Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at ...
Transcript of Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at ...
Dr. Andreas Traxler, BIOME Austria
Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
image © Richter
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Species-specific safety rangerecommendations for windfarms
Safety range around BREEDING SITES
Verification range
Regularly frequented flight paths
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Safety range recommendations encountered in Germany & Austria
„Helgoland Paper“ 2014: WORKING GROUP OF GERMAN STATE BIRD CONSERVANCIES [LAG VSW]
500 m to the nest (precautionary recommendations)
LANGEMACH & DÜRR 2019: „Information on wind-energy impacts on birds“
200 – 250 m (avoidance radius)
Case example: Nightjar safety ranges
image © Dürr
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Nightjar survey and impact assessment
From where is Safety range measured?
•breeding site
• song territory, churring sites
•homerange
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
One-minute Nightjar excursion
• Nocturnal and hidden activity
• Flying insect hunter moths, beetles, flies,…
• Ground breeder no nest-building
• Various habitat types oceanic to steppe-climate
• General knowledge gaps
• Hard to investigate populations and reproduction ratesMain references:Schlegel 1969, Wichmann 2004, Brünner et al. 2008
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Nightjar survey handicaps
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
One-minute Nightjar excursion
May & Augustextended feedinghabitat
June, July (& August)reduced activity range(1st & 2nd brood)
SeptemberAutumn migration toSouthern Africa
in accordance with SHARPS 2013
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
1. Acoustical mapping of churring sites no localisation of breeding sites
2. Tracking approaches (bird catching required)
Advantage: breeding success
a. Standard devices: UHF / VHF radio-tags
Nightjar survey principles
b. Next step: micro GPS-tagssatellite trackingfrequent signal intervals
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Collision mortality
1x 2001 in Spain LANGGEMACH & DÜRR 2019 (small turbines)
1x 2015 in Bulgaria (migrating bird)
no collision reports during breeding season with modern turbines
Disturbance effects
- displacement of churring males INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
- reduction of breeding success FEW STUDIES (SHEWRING 2019)
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Turbine & windfarm designs have changed markedly over the last decades!
Development of windfarm design & impacts
1985: Kenetech KCS 56 - 100KWø 17m, 20m hub
Altamont pass windfarm (USA)
strong barrier effects, collision20m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
2005: Enercon E-70 - 2.3MWø 71m, 56m hub
max 54 db
sound pressure at windfarm center250m
Development of windfarm design & impacts
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
2018: Vestas V 136 - 3.45MWø 136m, 149m hub
max 47 db
- 50% sound pressure!
600 - 1000m
less barrier effects
Development of windfarm design & impacts
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Displacement of habitat utilisation INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
Germany: > 50% displacement of churring males (at windfarm area + 150m)
KAATZ ET AL. 2007, KAATZ ET AL. 2010, KAATZ 2014
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
-
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
• Construction start: autumn 2006
• 31 turbines in open heathland
• Enercon E-70– 2.3MW
• Hub height: 56m
• Ø 71m
• min turbine distance: 250m
Heidehof WFEastern Germany
250m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Churring males after 6 years
• 100% decrease in WF area
• 30% increase in 150 - 1,000m
Heidehof WFEastern Germany
Mode of windfarm Reports of churring males
windfarm 150 – 1000m
Pre-construction(2006)
10 13
1st year 1 26
5th year 4 26
6th year 0 18
250m
Suboptimal, encircling windfarm design:Small turbines and small min. distances
Significant displacement of song territories
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Displacement of habitat utilisation INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
Germany: > 50% displacement of churring males (at windfarm area + 150m)
KAATZ ET AL. 2007, KAATZ ET AL. 2010, KAATZ 2014
Sweden: No effect, moderate decline (20%) and 60% increase
of churring males within windfarm areas
RYDELL ET AL. 2017
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
±
-
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
• Construction start: autumn 2010
• 6 turbines
• Nordex N90 – 2.5MW
• Hub height: 100m
• Ø 90m
• min turbine distance: 780m
Brattön WFMunkedal (Sweden)
780m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Churring males within 6 years ofoperation
• up to 60% increase in WF area
Brattön WFMunkedal (Sweden)
780m
Operation phase Reports of churringmales at windfarm
Pre-construction (2009) 6
4th year 8 – 10
5th year 4 – 5
6th year 7
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Displacement of habitat utilisation INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
Germany: > 50% displacement of churring males (at windfarm area + 150m)
KAATZ ET AL. 2007, KAATZ ET AL. 2010, KAATZ 2014
Sweden: No effect, moderate decline (20%) and 60% increase
of churring males within windfarm areas
RYDELL ET AL. 2017
Wales: Constant breeding success and number of breeding territories
at three modern windfarms
SHEWRING 2019A, 2019B (long-term radio-tagging)
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
±
-
±
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
BIOME: CASE STUDY in Kaliakra (Bulgaria) (2019 IN PREP.)
no pre-construction data! (built 2008)
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Kaliakra WFKavarna (Bulgaria)
• Operating since 2008
• 35 turbines in steppe-habitat
• 1MW
• Hub height: 69m
• Ø 61m
• min turbine distance: 200m
• BUT: line distance >600m !
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Despite poor habitat quality at WF site:
after 11 years of operation
churring males within a 200m distance
flight movements towards
turbines at < 100m distance
Kaliakra WFKavarna (Bulgaria)
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Minimum distances to wind turbines
< 60m
< 100m
Radio-tagging results:regular surveillance of hunting flights between turbinesTHERKILDSEN 2017
multiple reports of nesting sites within a 60 m rangeSHEWRING 2019B
churring siteswithin a 100 m range
RYDELL ET AL. 2017, BIOME REPORT IN PREP.
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Disturbance model scheme
linear windfarm design
minimised disturbance
encircling windfarm design
Accumulatingmulti-directional effects!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Operating windfarm impacts on nightjarspermanent displacement (churring & nesting)permanent displacemet (churring) displacement at high noise level (churring)precautionary zoneConcentration of displaced individuals
Nightjar disturbance model
Input:
aerial images of wind farms and spatial data from acoustic and telemetric observations
Output:
Spatial pattern of disturbancepotential
600m
200m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Conclusio
200 - 250m (500m) safety range recommendations are based on
dense/noisy windfarm designs
Data from modern windfarms indicates a
100m safety range to be sufficient for churring males!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Conclusio
Displacement effects on flight movements and breeding sites seem to beinsignificant!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Recommendations
Avoid noisy turbine types and dense windfarm designs!
Apply minimised disturbance windfarm designs at critical sites!
Keep a precautionary distance of 100m to churring sites!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Thank you for listening!
Please join the discussion!