Simple Summary Although wind energy provides valuable environmental and economic benefits, it has unintended negative consequences for wildlife, particularly birds and bats that collide with the rotating blades. In North America, for example, there are increasing concerns that wind turbines threaten the persistence of populations of migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). Because it is not possible to monitor population sizes for these solitary and cryptic species using traditional techniques, we must rely on other methods, such as acoustic and genetic monitoring, to provide information regarding population status and trends. Using these approaches, we can build a weight of evidence to assess whether mortality associated with wind turbines is sustainable and determine if and when mitigation measures should be implemented to reduce wind turbine mortality. To this end, we recommend that acoustic data be collected using the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocols, and that genetic diversity be monitored at repeated time intervals to document species trends. There are no short-term measures to resolve population-level questions for migratory tree-roosting bats. Nonetheless, we discuss opportunities for relatively short-term investments that will lead to long-term success in reducing uncertainty for these species. Wind turbine-related mortality may pose a population-level threat for migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in North America. These species are dispersed within their range, making it impractical to estimate census populations size using traditional survey methods. Nonetheless, understanding population size and trends is essential for evaluating and mitigating risk from wind turbine mortality. Using various sampling techniques, including systematic acoustic sampling and genetic analyses, we argue that building a weight of evidence regarding bat population status and trends is possible to (1) assess the sustainability of mortality associated with wind turbines; (2) determine the level of mitigation required; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures to ensure population viability for these species. Long-term, systematic data collection remains the most viable option for reducing uncertainty regarding population trends for migratory tree-roosting bats. We recommend collecting acoustic data using the statistically robust North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocols and that genetic diversity is monitored at repeated time intervals to show species trends. There are no short-term actions to resolve these population-level questions; however, we discuss opportunities for relatively short-term investments that will lead to long-term success in reducing uncertainty.

Keywords: acoustic monitoring; hoary bat; migratory bats; NABat; population genetics; population genomics; renewable energy; tree bats; wind turbine; FREE-TAILED BAT; UNITED-STATES; FLIGHT SPEED; SIZE; DIVERSITY; CONSERVATION; DISTRIBUTIONS; EXPANSION; GENOMICS; RECORD

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Acoustic deterrents have shown potential as a viable mitigation measure to reduce human impacts on bats; however, the mechanisms underpinning acoustic deterrence of bats have yet to be explored. Bats avoid ambient ultrasound in their environment and alter their echolocation calls in response to masking noise. Using stereo thermal videogrammetry and acoustic methods, we tested predictions that: (i) bats would avoid acoustic deterrents and forage and social call less in a 'treated airspace'; (ii) deterrents would cause bats to fly with more direct flight paths akin to commuting behaviour and in line with a reduction in foraging activity, resulting in increased flight speed and decreased flight tortuosity; and (iii) bats would alter their echolocation call structure in response to the masking deterrent sound. As predicted, overall bat activity was reduced by 30% and we recorded a significant reduction in counts of Pipistrellus pygmaeus (27%), Myotis spp. (probably M. daubentonii) (26%), and Nyctalus spp. and Eptesicus spp. (68%) passes. Pipistrellus pygmaeus feeding buzzes were also reduced by the deterrent in relation to general activity (by 38%); however, social calls were not (only 23% reduction). Bats also increased their flight speed and reduced the tortuosity of their flight paths, and P. pygmaeus reduced echolocation call bandwidth and start frequency of calls in response to deterrent playback, probably owing to the masking effect of the sound. Deterrence could therefore be used to remove bats from areas where they forage, for example wind turbines and roads, where they may be under threat from direct mortality.

Keywords: Thermal imaging; Videogrammetry; Ultrasound; Chiroptera; Flight-path tracking; SOCIAL CALLS; NOISE; VARIABILITY; PERFORMANCE; SPEED; BIRD

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Large body-sized avian scavengers, including the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), are globally threatened due to human-related mortality so guidelines quantifying the efficacy of different management approaches are urgently needed. We used 14 years of territory and individual-based data on a small and geographically isolated Spanish population to estimate survival, recruitment and breeding success. We then forecasted their population viability under current vital rates and under management scenarios that mitigated the main sources of non-natural mortality at breeding grounds (fatalities from wind farms and illegal poisoning). Mean breeding success was 0.68 (SD = 0.17) under current conditions. Annual probabilities of survival were 0.72 (SE = 0.06) for fledglings and 2 yr old non-breeders, 0.73 (SE = 0.04) for non-breeders older than 2 yrs old and 0.93 (SE = 0.04) for breeders. Probabilities of recruitment were 0 for birds aged 1-4, 0.10 (SE = 0.06) for birds aged 5 and 0.19 (SE = 0.09) for older birds. Population viability analyses estimated an annual decline of 3-4% of the breeding population under current conditions. Our results indicate that only by combining different management actions in the breeding area, especially by removing the most important causes of human-related mortality (poisoning and collisions on wind farms), will the population grow and persist in the long term. Reinforcement with captive breeding may also have positive effects but only in combination with the reduction in causes of non-natural mortality. These results, although obtained for a focal species, may be applicable to other endangered populations of long-lived avian scavengers inhabiting southern Europe. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Capture-recapture; Neophron percnopterus; Survival; Fecundity; Recruitment; PVA; BREEDING SUCCESS; POPULATION; SURVIVAL; MORTALITY; VIABILITY; MODELS; MULTIEVENT; GOODNESS; HABITAT; TRAITS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The northern Banda Arc accommodates some portion of the left-lateral slip due to the Pacific plate's rapid westward movement relative to the Australian plate. The region is seismically active and has experienced several damaging earthquakes. However, the active tectonics of the northern Banda Arc is poorly understood. We mapped and described the tectonic geomorphic features in the northern Banda Arc using 3D anaglyph images, constructed from the Indonesian Digital Elevation Model (DEMNAS) similar to 8 m resolution. We combined our interpretation with seismicity data, published structural maps, and geodetic measurements to discuss the active tectonics of the northern Banda Arc and its seismic hazard. In north Seram, geomorphic features such as uplifted marine terraces, fault scarps, and wind gaps on a ridge represent active thrust-faulting activity. The Kawa and Bobot faults are the major left-lateral strike-slip faults in central and east Seram and are characterized by linear valleys, offset rivers, beheaded rivers, pressure ridges, and shutter ridges. Numerous active faults cut uplifted marine terraces in Amahai, Ambon, and surrounding islands. Some active faults bound intramountain depressions in central Buru. Our analysis suggests that active faults in the study area likely to accommodate the convergence of the northern Banda Arc and the Bird's Head of Papua in an east-northeast direction. We suggest that active faults in the region can produce >= M-w 6.4 earthquakes. The 34-km-long Ambon fault may cause a devastating earthquake as it traverses Ambon City, the capital of Maluku Province.

