Cargando…

A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps

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 turbin...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Vignali, Sergio, Lörcher, Franziska, Hegglin, Daniel, Arlettaz, Raphaël, Braunisch, Veronika
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: The Royal Society 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8826134/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35154790
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211041
_version_ 1784647368402010112
author Vignali, Sergio
Lörcher, Franziska
Hegglin, Daniel
Arlettaz, Raphaël
Braunisch, Veronika
author_facet Vignali, Sergio
Lörcher, Franziska
Hegglin, Daniel
Arlettaz, Raphaël
Braunisch, Veronika
author_sort Vignali, Sergio
collection PubMed
description 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.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-8826134
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2022
publisher The Royal Society
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-88261342022-02-10 A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps Vignali, Sergio Lörcher, Franziska Hegglin, Daniel Arlettaz, Raphaël Braunisch, Veronika R Soc Open Sci Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology 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. The Royal Society 2022-02-09 /pmc/articles/PMC8826134/ /pubmed/35154790 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211041 Text en © 2022 The Authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology
Vignali, Sergio
Lörcher, Franziska
Hegglin, Daniel
Arlettaz, Raphaël
Braunisch, Veronika
A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps
title A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps
title_full A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps
title_fullStr A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps
title_full_unstemmed A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps
title_short A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps
title_sort predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the swiss alps
topic Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8826134/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35154790
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211041
work_keys_str_mv AT vignalisergio apredictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT lorcherfranziska apredictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT hegglindaniel apredictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT arlettazraphael apredictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT braunischveronika apredictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT vignalisergio predictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT lorcherfranziska predictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT hegglindaniel predictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT arlettazraphael predictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps
AT braunischveronika predictiveflightaltitudemodelforavoidingfutureconflictsbetweenanemblematicraptorandwindenergydevelopmentintheswissalps