Abstract
Deployment of wind energy is proposed as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, wind energy and large birds, notably soaring raptors, both depend on suitable wind conditions. Conflicts in airspace use may thus arise due to the risks of collisions of birds with the blades of wind turbines. Using locations of GPS-tagged bearded vultures, a rare scavenging raptor reintroduced into the Alps, we built a spatially explicit model to predict potential areas of conflict with future wind turbine deployments in the Swiss Alps. We modelled the probability of bearded vultures flying within or below the rotor-swept zone of wind turbines as a function of wind and environmental conditions, including food supply. Seventy-four per cent of the GPS positions were collected below 200 m above ground level, i.e. where collisions could occur if wind turbines were present. Flight activity at potential risk of collision is concentrated on south-exposed mountainsides, especially in areas where ibex carcasses have a high occurrence probability, with critical areas covering vast expanses throughout the Swiss Alps. Our model provides a spatially explicit decision tool that will guide authorities and energy companies for planning the deployment of wind farms in a proactive manner to reduce risk to emblematic Alpine wildlife.
Highlights
Deployment of wind energy is proposed as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Using locations of GPS-tagged bearded vultures, a rare scavenging raptor reintroduced into the Alps, we built a spatially explicit model to predict potential areas of conflict with future wind turbine deployments in the Swiss Alps
The number of tracking days within the Swiss Alpine range varied from 5 to 1411 per individual while the duration of the tracking period per individual varied according to the lifetime of the solar-battery system, any device loss or deficiency, or in the case of a bird’s death
Summary
Deployment of wind energy is proposed as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Using locations of GPS-tagged bearded vultures, a rare scavenging raptor reintroduced into the Alps, we built a spatially explicit model to predict potential areas of conflict with future wind turbine deployments in the Swiss Alps. To prevent detrimental impacts of the turbine operation on endangered species, wildlife managers and wind energy companies need adequate planning tools to minimize the deployment of wind facilities in areas where major conflicts with biodiversity preservation will occur. When relying on individual-based data such as GPS-tracking, it enables delineating areas of potential conflict with an unprecedented precision, most notably when providing information about the altitude above ground at which birds fly This approach opens the door towards three-dimensional spatial modelling aimed to mitigate if not avoid conflicts between flying vertebrates and future wind facilities development.
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