Keywords: Banda Arc; Active tectonics; 3D anaglyph; Active faults; Earthquake potential; EASTERN INDONESIA; EVOLUTION; SERAM; RECONSTRUCTIONS; CONSTRAINTS; COLLISION; HAZARD; SUNDA; AMBON; SEA

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

For the purpose of researching the displacement control system of heave compensation for offshore drilling platform, a set of crane type active and passive combined heave compensation device are designed on the basis of the similarity principle. As it known that platform heaving will be caused by the wind, sea wave and ocean current when conducting the drilling operations on the offshore drilling platform, which then will disturb the drilling operation. Therefore, the compensation device must be adopted to keep the vertical relative motion between the drill string system and the drilling platform to zero during the operation. Meanwhile, to improve the real-time performance of the heave compensation, the control system is optimized by establishing the simulation model of the active-passive combined crane, and LS-SVM(Least Squares Support Vector Machine) is improved by the artificial immune algorithm to predict the motion trend of offshore platforms. Eventually, in order to acquire the best control scheme, the Proportion Integration Differentiation (PID), fuzzy PID, BP neural network PID control method are utilized to carry out the simulation analysis, and the BP neural network PID control is found to be the optimum. Experiments showed that after using the BP neural network PID control algorithm, the displacement compensation rate of hook for active-passive combined crane device is more than 90, the performance of the heave compensation is better, and the control is in time.

Keywords: Cranes; Valves; Drilling machines; Cavity resonators; PI control; Heave compensation; least squares support vector machine; BP neural network; PID control; BURIED PIPELINE; DESIGN

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Data were collected on general activity patterns and population characteristics of free-ranging Andean Condors Vultur gryphus in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile from July 1992 to June 1994 during 3,680 h of observation. Seasonal differences were evident in relative abundance and activity patterns. The mean number of condors sighted, observation significantly higher in fall-winter than in spring-summer. There was a significant decrease from spring-summer to fall-winter in the percentage of observations during which we sighted solitary condors and a significant increase in the number of groups of condors. In addition, mean monthly maximum group size was significantly larger in fall-winter than spring-summer. The sex ratio (males:females) of juveniles was significantly skewed in favor of females, and that of adults was significantly skewed in favor of males. The significantly different adult:juvenile ratio of condors visiting the park could have resulted from differences in distribution and habitat use and/or low breeding rates. Differential juvenile mortality and dispersal could also have produced skewed age and sex ratios, but more research is needed. Condor activity seemed related to wind speed. The greatest proportion of condors was observed flying in calm and low winds and less frequently in moderate to very strong winds. Temperature seemed to have an important effect on aerial activity because the greatest proportion of condors was sighted flying and soaring on warm days. Temperature and wind speed were weakly correlated.

Keywords: Andean Condor; activity; Patagonia; sex ratio

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Conserving migratory species is difficult because wide-ranging animals are challenging to study and aspects of their annual cycles occur in geographically distant areas. This challenge is illustrated by the hundreds of thousands of migratory bats killed annually during autumn migration by industrial wind turbines. It is unknown why bats are killed at turbines because they are so difficult to observe during migration. A conservation behaviour approach has potential to explain what is, arguably, the most significant environmental impact of wind energy. We tested predictions of two hypotheses to explain the presence of bats at turbines: (1) bats are attracted to visually conspicuous tall structures during autumn migration; (2) attraction is linked to social behaviour rather than foraging. We compared acoustic activity of migratory tree bats at conspicuous tall structures (telecommunication towers) to activity at two types of control sites (woodlot edges: consistently attractive to bats; open fields: consistently unattractive) before and during migration. Activity of migratory bats increased dramatically at towers during migration, from low premigration levels, to exceed that at open fields and match that at woodlots. Moreover, the proportion of feeding calls at towers remained low while the proportion of events during which multiple bats visited the towers simultaneously increased during migration to surpass that at woodlots and open fields. This suggests that migratory bats actively visit tall structures during migration for reasons other than foraging. Exploiting this behaviour, and the abundance of communication towers on the landscape, could reveal critical information about migratory behaviour of bats and help guide site selection for wind energy projects. Our findings demonstrate the importance of understanding the behaviour of migratory species at all stages of their annual cycle for effective conservation. (C) 2014 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: bat acoustic activity; conservation behaviour; Lasionycteris noctivagans; Lasiurus borealis; Lasiurus cinerus; migration; reproductive landmark; social behaviour; telecommunication tower; tree bat; ECHOLOCATION CALLS; ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; FATALITIES; CONSERVATION; PATTERNS; FACILITIES; BEHAVIOR; IMPACTS; CLUTTER; BIRDS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

In this paper, an adaptive sliding-mode control (ASMC) for offshore container cranes that loadunload containers from a mega container ship to a smaller vessel is investigated. To withstand the harsh working conditions in the open sea, such as ship motions and winds, a 4-degrees-of-freedom control model consisting of plant uncertainties and knownunknown disturbances is newly developed. After decoupling the actuated (i.e., trolley displacements) and unactuated (i.e., swing angles) joint variables, a sliding surface that incorporates the decoupled dynamics is designed. Then, a new sliding-mode control (SMC) algorithm with two adaptation laws for switching- and equivalent-control inputs is developed. The asymptotic stability to the "real" sliding surface introduced in the decoupled (actuated, unactuated) state space is proven without a priori knowledge on the bounds of unknown disturbances. For the experiment, a three-dimensional crane mounted on a Steward platform to generate the ship motions is utilized. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed ASMC method, experimental results of the proposed method are compared with two representative works: the SMC presented by Ngo and Hong and the ASMC presented by Zhu and Khayati. The vibration suppression capability of the proposed method in the presence of ship motions, large initial swings, parameter uncertainties, and sudden disturbances is superior to the two compared methods. The developed algorithm can be used for a mobile harbor system as a new tool in the modern maritime industry.

Keywords: Cranes; Containers; Marine vehicles; Payloads; Sliding mode control; Adaptation models; Heuristic algorithms; Adaptive sliding-mode control (ASMC); mobile harbor; offshore container crane; underactuated mechanical system; vibration control; NONLINEAR COUPLING CONTROL; FEEDBACK LINEARIZATION; PENDULATION CONTROL; SWAY REDUCTION; DYNAMICS; SYSTEMS; DESIGN

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Background The unprecedented growth in human population and industrialization, the present-day energy demands have soared dramatically. Therefore, it is essential to integrate renewable energy resources with the conventional ones to keep the energy demand and supply at equilibrium. Aims While integrating these two energy resources, it is important that the power generated through renewable energy resources should be able to sustain inherent variability and uncertainty of conventional resources. The interaction of renewable into thermal power system degrades the frequency and it is important to mitigate such a problem by introducing an optimal controller. Materials & Methods In this paper, an optimized Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller based Proportional-Integral (AFLC-PI) is proposed for Load Frequency Control (LFC) for a multi-area system. The proposed controller has the capability to tune the Proportional-Integral (PI) controller on the basis of frequency error, frequency oscillations and minimize the LFC problem for Photovoltaic (PV) connected thermal system. Moreover, the Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller (AFLC) response under different real-time load changing conditions is simulated and analyzed along with the uncertainty in governor and turbine time-constant. Finally, the comparison analysis with Fuzzy Logic Controller tuned PI (FLC-PI), Genetic Algorithm tuned PI (GA-PI) and Firefly tuned PI (FA-PI) based optimized controllers is carried out. Results We have analyzed our proposed controller response at various load variations, under critical load variation and observed how fast our proposed technique mitigates the frequency oscillations. Discussion The results clearly depict that the proposed controller is meeting the critical targets (undershoot, overshoot and settling time) under varying load conditions, sudden variation in a turbine, and governor where AFLC-PI has the ability to deal any ambiguity in a system effectively. Conclusion The proposed controller mitigate the frequency oscillation in a robust way as compared to other state of the art controllers.

