and the need to better protect streams that fostered populations of anadromous salmonids. To better balance these conflicting uses, the agency placed additional emphasis on conserving and restoring aquatic systems by integrating conservation concepts into the forest planning process. If the USFS is to succeed in protecting and restoring aquatic biodiversity, it must continue to address traditional challenges such as minimizing the effects of timber harvest, roads, grazing, and mining on aquatic systems while improving policies and practices regarding contemporary challenges such as climate change and invasive species.

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“…The ROW can then be returned to its pre‐disturbance land use by being seeded to native plants in a grassland setting or being returned to agricultural production in an agroecosystem. Grasslands and croplands have been disproportionately affected by infrastructure development and reclamation (Baynard et al., 2017; Davis et al., 2018; Preston & Kim, 2016). Although the duration that pipeline ROWs are disturbed can be days, weeks, or months, well pads are reclaimed after the production of the well has sufficiently decreased, which may be decades after the installation of the well.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of pipeline and well‐pad reclamation on topsoil properties: A meta‐analysis

Birkhimer,

DeSutter,

Jore

et al. 2023

Agrosystems Geosci & Env

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The development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking has led to an increase in oil and natural gas extraction. Development of infrastructure to extract and transport these resources is expected to increase over the next few decades, resulting in extensive land disturbance. Although reclamation aims to sufficiently return disturbed lands to their pre‐disturbance use in an ecological sense, reclaimed rights‐of‐ways (ROW) commonly produce reduced crop yields. The objective of this study was to use meta‐analysis to determine soil disturbance trends across studies found in the peer‐reviewed literature. Papers that reported soil property data on disturbed ROWs and adjacent undisturbed sites were retrieved by searching the Web of Science database. Papers were separated by climate regions, resulting in analyses being conducted for studies in semiarid and humid climate regions. Results indicate that soil bulk density, soil organic matter, and pH are significantly increased on reclaimed ROWs. Soil metrics not incorporated in meta‐analysis due to insufficient observations or the possible presence of publication biases like a desire to publish significant results and poor study design (cation exchange capacity, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, total nitrogen, electrical conductivity, sodium, sodium adsorption ratio, and texture) are assessed and discussed. Best management practices gleaned from studies incorporated into meta‐analysis are discussed to provide strategies to limit soil property disturbances.

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Energy Development in Colorado’s Pawnee National Grasslands: Mapping and Measuring the Disturbance Footprint of Renewables and Non-Renewables

Cited by 18 publications

References 45 publications

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity in the Context of Multiple‐Use Management on National Forest System Lands

Effects of pipeline and well‐pad reclamation on topsoil properties: A meta‐analysis

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