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Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Bats often fly near wind turbines. The fatalities associated with this behavior continue to be an issue for wind energy development and wildlife conservation. We tested an experimental method intended to reduce bat fatalities at the wind turbines. We assumed that bats navigate over l...

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Autores principales: Cryan, Paul M., Gorresen, Paulo M., Straw, Bethany R., Thao, Syhoune (Simon), DeGeorge, Elise
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8744972/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35011115
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12010009
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author Cryan, Paul M.
Gorresen, Paulo M.
Straw, Bethany R.
Thao, Syhoune (Simon)
DeGeorge, Elise
author_facet Cryan, Paul M.
Gorresen, Paulo M.
Straw, Bethany R.
Thao, Syhoune (Simon)
DeGeorge, Elise
author_sort Cryan, Paul M.
collection PubMed
description SIMPLE SUMMARY: Bats often fly near wind turbines. The fatalities associated with this behavior continue to be an issue for wind energy development and wildlife conservation. We tested an experimental method intended to reduce bat fatalities at the wind turbines. We assumed that bats navigate over long distances at night by dim-light vision and might be dissuaded from approaching artificially lit structures. For over a year, we experimentally lit wind turbines at night with dim, flickering ultraviolet (UV) light while measuring the presence and activity of bats, birds, and insects with thermal-imaging cameras. We detected no statistical differences in the activity of the bats, insects, or birds at a test turbine when lit with UV light compared with that of unlit nights. Additional experiments to test this or other possible bat-deterrence methods may benefit from considering subtle measures of animal response that can provide useful information on the possible behavioral effects of fatality-reduction experiments. ABSTRACT: Wind energy producers need deployable devices for wind turbines that prevent bat fatalities. Based on the speculation that bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experiment to cast dim, flickering UV light across wind turbine surfaces at night. Our objectives were to refine and test a practical system for dimly UV-illuminating turbines while testing whether the experimental UV treatment influenced the activity of bats, birds, and insects. We mounted upward-facing UV light arrays on turbines and used thermal-imaging cameras to quantify the presence and activity of night-flying animals. The results demonstrated that the turbines can be lit to the highest reaches of the blades with “invisible” UV light, and the animal responses to such experimental treatment can be concurrently monitored. The UV treatment did not significantly change nighttime bat, insect, or bird activity at the wind turbine. Our findings show how observing flying animals with thermal cameras at night can help test emerging technologies intended to variably affect their behaviors around wind turbines.
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spelling pubmed-87449722022-01-11 Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light Cryan, Paul M. Gorresen, Paulo M. Straw, Bethany R. Thao, Syhoune (Simon) DeGeorge, Elise Animals (Basel) Article SIMPLE SUMMARY: Bats often fly near wind turbines. The fatalities associated with this behavior continue to be an issue for wind energy development and wildlife conservation. We tested an experimental method intended to reduce bat fatalities at the wind turbines. We assumed that bats navigate over long distances at night by dim-light vision and might be dissuaded from approaching artificially lit structures. For over a year, we experimentally lit wind turbines at night with dim, flickering ultraviolet (UV) light while measuring the presence and activity of bats, birds, and insects with thermal-imaging cameras. We detected no statistical differences in the activity of the bats, insects, or birds at a test turbine when lit with UV light compared with that of unlit nights. Additional experiments to test this or other possible bat-deterrence methods may benefit from considering subtle measures of animal response that can provide useful information on the possible behavioral effects of fatality-reduction experiments. ABSTRACT: Wind energy producers need deployable devices for wind turbines that prevent bat fatalities. Based on the speculation that bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experiment to cast dim, flickering UV light across wind turbine surfaces at night. Our objectives were to refine and test a practical system for dimly UV-illuminating turbines while testing whether the experimental UV treatment influenced the activity of bats, birds, and insects. We mounted upward-facing UV light arrays on turbines and used thermal-imaging cameras to quantify the presence and activity of night-flying animals. The results demonstrated that the turbines can be lit to the highest reaches of the blades with “invisible” UV light, and the animal responses to such experimental treatment can be concurrently monitored. The UV treatment did not significantly change nighttime bat, insect, or bird activity at the wind turbine. Our findings show how observing flying animals with thermal cameras at night can help test emerging technologies intended to variably affect their behaviors around wind turbines. MDPI 2021-12-21 /pmc/articles/PMC8744972/ /pubmed/35011115 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12010009 Text en © 2021 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Cryan, Paul M.
Gorresen, Paulo M.
Straw, Bethany R.
Thao, Syhoune (Simon)
DeGeorge, Elise
Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light
title Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light
title_full Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light
title_fullStr Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light
title_full_unstemmed Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light
title_short Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light
title_sort influencing activity of bats by dimly lighting wind turbine surfaces with ultraviolet light
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8744972/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35011115
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12010009
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