Keywords: adaptive fuzzy logic controller; firefly algorithm; genetic algorithm; load frequency control; maximum power point; CONTROLLER-DESIGN; PID CONTROLLER; POWER-SYSTEM; MODEL; GENERATION; ALGORITHM

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The development and installation of renewable energy comes with environmental cost, including the death of wildlife. These costs occur locally, and seem small compared to the global loss of biodiversity. However, failure to acknowledge uncertainties around these costs affects local conservation, and may lead to the loss of populations or species. Working with these uncertainties can result in adaptive management plans designed to benefit renewable energy development and conservation. An example is the U.S. government's policy for managing bald (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden (Aquila chrysaetos) eagle deaths at terrestrial wind facilities. Using records from 422 U.S. wind facilities we improved the precision of estimates of exposure (8.79 eagle minutes hr(-1) km(,)(-3) SD: 13.64) and collision probability (0.0058 birds per minute of exposure, SD: 0.0038) currently used in U.S. policy. The new estimates for bald (exposure: 3.19 eagle minutes hr(-1) km(,)(-3) SD: 2.583; collision probability: 0.007025 eagles per minute of exposure, SD: 0.004379) and golden (exposure: 1.21 eagle minutes hr(-1) km(-3), SD: 0.352; collision probability: 0.005648 birds per minute of exposure, SD: 0.004413) eagles had a smaller mean and standard deviation. Thus, their implementation within the government's adaptive management framework could help refine the balance between energy consumption and conservation.

Keywords: adaptive management; bald eagle; Bayesian analysis; golden eagle; renewable energy; risk; wind‐ wildlife interactions; ENERGY FACILITIES; MITIGATION; FATALITIES; IMPACTS; BATS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The discovery of extensive bat mortality at wind farms has puzzled biologists, especially since many carcasses found under turbines exhibit no obvious injuries. A recent study proposed barotrauma – damage to body tissues caused by changes in pressure – as a possible explanation. We tested this hypothesis by examining 146 carcasses of hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) collected during mortality surveys at a wind farm in eastern Pennsylvania. All carcasses were examined for both external and internal injuries. To assess barotrauma, we looked for blood in the nose and mouth, hemorrhaging in the lungs, and pooled blood in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Of 146 carcasses examined internally, 54 (37%) had signs of barotrauma but no external injuries, 48 (33%) had external injuries but no signs of barotrauma, and 44 (30%) had both signs of barotrauma and considerable external injuries. A chi-square test found no association between the age or sex of bats and the incidence of barotrauma. These results support barotrauma as a contributing cause of bat mortality at wind farms.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Due to the potentially detrimental consequences of low performance in basic functional tasks, individuals are expected to improve performance with age and show the most marked changes during early stages of life. Soaring-gliding birds use rising-air columns (thermals) to reduce energy expenditure allocated to flight. We offer a framework to evaluate thermal soaring performance, and use GPS-tracking to study movements of Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus). Because the location and intensity of thermals are variable, we hypothesized that soaring performance would improve with experience and predicted that the performance of inexperienced individuals (<2 months) would be inferior to that of experienced ones (>5 years). No differences were found in body characteristics, climb rates under low wind shear, and thermal selection, presumably due to vultures' tendency to forage in mixed-age groups. Adults, however, outperformed juveniles in their ability to adjust fine-scale movements under challenging conditions, as juveniles had lower climb rates under intermediate wind shear, particularly on the lee-side of thermal columns. Juveniles were also less efficient along the route both in terms of time and energy. The consequences of these handicaps are probably exacerbated if juveniles lag behind adults in finding and approaching food.

Keywords: SOCIAL FACILITATION; BIRDS; SPEED; ACCELERATION; STRATEGIES; MORTALITY; MIGRATION; ANIMALS; ECOLOGY; SYSTEM

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Inorganic nitride nanomaterials have attracted widespread attention for applications in renewable energy due to novel electrochemical activities and high chemical stabilities. For different renewable energy applications, there are many possibilities and uncertainties about the optimal nitride phases and nanostructures, which further promotes the exploration of controllable preparation of nitride nanomaterials. Moreover, unlike conventional nitrides with bulk or ceramic structures, the synthesis of nitride nanomaterials needs more accurate control to guarantee the target nanostructure along with the phase purity, which make the whole synthesis still a challenge to achieve. In this mini review, we mainly summarize the synthesis methods for inorganic nitride nanomaterials, including chemistry vapor deposition, self-propagation high-temperature synthesis, solid state metathesis reactions, solvothermal synthesis, etc. From the perspective of nanostructure, several novel nitrides, with nanostructures like nanoporous, two-dimensional, defects, ternary structures, and quantum dots, are showing unique properties and getting extensive attentions, recently. Prospects of future research in design and synthesis of functional inorganic nitrides are also discussed.

Keywords: nitride nanomaterials; controllable synthesis; energy storage; two-dimensional materials; defects; GRAPHITIC CARBON NITRIDE; CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION; HIGH-TEMPERATURE SYNTHESIS; TRANSITION-METAL NITRIDES; HEXAGONAL BORON-NITRIDE; SOLID-STATE METATHESIS; QUANTUM DOTS; SOLVOTHERMAL SYNTHESIS; FACILE SYNTHESIS; ROUTE

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Offshore wind energy development (OSW) is a nascent industry in NYS and the United States that will require both federal and State environmental review. A proposed project in federal waters (more than three miles off NYS’ coast) would trigger a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, compliance with multiple federal wildlife laws, a Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) consistency review, and compliance with multiple State laws. Because there is currently no OSW in NYS, there is little precedent for permitting, leading to questions and uncertainties about the environmental permitting process for this type of development. Reducing these uncertainties will enhance the opportunity for OSWD projects to develop at scale, capturing the benefits of OSWD at the lowest possible cost. To reduce this uncertainty, State and federal regulators participated in a process to help define the goals of environmental assessments for OSW and wildlife. Participants included State regulators from the Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Federal participants included regulators from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with attorneys from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Participants responded to confidential surveys and attended Web-based meetings that were structured around five topic areas: overarching environmental assessment; coastal zone management; listed species; protected birds; and fish and fish habitats. Additionally, two advisory groups provided independent input on this process: developers/environmental consultants and environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs). This report contains two major sections. The first half (Section 3) is a synthesis of the input received by participants throughout this project and reflects the views of the report’s authors. The second half (Section 4) represents more detailed input from all participants obtained from written surveys and group discussions. Neither section should be considered prescriptive of regulatory and permitting processes. Rather, this document is intended to provide a platform and framework to inform the future development of formal guidance documents as well as inform further discussions, research, and policy considerations for wildlife and marine wind power in NYS.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Kyst, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Energy security…it is what everyone is talking about—and for good reason. Against the backdrop of a changing climate in which nearly two-thirds of electricity generation is credited to fossil fuels (International Energy Agency [IEA], 2019a), countries around the world are diversifying their energy portfolios, suppliers, and energy routes to reduce vulnerabilities to energy security risks (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2020). Energy security concerns are related to fuel supply chains, electricity generation, transmission, distribution, energy market functionality, and energy system resiliency (DOE, 2017). These concerns demonstrate the need for wellfunctioning and competitive energy markets and diverse sources and routes of energy supply (DOE, 2017). In addition, environmental protection, efficiency and infrastructure improvements, energy innovation, emergency response, and resilience are also needed (DOE, 2017). Renewable energy generation is, and will continue to be, a major contributor in energy portfolio diversification, which will reduce reliance on foreign energy sources (Aslantürk &amp; Kıprızlı, 2020; IEA, 2019b) and support global decarbonization (Arabzadeh et al., 2020; Rockström et al., 2017; Sims, 2004).

