Windfarm development and bird conservation

Transcription

1 Windfarm development and bird conservation Álvaro Camina Podgorica, Montenegro, 17 December 2010 Montenegro and the Balkan region

2 Protected areas/species in Montenegro List of protected species Fam Name Species Common name SpcCategory Bern Anatidae Convention Anser and erythropus its implementation. Lesser White-fronted Goose VU Anatidae Branta ruficollis Red-breasted Goose VU Anatidae Oxyura leucocephala White-headed Duck EN Action Threskiornithidae Plan for Geronticus threatened eremitaspecies Northern Pelecanus Bald Ibiscrispus CR Pelecanidae Pelecanus crispus Dalmatian Pelican VU Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel VU Emerald FalconidaeNetwork Falco cherrug Saker Falcon EN Accipitridae Aquila clanga Greater Spotted Eagle VU Accipitridae Aquila heliaca Eastern Imperial Eagle VU Otididae Otis tarda Great Bustard VU Scolopacidae Numenius tenuirostris Slender-billed Curlew CR Sylviidae Acrocephalus paludicola Aquatic Warbler VU Species migrating over the Adriatic Saker Falcon Falco cherrug

3 Species migrating over the Adriatic Aquila clanga Migration through the Adriatic After Schneider-Jacobi (2008) There is a long distance between the Balkan and Italian Penisula; What birds do? Migration from different sites. Higher mountains of Eastern Adriatic Coast good for soaring. The migration Can be too high to see the birds. Lack of reports on bird concentrations except Jezero Natural Park k and Lake Skadar National Park. Flyway depleted Slender Billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris However: Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro 8 species of globally threatened And near threatened Africa-eurasian migratory raptors.

4 Collisions Barrier effect Habitat loss Disturbance and displacement Balancing Windfarm Development and Bird Conservation Evaluation of the situation Scientific research Socio-economic Political Management decisions

5 Biological significance Legal and biological significance Do wind developments cause biologically significant impacts? Who decides? Is being Wind Energy treated unfairly? Can an exact number of bird deaths be established as the threshold of Biological Significance? Why conduct pre-construction avian wind farm surveys?? To assist in the prediction of impacts To enable post construction analysis COMPARISONS And if neccesary mitigate impacts

6 What have we learned Birds and bats collide with wind turbines Impacts can be significant or insignificant Raptors are a high risk bird group Site-specific issue: bird use, mortality vary between-within wind resource areas and also over time What have we learned Birds collide during day and night There is nothing known for sure that significantly reduces avian fatalities; case by case. Environment is continuously changing; the best is an Adaptive management

7 How many turbines are dangerous? 100% y = 0,2927Ln(x) + 1,1099 R 2 = 0, % 60% 40% 20% 0% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

8 An easy way to assess the potential /real impact BIRDS - Standard methodologies: BACI Before Construction: Use of space: : height, flight distances, crossing points on crests, type of flight as well as atmospheric conditions, wind conditions *** Post - Construction: GOOD DATA ANALYSIS Monitoring: Use of space, mortality. Benefits of Standard methods Promote responsible permitting of windplants Provide a reference to assess the suitability of a proposed windplant and assess the effects on all bird resources. Provide sufficiently detailed and understandable methods, measurements and definitions. Promote efficient, consistent, cost-effective,methods which will produce comparable data. Promote consistency and allow comparison between avian field studies

9 Definitions METRIC- a standard of measurement; usually describes type and amount; and amount and relationship; a ratio. METHOD a way, a technique, or process of or for doing something; a systematic procedure; or a body of skills or techniques. Metrics Bird Utilization rates = Birds observed /time (A) Bird mortality = dead bird /Nº search sites (B) Bird risk = B/A Rotor swept hour = rotor swept area/hours of operation Scavening factor= average time until the carcass is removed. Adjust number of birds detected. = Σ days for each carcass to be removed /Nº carcasses Scavening detection rate = Carcasses found /carcasses placed.

