Fatalities at wind turbines may threaten population viability of a migratory bat

Frick, Winifred F.; Baerwald, Erin F.; Pollock, Jacob F.; Barclay, Robert M. R.; Szymanski, Jennifer A.; Weller, Ted; Russell, Amy L.; Loeb, Susan C.; Medellín, Rodrigo A.; McGuire, L.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.02.023

Cited by 188 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Compelling empirical evidence of regional and range-wide bat decline is difficult to obtain and rarely reported, and our study is unique in geographic and temporal extent, with evident implications for potential hoary bat extirpation risk proposed by Frick et al (2017) if our observed hoary bat trend continues. Compelling empirical evidence of regional and range-wide bat decline is difficult to obtain and rarely reported, and our study is unique in geographic and temporal extent, with evident implications for potential hoary bat extirpation risk proposed by Frick et al (2017) if our observed hoary bat trend continues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Evidence of region‐wide bat population decline from long‐term monitoring and Bayesian occupancy models with empirically informed priors

Rodhouse

Rodriguez

Banner

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Strategic conservation efforts for cryptic species, especially bats, are hindered by limited understanding of distribution and population trends. Integrating long‐term encounter surveys with multi‐season occupancy models provides a solution whereby inferences about changing occupancy probabilities and latent changes in abundance can be supported. When harnessed to a Bayesian inferential paradigm, this modeling framework offers flexibility for conservation programs that need to update prior model‐based understanding about at‐risk species with new data. This scenario is exemplified by a bat monitoring program in the Pacific Northwestern United States in which results from 8 years of surveys from 2003 to 2010 require updating with new data from 2016 to 2018. The new data were collected after the arrival of bat white‐nose syndrome and expansion of wind power generation, stressors expected to cause population declines in at least two vulnerable species, little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). We used multi‐season occupancy models with empirically informed prior distributions drawn from previous occupancy results (2003–2010) to assess evidence of contemporary decline in these two species. Empirically informed priors provided the bridge across the two monitoring periods and increased precision of parameter posterior distributions, but did not alter inferences relative to use of vague priors. We found evidence of region‐wide summertime decline for the hoary bat (trueλ^ = 0.86 ± 0.10) since 2010, but no evidence of decline for the little brown bat (trueλ^ = 1.1 ± 0.10). White‐nose syndrome was documented in the region in 2016 and may not yet have caused regional impact to the little brown bat. However, our discovery of hoary bat decline is consistent with the hypothesis that the longer duration and greater geographic extent of the wind energy stressor (collision and barotrauma) have impacted the species. These hypotheses can be evaluated and updated over time within our framework of pre–post impact monitoring and modeling. Our approach provides the foundation for a strategic evidence‐based conservation system and contributes to a growing preponderance of evidence from multiple lines of inquiry that bat species are declining.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Evidence of region‐wide bat population decline from long‐term monitoring and Bayesian occupancy models with empirically informed priors

Rodhouse

Rodriguez

Banner

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…, Frick et al. ). However, because of their nocturnal activity patterns, relatively small size, and tendency for reclusive behavior, it is extremely challenging to estimate population sizes and trends for bat species over large spatial scales, such as at ecoregional and continental scales (O'Shea et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Zimmerling and Francis ), and some researchers in North America have concluded that fatalities resulting from interactions with wind turbines are potentially resulting in tens to hundreds of thousands of fatalities annually (Cryan , Arnett and Baerwald , Hayes , Smallwood , Frick et al. ). Furthermore, recent population dynamics modeling suggests that some species, such as North American hoary bats ( Lasiurus cinereus ; Frick et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, recent population dynamics modeling suggests that some species, such as North American hoary bats ( Lasiurus cinereus ; Frick et al. ), may be at significantly increased risk for population extinctions due to wind energy development. Ecologists in other geographic areas have also observed substantial bat fatalities associated with wind energy facilities, including in México, Central and South America (Bernard et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Frick et al. ); (4) significantly reduce Myotis fatalities, which is the most speciose genus in the United States and Canada, and populations of some species are in decline due to bat white‐nose syndrome (Frick et al. ); (5) reduce curtailment time relative to blanket curtailment by allowing turbines to continue operation when bats are not detected; and (6) develop a smart curtailment approach that has the potential to be generalizable and useful in a variety of geographic regions, wind speed regimes, and with different resident and migratory bat assemblages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities