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind power is a fast-growing energy source for electricity production, and some environmental impacts (e.g. noise and bird collision) are pointed out. Despite extensive land use (2600-6000 m(2)/MW), it is said that most of these impacts have been resolved by technological development and proper site selection. The results in this paper suggest that: (i) wind farms kill millions of birds yearly around the world, and the high mortality of rare raptors is of particular concern; (ii) wind farms on migration routes are particularly dangerous, and it is difficult to find a wind power site away from migration routes because there is no guarantee that migration routes will not vary; (iii) according to the presented model of collision probability, the rotor speed does not make a significant difference in collision probability; the hub is the most dangerous part, and large birds (e.g. raptors) are at great risk; and, (iv) based on the field observation of squirrels' vocalisation (i.e. anti-predator behaviour), there are behavioural differences between squirrels at the wind turbine site and those at the control site. Noise from wind turbines (when active) may interfere with the lives of animals beneath the wind turbines. US Government guidelines and the Bern Convention's report have described adverse impacts of wind energy facilities on wildlife and have put forward recommendations. In addition to these documents, the following points derived from the discussion in this paper should be noted for the purpose of harmonising wind power generation with wildlife conservation: (i) engineers need to develop a turbine form to reduce the collision risk at the hub; (ii) institute long-term monitoring, including a comparison between bird mortality before and after construction; and (iii) further evaluate impacts of turbine noise on anti-predator wildlife vocalisations. (C) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Keywords: alarm call; Bern convention; migration; mortality; Raptors; renewable energy; wind farm; CALIFORNIA GROUND-SQUIRRELS; SPERMOPHILUS-BEECHEYI; TURBINES

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Laboratory experiments indicate that the fluid threshold friction speed, u(*tf), required to initiate fully developed aeolian saltation is much higher on Mars than on Earth. A discrepancy exists between Mars climate models that do not predict winds this strong and observations that sand-sized particles are indeed moving. This paper describes how wind friction speeds well below u(*tf), but above the impact threshold, u(*ti), required to sustain saltation, can initiate sustained saltation on Mars, but at relatively low flux. Numerical experiments indicate that a sand grain on Mars mobilized sporadically between u(*ti) and u(*tf) will develop, over fetch lengths longer than generally available within low-pressure wind tunnels, trajectories capable of splashing grains that propagate saltation and collectively form a cluster of saltating grains that migrate downwind together. The passage of a saltation cluster should leave behind a narrow zone of affected surface grains. The cumulative effect of many clusters represents a low-flux phenomenon that should produce slow changes to aeolian bedforms over periods in which winds remain close to u(*ti) and never or rarely reach u(*tf). Field evidence from small impact ripples along rover traverses is consistent with effects of saltation at these low friction speeds, without obvious evidence for events >= u(*tf). The potential utility of this grain mobility process is that it can operate entirely at more common winds well below u(*tf) and so help explain widespread sand movements observed on Mars wherever evidence might be mostly absent for u(*tf) being exceeded. Plain Language Summary Wind-blown sand grains on Mars create ripples and dunes and erode landscapes. Wind tunnel experiments have shown that much stronger winds are required on Mars than on Earth to start most grains moving. There is little evidence for winds this strong on Mars, yet orbiters and rovers observe changes to ripples and dunes. How could sand be moving routinely on Mars even though winds required to initiate this process are rare? A small fraction of sand grains starts moving at lower wind speeds, well below the high wind speeds where most sand starts to move, and this phenomenon turns out to be important. In this paper, a computer program simulated what happens to a sand grain sporadically mobilized under low winds on Earth and on Mars. The results differ between the two planets. On Mars, a grain sporadically mobilized at low wind speed will hop along the ground with increasing energy, eventually gaining enough energy to splash other sand grains vigorously at each bounce to cause additional sand to move collectively in a low-rate process that should result in gradual surface changes to ripples and dunes during prevailing low winds. Primarily, this is an effect of low Martian gravity. Slow ripple migration in the presence of wind direction changes should allow cross-oriented patterns of simple ripples, and this is observed at the Bagnold dunes, Gale crater. These results could help explain widespread sand movements observed on Mars wherever evidence might be mostly absent for very strong winds.

Keywords: MERIDIANI-PLANUM; SAND RIPPLES; EAGLE CRATER; GALE CRATER; COLLISIONS; THRESHOLD; TRANSPORT; VELOCITY; EROSION; GRAINS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

1. Aerial seabird surveys are often conducted so that changes in abundance may be monitored. For example, large-scale offshore wind farms are proposed for UK waters, and surveys are currently being conducted to quantify numbers and distribution ahead of construction. 2. Technological advances mean that strip transect surveys may now be conducted, using digital methods. We address survey design and data analysis issues for such digital surveys, contrasting them with visual aerial line transect surveys. 3. We also explore the relative performances of the methods for estimating the size of a large aggregation of common scoters in Carmarthen Bay, Wales. We found that abundance estimates from two digital methods were closely comparable, while estimates from visual aerial surveys were appreciably lower. 4. Synthesis and applications. Efficient survey methods to quantify abundance and distribution of seabirds are needed, to assess change arising from climate change, or developments such as the construction of large-scale offshore wind farms. The traditional survey methods are visual surveys conducted along transects from ships or aircraft. Digital video and stills surveys can be conducted from aircraft flying sufficiently high to avoid disturbance, while still being able to detect and identify seabirds. Given the rapid technological developments, we expect digital surveys largely to replace visual surveys for seabirds in offshore regions.

Keywords: digital surveys; impact assessment surveys; line transect sampling; plot sampling; stills photography; strip transect sampling; video; visual surveys; ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT ASSESSMENT; OFFSHORE WIND FARMS; POPULATION; DESIGN; BIRD; SEA

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Airspace conservation (aeroconservation) is a relative latecomer to ecosystem management, despite intensifying threats to birds, bats and invertebrates in the habitat. This article demonstrates the geographies of threats and examines gaps in law and policy responses. Commonly treated at law, and in fact, as an extension of terrestrial or marine spaces, recognition of air as habitat and related conservation protection is rare. In addition, management is confounded by the dynamic, three-dimensional and indivisible nature of airspace, by wildlife and aircraft mobility, and by temporal features. Regulation of airspace and patterns of spatial activity are dominated by aircraft traffic control and related transport imperatives to the exclusion of wildlife protection. Where strategic planning mechanisms are applied, they are often tied to amorphous definitions of habitat, rely upon terrestrial habitat protection for their expression or are reflected as two-dimensional notations on a map. Recommendations to enhance protection for co-existence include transforming the approach to airspace and adopting integrated, strategic and three-dimensional approaches.