10 Methods Bird Utilization count Dead bird search Scavening study Searcher detection efficiency Study B A C Some variables that may affect risk Bird Species Bird behavior /Use of the area Habitat type and Quality Topography Technology

11 Some variables that may affect risk (II) A5.1 A5.2 A5.3 A5.4 A6.1 A6.2 A6.3 A6.4 A7.1 A7.2 A7.3 A7.4 CB A4.4 A4.3 A4.2 A4.1 A3.4 A3.3 A3.2 A3.1 A2.1 A2.2 A2.3 A2.4 A1.4 A1.3 A1.2 A1.1 A8.1 A8.2 A8.3 A8.4 A8.5 ARR1 ARR2 ARR3 Nº cruces altura 2 Nº indv altura 2 Mortalidad x10 Causes of mortality Extrinsic: - Biological breeding season, behaviour. - Environmental temperature, rainfall, topography. Intrinsic: turbine power, aspect, slope, location of turbines.

12 Bird Use and risk variation between WRA s s (I) Variations in mortality 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% Al ar AR % Al ar SO % 10% 5% 0% Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

13 Mortality variation on time 0,0020 0,0032 0,0030 0,0018 0,0028 0,0026 0,0016 0,0024 Muertes/aero/día Muertes/aero/día 0,0022 0,0014 0,0020 0,0018 0,0012 0,0016 0,0014 0,0010 0,0012 0,0010 0,0008 0,0008 0,0006 0,0004 0,0002 0,0004 0,0000 0,0002 Mean Mean±SE Mean±1,96*SE Mean Mean±SE Mean±1,96*SE 0,0014 0,0013 0,0011 0,0008 0, Mortality variation on season 25% 20% 15% 10% % 0% Enero Febrero Marzo Abril Mayo Junio Julio Agosto Septiembre Octubre Noviembre Diciembre

14 Effect of temperature 3,00 2,80 2,80 Flight Height Values = A B C Altura de Vuelo 2,60 2,40 2,20 2,56 2,51 2,33 2,21 2,18 2,55 2,50 2,38 2,31 2,25 2,14 2,00 1, MES Mean ±SE ±1,96*SE Study area

15 Obs. point 1: P. las Minas ,400 metres Obs. point 2: San Julián metres

16 Obs. point 3: Cuatro Mugas ES04 ES01 ES02 ES metres Obs. point 4: Comunero ES08 ES07 ES08 ES09 ES metres

17 Birds/hour 2,50 2,50 2,00 1,50 1,00 0,75 0,66 0,50 0,27 0,00 P. las Minas San Julián Cuatro Mugas Comunero Crossings: The Griffon Vulture Vultures /hr. 2,50 2,10 2,00 1,50 1,00 0,52 0,50 0,25 0,09 0,00 P. las Minas San Julián Cuatro Mugas Comunero

18 Wood Pigeon Nº de Palomas P. las Minas San Julián Cuatro Mugas Comunero

19 Effect on birds bird seen Morus bassanus Larus michaellis Rissa tridactyla Hirundo rustica Falco peregrinus Lavandera blanca Phylloscopus collybita Regulus ignicapillus Pipistrellus pipistrellus 1 0? Sturnus unicolor Streptopelia decaocto Erithaus rubecula Specialty Studies These are studies which focus on specific questions: Population studies (one species) Risk Reduction studies (reduce effects).

20 Specialty Studies

21 The effect of windfarms on Golden Eagle Remote techniques: Radar. Mitigation measures Research on acoustic- deterrent device to make bats avoid wind turbines. Adapt the control software to stop turbines during certain periods of time (migration) Video cameras for bird surveillance.

22 Mitigation Neoprene black crossed bands on conductors Polypropylene spirals rolled around two wires Conclusions (I) Design the study such that the results are appreciated and understandable to anyone, particularly your critics. Use standard ornithological (and scientifically defensible) survey techniques and be open to improvement. Use multiple survey complementary techniques.

23 Conclusions (II) Case by case studies and all together. Plan enough time and people to thoroughly conduct the surveys Always use biologists with known expert qualifications All results (data) must be available for peer analysis Ad`ptive management.