Hayes¹,

Hooton

Gilland³

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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The development and expansion of wind energy is considered a key global threat to bat populations. Bat carcasses are being found underneath wind turbines across North and South America, Eurasia, Africa, and the Austro‐Pacific. However, relatively little is known about the comparative impacts of techniques designed to modify turbine operations in ways that reduce bat fatalities associated with wind energy facilities. This study tests a novel approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at a wind energy facility in the United States, then compares these results to operational mitigation techniques used at other study sites in North America and Europe. The study was conducted in Wisconsin during 2015 using a new system of tools for analyzing bat activity and wind speed data to make near real‐time curtailment decisions when bats are detected in the area at control turbines (N = 10) vs. treatment turbines (N = 10). The results show that this smart curtailment approach (referred to as Turbine Integrated Mortality Reduction, TIMR) significantly reduced fatality estimates for treatment turbines relative to control turbines for pooled species data, and for each of five species observed at the study site: pooled data (–84.5%); eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis, –82.5%); hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus, –81.4%); silver‐haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans, –90.9%); big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus, –74.2%); and little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus, –91.4%). The approach reduced power generation and estimated annual revenue at the wind energy facility by ≤ 3.2% for treatment turbines relative to control turbines, and we estimate that the approach would have reduced curtailment time by 48% relative to turbines operated under a standard curtailment rule used in North America. This approach significantly reduced fatalities associated with all species evaluated, each of which has broad distributions in North America and different ecological affinities, several of which represent species most affected by wind development in North America. While we recognize that this approach needs to be validated in other areas experiencing rapid wind energy development, we anticipate that this approach has the potential to significantly reduce bat fatalities in other ecoregions and with other bat species assemblages in North America and beyond.

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Seasonal variation in age, sex, and reproductive status of Mexican free‐tailed bats

et al. 2022

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In North America, Mexican free‐tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) consume vast numbers of insects contributing to the economic well‐being of society. Mexican free‐tailed bats have declined due to historic guano mining, roost destruction, and bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides. Long‐distance migrations and dense congregations at roosts exacerbate these declines. Wind energy development further threatens bat communities worldwide and presents emerging challenges to bat conservation. Effective mitigation of bat mortality at wind energy facilities requires baseline data on the biology of affected populations. We collected data on age, sex, and reproductive condition of Mexican free‐tailed bats at a cave roost in eastern Nevada located 6 km from a 152‐MW industrial wind energy facility. Over 5 years, we captured 46,353 Mexican free‐tailed bats. Although just over half of the caught individuals were nonreproductive adult males (53.6%), 826 pregnant, 892 lactating, 10,101 post‐lactating, and 4327 nonreproductive adult females were captured. Juveniles comprised 11.5% of captures. Female reproductive phenology was delayed relative to conspecific roosts at lower latitudes, likely due to cooler temperatures. Roost use by reproductive females and juvenile bats demonstrates this site is a maternity roost, with significant ecological and conservation value. To our knowledge, no other industrial scale wind energy facilities exist in such proximity to a heavily used bat roost in North America. Given the susceptibility of Mexican free‐tailed bats to wind turbine mortality and the proximity of this roost to a wind energy facility, these data provide a foundation from which differential impacts on demographic groups can be assessed.

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Fatalities at wind turbines may threaten population viability of a migratory bat

Cited by 188 publications

References 31 publications

Evidence of region‐wide bat population decline from long‐term monitoring and Bayesian occupancy models with empirically informed priors

Evidence of region‐wide bat population decline from long‐term monitoring and Bayesian occupancy models with empirically informed priors

A smart curtailment approach for reducing bat fatalities and curtailment time at wind energy facilities

Seasonal variation in age, sex, and reproductive status of Mexican free‐tailed bats

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