Keywords: WIND FARMS; HABITAT SELECTION; ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT; ROAD MORTALITY; BIRD; CONSERVATION; BATS; COLLISIONS; AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Aeroecology is a discipline that embraces and integrates the domains of atmospheric science, ecology, earth science, geography, computer science, computational biology, and engineering. The unifying concept that underlies this emerging discipline is its focus on the planetary boundary layer, or aerosphere, and the myriad of organisms that, in large part, depend upon this environment for their existence. The aerosphere influences both daily and seasonal movements of organisms, and its effects have both short- and long-term consequences for species that use this environment. The biotic interactions and physical conditions in the aerosphere represent important selection pressures that influence traits such as size and shape of organisms, which in turn facilitate both passive and active displacements. The aerosphere also influences the evolution of behavioral, sensory, metabolic, and respiratory functions of organisms in a myriad of ways. In contrast to organisms that depend strictly on terrestrial or aquatic existence, those that routinely use the aerosphere are almost immediately influenced by changing atmospheric conditions (e.g., winds, air density, precipitation, air temperature), sunlight, polarized light, moon light, and geomagnetic and gravitational forces. The aerosphere has direct and indirect effects on organisms, which often are more strongly influenced than those that spend significant amounts of time on land or in water. Future advances in aeroecology will be made when research conducted by biologists is more fully integrated across temporal and spatial scales in concert with advances made by atmospheric scientists and mathematical modelers. Ultimately, understanding how organisms such as arthropods, birds, and bats aloft are influenced by a dynamic aerosphere will be of importance for assessing, and maintaining ecosystem health, human health, and biodiversity.

Keywords: WIND-ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; BIRD MIGRATION; FRUIT BATS; RADAR; FLIGHT; ECHOLOCATION; LEPIDOPTERA; ORIENTATION; POPULATIONS; DISPERSERS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Background This paper analyses unsteady forces acting on rotor blades in a 3.5 stage compressor following a bird strike. Method The strike was modelled by partially blocking the engine inlet. An in-house code was used to calculate 3D unsteady non-viscous flow of ideal gas through a 3.5 stage compressor. The numerical analysis included blade vibrations. Results This paper has shown that partial admission causes low-frequency harmonics to affect not only the 1st and 2nd rotor blade stages, but also the 3rd stage, with only slightly smaller amplitude values. Conclusions Partial admission at the inlet strongly influenced unsteady forces in all three stages, with the dominance of low frequency unsteady force components. In the case of full admission, only high frequency components appeared, due to the number of stator blades.

Keywords: Dynamics; Steam turbines; Gas turbines; Rotor vibration; STAGE

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Mortality and/or dispersal immediately after release can cause translocated populations to fail over both the short and long term, particularly at mainland sanctuaries. However, post-release mortality and dispersal can be limited by releasing individuals with an increased probability of survival and site attachment. We monitored a South Island saddleback (tieke; Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus) population, translocated to a mainland sanctuary, for one year after release to understand the combined influence of post-release mortality and dispersal on initial establishment. We related settlement propensity to three individual characteristics (sex, age class, and previous pairing history) that are known to play a role in the success of reintroductions of other species. Observations of 38 individually marked birds within the sanctuary declined sharply immediately after release, similar to a pattern of post-release mortality observed after a saddleback translocation onto an offshore island. Thereafter, observations declined more gradually until after the start of the first breeding season (5 months after release), likely due to dispersal out of the sanctuary. By the middle of the first breeding season, significantly more subadults than adults survived and remained at the release site, which we attribute to differences in territorial status prior to translocation. Although only 18% of the released birds survived and settled inside the sanctuary at one year after release, our results suggest that, for saddlebacks, releasing a greater proportion of subadults than adults could have a positive effect on reintroduction outcomes at mainland sites where dispersal is of concern.

Keywords: dispersal; establishment; New Zealand; post-release survival; translocation; SURVIVAL; TRANSLOCATION; DISPERSAL; SUCCESS; ESTABLISHMENT; MOVEMENTS; MORTALITY; HABITAT; ADULTS; YOUNG

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

In the United States, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits take of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) unless authorized by permit, and stipulates that all permitted take must be sustainable. Golden eagles are unintentionally killed in conjunction with many lawful activities (e.g., electrocution on power poles, collision with wind turbines). Managers who issue permits for incidental take of golden eagles must determine allowable take levels and manage permitted take accordingly. To aid managers in making these decisions in the western United States, we used an integrated population model to obtain estimates of golden eagle vital rates and population size, and then used those estimates in a prescribed take level (PTL) model to estimate the allowable take level. Estimated mean annual survival rates for golden eagles ranged from 0.70 (95% credible interval = 0.66-0.74) for first-year birds to 0.90 (0.88-0.91) for adults. Models suggested a high proportion of adult female golden eagles attempted to breed and breeding pairs fledged a mean of 0.53 (0.39-0.72) young annually. Population size in the coterminous western United States has averaged similar to 31,800 individuals for several decades, with lambda = 1.0 (0.96-1.05). The PTL model estimated a median allowable take limit of similar to 2227 (708-4182) individuals annually given a management objective of maintaining a stable population. We estimate that take averaged 2572 out of 4373 (59%) deaths annually, based on a representative sample of transmitter-tagged golden eagles. For the subset of golden eagles that were recovered and a cause of death determined, anthropogenic mortality accounted for an average of 74% of deaths after their first year; leading forms of take over all age classes were shooting (similar to 670 per year), collisions (similar to 611), electrocutions (similar to 506), and poisoning (similar to 427). Although observed take overlapped the credible interval of our allowable take estimate and the population overall has been stable, our findings indicate that additional take, unless mitigated for, may not be sustainable. Our analysis demonstrates the utility of the joint application of integrated population and prescribed take level models to management of incidental take of a protected species.

Keywords: allowable take; cause of death; golden eagle; harvest management; integrated population model; prescribed take level model; survival probability; western United States; AQUILA-CHRYSAETOS; INTERIOR ALASKA; MORTALITY; DENSITY; DISTANCE; REPRODUCTION; DISPERSAL; ABUNDANCE; 1ST-YEAR; SUCCESS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

We measured the air speeds of 31 bird species, for which we had body mass and wing measurements, migrating along the east coast of Sweden in autumn, using a Vectronix Vector 21 ornithodolite and a Gill WindSonic anemometer. We expected each species' average air speed to exceed its calculated minimum-power speed (V-mp), and to fall below its maximum-range speed (V-mr), but found some exceptions to both limits. To resolve these discrepancies, we first reduced the assumed induced power factor for all species from 1.2 to 0.9, attributing this to splayed and up-turned primary feathers, and then assigned body drag coefficients for different species down to 0.060 for small waders, and up to 0.12 for the mute swan, in the Reynolds number range 25 000-250 000. These results will be used to amend the default values in existing software that estimates fuel consumption in migration, energy heights on arrival and other aspects of flight performance, using classical aeronautical theory. The body drag coefficients are central to range calculations. Although they cannot be measured on dead bird bodies, they could be checked against wind tunnel measurements on living birds, using existing methods.

