Abstract
The increasing use of biomass for energy production is reshaping landscapes into energy landscapes. Our study aims to analyze the impact of the biogas energy landscape on the abundance of Eurasian skylark. The biogas power plants have a high impact on the landscape, because of the energy crops like silage maize and rape. We analyze land-use and land-cover heterogeneity in connection with this bird species in the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. Three databases are used: abundance data of a typical farmland bird (Eurasian skylark), Corine land cover, and statistical land-use data from the German Agricultural Structure Survey. Several spatial analyses and statistical analyses were conducted. Generalized linear models are used with model averaging and predicted marginal effects were calculated. We estimate the changes in individuals per km2 by considering six crop types and the Shannon Diversity Index (SDI). The Eurasian skylark abundance has a significant negative correlation with the area of the inland wetlands, the Shannon Diversity Index (SDI), permanent crops, silage maize, and rape. We found significant positive correlation with the pasture, potato, and wheat. The replacement of pastures, Eurasian skylarks’ preferred habitat, with energy crops, mostly silage maize, and the ongoing homogenization of the landscape, negatively affected this species’ distribution in the study area.
Highlights
Today, the usage of renewable energy sources is a common practice worldwide
The climate is formed by the sea; it is humid with an average annual precipitation of 878 mm and a mean annual temperature of 8.6 ◦C (weather station Schleswig, data for 1981–2010, Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) [25])
Shannon Diversity Index (SDI) is negatively correlated with the Eurasian skylark population data in the entire study area (85% importance)
Summary
The usage of renewable energy sources is a common practice worldwide. Various renewable energy sources can be found in many countries, from the USA to China and across Europe [1,2,3]. Alternative energy systems are shaping the landscape, giving birth to a new term, energy landscape. Examples of ways in which these energy systems are changing the landscape include the wind turbines near the coast, biogas power plants in agricultural areas, and solar panels near roads. According to Calvert et al [4], an energy landscape is defined as an area whose geomorphology is associated with a distinct type of energy production system, nowadays mainly renewable energy.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