Keywords: air speed; migration; ornithodolite; wing tips; body drag; BODY DRAG

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Kyst, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The unprecedented 2015 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 in the U.S. devastated its poultry industry and resulted in over $3 billion economic impacts. Today HPAI continues eroding poultry operations and disrupting animal protein supply chains around the world. Anecdotal evidence in 2015 suggested that in some cases the AI virus was aerially introduced into poultry houses, as abnormal bird mortality started near air inlets of the infected houses. This study modeled air movement trajectories and virus concentrations that were used to assess the probability or risk of airborne transmission for the 77 HPAI cases in Iowa. The results show that majority of the positive cases in Iowa might have received airborne virus, carried by fine particulate matter, from infected farms within the state (i.e., intrastate) and infected farms from the neighboring states (i.e., interstate). The modeled airborne virus concentrations at the Iowa recipient sites never exceeded the minimal infective doses for poultry; however, the continuous exposure might have increased airborne infection risks. In the worst-case scenario (i.e., maximum virus shedding rate, highest emission rate, and longest half-life), 33 Iowa cases had > 10% (three cases > 50%) infection probability, indicating a medium to high risk of airborne transmission for these cases. Probability of airborne HPAI infection could be affected by farm type, flock size, and distance to previously infected farms; and more importantly, it can be markedly reduced by swift depopulation and inlet air filtration. The research results provide insights into the risk of airborne transmission of HPAI virus via fine dust particles and the importance of preventative and containment strategies such as air filtration and quick depopulation of infected flocks.

Keywords: MOUTH-DISEASE VIRUS; WIND-BORNE SPREAD; PARTICULATE-MATTER; H5N1; DEPOSITION; SURVIVAL; POULTRY; RISK; ADAPTATION; DISPERSION

Tags: Artsgruppe:Generelt, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The numerical solution of the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation (Ffowcs Williams, J. E., and Hawkings, D. L., "Sound Generation by Turbulence and Surfaces in Arbitrary Motion," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. A264, No. 1151, 1969, pp. 321-342) on a rotating supersonic domain is discussed. Based on the emission-surface algorithm, the adopted solver performs the integration on the so-called acoustic domain to avoid the Doppler singularity in the integral kernels. The presence of multiple emission times for the supersonic source points and the particular time evolution of the integration domain force the use of a particular data-fitting procedure on both the geometrical and integral quantities. The algorithm may he used in the numerical prediction of the quadrupole source term for helicopter rotors operating at a high transonic regime and in the aeroacoustic analysis of the modern propeller blades, rotating at supersonic tip speed.

Keywords: ROTOR NOISE PREDICTION

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) is located in central California approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles) east of San Francisco (Figure 1). Permits have been granted for 5,400 wind turbines distributed over 165 square kilometers (40,772 acres) of rolling grassland hills and valleys in the APWRA. The APWRA supports a broad diversity of resident and migratory bird species that regularly move through the wind turbine area (Orloff and Flannery 1996). Birds passing through the rotor plane of operating wind turbines are at risk of being injured or killed. Multiple studies of avian fatality at the APWRA have documented golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, burrowing owls, barn owls, and a diverse mix of non-raptor species that are killed each year in turbine-related incidents (Howell and DiDonato 1991, Orloff and Flannery 1996, Howell 1997, Smallwood and Thelander 2008, Altamont Pass Avian Monitoring Team. 2008a).

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

In 2009, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife developed the On-Shore Bird and Bat Pre- and Post-Construction Monitoring Protocol for Commercial Wind Energy Facilities in Ohio (dated May 4, 2009). Standardized procedures within this document have and will continue to allow the Division of Wildlife to make comparisons among proposed on-shore wind energy facilities throughout the state. Since the development of the 2009 protocol, the wind industry has expanded throughout the Midwest and the country. Accordingly, there have been several wind facilities that have conducted post-construction evaluations examining the potential impacts wind energy facilities have on wildlife. Several different methodologies have been utilized and suggested in post-construction monitoring of wind energy facilities; some have been more efficient and more statistically accurate than others. Given the importance of being adaptive to the new science provided by the existing monitoring, and evaluations of protocols, as well as a need for a more efficient methodology, the ODNR Division of Wildlife has recently reviewed the Mortality Search section of the On-Shore Bird and Bat Pre- and Post-Construction Monitoring Protocol for Commercial Wind Energy Facilities in Ohio (dated May 4, 2009) and amended this section of the protocol. The objectives of the post-construction monitoring in Ohio are to determine if wind energy facility operations are causing an unacceptable level of impact on wildlife, as well as evaluate potential rare events. Results from monitoring will enable ODNR Division of Wildlife to make recommendations on additional minimization or mitigation measures that, if needed, can be employed. Additionally, the ODNR Division of Wildlife will assess the predictive value of pre-construction monitoring by comparing those results with post-construction mortality, and ultimately provide Ohio-specific data to define typical or expected versus unacceptable levels of mortality to wildlife from wind energy facilities within Ohio.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Hydrogen production by catalytic steam reforming of renewable hydrocarbons like bio-methane or bio-ethanol has become an attractive goal of sustainable chemistry. Side reactions as in ethanol steam reforming decrease the hydrogen selectivity. A low-temperature catalytic membrane reactor with a hydrogen-selective membrane is expected to solve this problem. Three different carbon membranes are investigated with respect to their performance to extract hydrogen selectively from the binary and ternary reaction mixtures (H-2/CO2), (H-2/CO2/H2O), and (H-2/ethanol) as model systems for bio-ethanol steam reforming. The three carbon membranes under study are (i) an amorphous carbon layer prepared by physical vapour deposition (PVD) of carbon on an porous alumina support using a carbon fibre yarn, (ii) a turbostratic carbon layer obtained by pyrolysis of a supported organic polymer blend as precursor, and (iii) a crystalline carbon prepared by pressing of graphite flakes into a self-supporting disc. For the equimolar binary feed mixture (H-2/CO2) all carbon membranes were found to be hydrogen selective. For the ternary feed mixture (41vol.-% H-2/41vol.-% CO2/18vol.-% H2O), in the case of the amorphous and crystalline carbon membrane, the hydrogen selectivity remains also in the presence of steam. The turbostratic carbon membrane separates preferentially steam (H2O) from the ternary feed mixture (H-2/CO2/H2O). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: DIAMOND-LIKE-CARBON; LOW-TEMPERATURE; BINDING-ENERGIES; GAS SEPARATION; BIO-ETHANOL; STEAM; CATALYSTS; REACTOR; SPECTROSCOPY; GRAPHITE

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

In California offshore waters, sustained northwesterly winds have been identified as a key energy resource which could contribute substantially to California’s renewable energy mandate (Senate Bill 100). However, the development of large-scale offshore wind energy projects has the potential to reduce the wind stress at the sea surface, which could have local and/or regional implications on California wind-driven upwelling, nutrient delivery, and ecosystem dynamics. Under a current project funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC) (EPC-19-009), Integral Consulting Inc. (Integral) is evaluating potential changes in California coastal upwelling from offshore wind project development over a variety of environmental conditions, device characteristics, and wind farm configurations. The work described here under Ocean Protection Council (OPC) funding accelerated the timeline upon which results from the CEC project are reported for the existing coupled numerical atmospheric-ocean circulation models, without (baseline) and with simulated turbines. Described in this report is a comparison of upwelling effects resulting from the installation of wind turbines offshore of Morro Bay, Diablo Canyon and Humboldt using operational upwelling metrics for physical transport and nutrient delivery. Modest changes to wind speeds are found in the lee of wind farms, which leads to a decrease in upwelled physical volume transport and resulting nutrient supply to the coastal zone in the vicinity of the Morro Bay and Diablo Canyon call areas. While changes are also observed near the Humboldt call area, they are substantially smaller than those seen near Morro Bay. Since the effect of this decrease on the ecosystem was not evaluated in this study, no conclusions on ecosystem effects can be drawn from the modeled physical changes.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

This study proposes a new optimization technique, known as the eagle strategy arithmetic optimization algorithm (ESAOA), to address the limitations of the original algorithm called arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA). ESAOA is suggested to enhance the implementation of the original AOA. It includes an eagle strategy to avoid premature convergence and increase the populations' efficacy to reach the optimum solution. The improved algorithm is utilized to fine-tune the parameters of the fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID) and the PID controllers for supporting the frequency stability of a hybrid two-area multi-sources power system. Here, each area composites a combination of conventional power plants (i.e., thermal-hydro-gas) and renewable energy sources (i.e., wind farm and solar farm). Furthermore, the superiority of the proposed algorithm has been validated based on 23 benchmark functions. Then, the superiority of the proposed FOPID-based ESAOA algorithm is verified through a comparison of its performance with other controller performances (i.e., PID-based AOA, PID-based ESAOA, and PID-based teaching learning-based optimization TLBO) under different operating conditions. Furthermore, the system nonlinearities, system uncertainties, high renewable power penetration, and control time delay has been considered to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed FOPID based on the ES-AOA algorithm. All simulation results elucidate that the domination in favor of the proposed FOPID-based ES-AOA algorithm in enhancing the frequency stability effectually will guarantee a reliable performance.

Keywords: load frequency control (LFC); arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA); eagle strategy arithmetic optimization algorithm (ESAOA); proportional-integral-derivative (PID); fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID); renewable energy sources (RESs); communication time delay; AUTOMATIC-GENERATION CONTROL; SYSTEM; CONTROLLER

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The microgrid design problem needs efficacy tools to reach good results with optimal convergence characteristics. Stochastic metaheuristic algorithms are the best choice to address complex problems. This paper proposes new hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) design, composed of PV, wind turbine, diesel generator, and battery system. The objective function is minimizing the total net present cost, which includes all expenses during the project lifetime; the optimization respects other aspects, technical and ecologic. The improved algorithm is called IAOA that developed by modifying the original Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) using the leading operators of the Aquila Optimizer (AO). The modified version is conducted to improve the search ability of the original AOA and avoid its weaknesses like being trapped in a local search. Moreover, the proposed IAOA makes a learning stage from the search process of the AO to enhance the research history of the AOA. Two HRES scenarios are suggested, the first is based on using PV/wind/diesel/battery, while the second scenario consists of PV/diesel/battery. This proposed HRES is located in El Kharga Oasis in Egypt with latitude of 25.42 and longitude of 30.581. The obtained results prove that the proposed IAOA gives better results compared with the other well-known algorithms, namely the original algorithm of AOA, Equilibrium Optimizer (EO), Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO), Artificial Electric Field Algorithm (AEFA), and Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO). It is recognized that the proposed IAOA is a promising alternative to solve hybrid renewable energy systems.

Keywords: Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA); Hybrid renewable energy system (HRES); Microgrid design; Optimization algorithm; HYBRID; MANAGEMENT; BATTERY

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy development is rapidly increasing within breeding and wintering ranges of many grassland birds in North America. Despite recognized environmental benefits of such development, wind farms have the potential to negatively impact bird communities. Using an area-search method, we surveyed grassland birds within a matrix of pastures, hay fields, and agricultural lands at a wind facility in north-central Texas during the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11. We used binary logistic regression to examine the effect of distance from wind turbines on plot occupancy for species that did not show significant habitat associations. In contrast, for species with significant habitat associations, we used a two-step process to test for displacement. First, we identified suitable plots using a niche modeling approach in Maxent. Second, we used binary logistic regression to examine whether distance to turbine influenced the occupancy of those plots. Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii, Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis, and meadowlarks Sturnella sp. showed no evidence for displacement. In contrast, the Le Conte's Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii, was significantly more likely to occupy suitable plots as distance from the nearest turbine increased. Mean plot occupancy for the Le Conte's Sparrow was more than four times lower in plots < 200 m from the nearest wind turbine compared to those that were > 400 m away. Our study highlights the need to investigate displacement at the level of individual species. Our data also suggest that species dependent on cryptic predator evasion strategies may be displaced from wind turbines and this idea warrants further investigation.

Keywords: Avoidance behavior; Habitat degradation; Indirect effects; North American grasslands; Renewable energy; SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS; LOGISTIC-REGRESSION; HABITAT SELECTION; BREEDING BIRDS; CONSERVATION; PRAIRIE; PREDICTION; FARMS; ABUNDANCE; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

A novel ducted turbine, referred to as a Wind Tower, as a smart architectural integrated design for capturing wind power in residential or commercial applications is theoretically and experimentally studied. A mathematical model is developed to predict the flow behavior inside the tower, and a velocity coefficient is defined to correct the results at different test conditions. A 1/8-scale wind tower prototype, including a four-quadrant-peak windcatcher rooftop, a tower, a nozzle, and a turbine, is designed and fabricated. The results from the mathematical model provide a good estimation of the output power obtained from experimental tests. Significant changes in the output wind speed due to pressure differences created by the surrounding environment and the Wind Tower components configuration are observed. The advantages of requiring low maintenance, and being reliable and sustainable, together with its special design that eliminates bird/bat mortality, make the Wind Tower a promising solution for residential, commercial, and off-grid applications.

Keywords: Energy harvesting; ducted turbine; windcatcher; modeling; experimental test; architectural integrated design; ENERGY-CONVERSION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Carbon dioxide emission and GHGs are associated with fossil fuels which have adverse effects on the environment. The key intention of this paper was to determine the asymmetric effect of CO2 emission on expenditures, trade, FDI, and renewable energy consumption in Pakistan. An asymmetrical technique (nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag) was employed to validate the constructive and adverse relation among variables. Furthermore, the Granger causality test was also used to verify the unidirectional association amid variables. Study outcomes revealed that the adverse shocks of renewable energy consumption exposed expressively to upsurge CO2 emission in the short-run dynamics. Conversely, constructive shocks of renewable energy consumption display an adversative association with CO2 emission. Furthermore, the decreasing trend in foreign direct investment tends to impede the detrimental effects of CO2 emission. Additionally, the variable expenditures also create the non-eco-friendly impacts and manifest the positive linkage through CO2 emission. Trade possesses statistically insignificant linkage with environmental degradation. The results also disclose that positive as well as negative variations in the foreign direct investment expose to degrade the environmental eminence. Long-run results suggest the direct association between downward trend in renewable energy consumption and CO2 emission signifying that the pollution level decreases, and the upward trend in renewable energy consumption, however, demonstrates insignificantly positive effects. The results also disclose that positive as well as negative variations in the FDI lead to degrade the CO2 emission. Moreover, it is found that the expenditures soar the issue of pollution again in the long run. Finally, the consequence of trade on CO2 emission is adverse, as the outcome suggests. In order to improve the environmental policies for sustainable growth, the study provides direction toward a sustainable environment by reducing carbon dioxide emission.

Keywords: CO2 emission; Foreign direct investment; Trade; Renewable energy; Expenditures; ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE; CARBON-DIOXIDE EMISSIONS; GREENHOUSE-GAS EMISSIONS; ECONOMIC-GROWTH; TIME-SERIES; FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT; FDI INFLOWS; UNIT-ROOT; CONSUMPTION; QUALITY

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Riparian corridors supply many environmental and aesthetic services in the and and semi-arid regions world wide. Riparian ecosystems provide water filtering, bank stabilizing, flood mitigating benefits, and habitat for native birds, bats, fish, and other wildlife. The juxtaposition of lush herbaceous and treed areas with upland desert also makes these corridors an aesthetic resource. In Arizona, urban homeowners are one of the primary "consumers" of the riparian corridor. Recent research demonstrates that riparian corridors are capitalized into nearby home values. Specific to this research, urban and suburban homebuyers are willing to pay high premiums to live near sections of riparian corridors that support dense, species rich, and perennial-water-dependent habitat. In this study we calculate the estimated increases in property values and property tax revenues associated with proximity to healthy urban riparian corridors. These property premiums are then compared to the estimated costs of water leases necessary to support water-dependent habitats as detailed in the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP). The plan aims to protect open space in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona, specifically in Pima County. The property premiums are estimated at between $126.54M (Million) and $253.08M and generate an estimated $1.23M-$2.46M per annum in incremental property tax revenues, whereas, the annual cost of water leases to support the vegetation is $0.54M. This partial economic analysis demonstrates that urban riparian habitat preservation and restoration with the allocation of renewable water supplies can be financially self-supporting. In addition, the estimated property price premiums indicate potential benefits to modifying current well-spacing rules in Arizona.

Keywords: OPEN-SPACE; RIPARIAN VEGETATION; UNITED-STATES; SAN-PEDRO; WATER; AMENITIES; RIVER; FORESTS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

There is about to be an abrupt step-change in the use of coastal seas around the globe, specifically by the addition of large-scale offshore renewable energy (ORE) developments to combat climate change. Developing this sustainable energy supply will require trade-offs between both direct and indirect environmental effects, as well as spatial conflicts with marine uses like shipping, fishing, and recreation. However, the nexus between drivers, such as changes in the bio-physical environment from the introduction of structures and extraction of energy, and the consequent impacts on ecosystem services delivery and natural capital assets is poorly understood and rarely considered through a whole ecosystem perspective. Future marine planning needs to assess these changes as part of national policy level assessments but also to inform practitioners about the benefits and trade-offs between different uses of natural resources when making decisions to balance environmental and energy sustainability and socio-economic impacts. To address this shortfall, we propose an ecosystem-based natural capital evaluation framework that builds on a dynamic Bayesian modelling approach which accounts for the multiplicity of interactions between physical (e.g. bottom temperature), biological (e.g. net primary production) indicators and anthropogenic marine use (i.e. fishing) and their changes across space and over time. The proposed assessment framework measures ecosystem change, changes in ecosystem goods and services and changes in socio-economic value in response to ORE deployment scenarios as well as climate change, to provide objective information for decision processes seeking to integrate new uses into our marine ecosystems. Such a framework has the potential of exploring the likely outcomes in the same metrics (both ecological and socio-economic) from alternative management and climate scenarios, such that objective judgements and decisions can be made, as to how to balance the benefits and trade-offs between a range of marine uses to deliver long-term environmental sustainability, economic benefits, and social welfare.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The effects of anthropogenic modification of air space on wildlife, particularly volant species, is not fully understood. Thus, it is essential to understand wildlife-interactions with tall structures to implement effective mitigation strategies. Yet, we are currently lacking standard protocols for visual surveys of wildlife behavior at such heights. Our study sought to determine an effective, repeatable method using readily available night vision and thermal technology to survey wildlife at tall structures. Using bats as the taxonomic group of interest, we (1) created a key to identify bats and their behavior, (2) compared the effectiveness of 2 different technologies, and (3) assessed optimal equipment placement to visually capture bat activity and behavior in proximity to wind turbine towers. For the latter, we tested thermal cameras at four distances from the base of the tower. The results of our study revealed that thermal cameras captured similar to 34% more flying animals than night vision at a 2 m distance. However, due to the heat signature of the turbine towers themselves, it was challenging to identify behaviors and interactions that occurred in close proximity to the towers. In contrast, it was difficult to identify bats approaching the towers using night vision, yet we were able to clearly observe interactions with the towers themselves. With regards to equipment placement, we visually captured more bats with the thermal cameras placed 2 m from the tower base compared to farther distances. From our findings, we recommend that when using either thermal or night vision technology at tall structures, they be placed 2 m from the base to effectively observe interactions along the length of these structures. In addition, we further recommend that consideration be given to the use of these two technology types together to effectively conduct such surveys. If these survey techniques are incorporated into standard protocols, future surveys at a variety of tall structures are likely to become comparable and repeatable, thereby more effectively informing any mitigation strategies that may be required.

Keywords: Anthropogenic impacts; Airspace modifcation; Chiroptera; Night vision technology; Thermal cameras; Wildlife interactions; WIND TURBINES; BREEDING SUCCESS; BATS; MORTALITY; BIRD; HYPOTHESES; FATALITIES; PATTERNS; IMPACT; ENERGY

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Counts of animal carcasses are often used to estimate fatality caused by disease, environmental accidents (oil spills, radiation leaks), or human structures (power lines, sky scrapers, wind turbines). The need to adjust raw carcass counts for imperfect detectability to produce unbiased estimates of fatality has long been recognized, but the accuracy and precision of some estimators used to make the adjustments have not been evaluated. In this paper, I formalize a conceptual model of fatality and the factors that lead to imperfect detection, primarily removal by scavengers before searches can be carried out and inability of searchers to find all remaining carcasses. I propose an estimator of fatality that adjusts for imperfect detectability. Through simulation I evaluate the statistical properties (bias and precision) of this estimator and two others commonly used to estimate fatality at wind power facilities, when sources and magnitudes of imperfect detectability vary. None of the estimators was always unbiased under all conditions. Bias in the proposed estimator never exceeded +/- 27% whereas bias in the other two estimators was always negative and exceeded that of the proposed estimator in 98% and 93% of the simulated conditions, respectively. The proposed estimator was relatively robust to variation in sources and magnitudes of imperfect detectability, but was sensitive to distributional assumptions regarding carcass removal rates and searcher efficiency. It offers significant improvement over two current estimators and provides relatively unbiased estimates of fatality that can be applied under a variety of conditions and survey protocols. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: bias; carcass persistence; detectability; searcher efficiency; search interval; wind turbines; BIRD MORTALITY; BUFFALO RIDGE; POPULATION; MINNESOTA; BATS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy offers substantial environmental benefits, but wind facilities can negatively impact wildlife, including birds and bats. Researchers and managers have made major efforts to chronicle bird and bat mortality associated with wind facilities, but few studies have examined the patterns and underlying mechanisms of spatial patterns of fatalities at wind facilities. Understanding the horizontal fall distance between a carcass and the nearest turbine pole is important in designing effective search protocols and estimating total mortality. We explored patterns in taxonomic composition and fall distance of bird and bat carcasses at wind facilities in the Northeastern United States using publicly available data and data submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service under scientific collecting and special purpose utility permits for collection and study of migratory birds. Forty-four wind facilities reported 2,039 bird fatalities spanning 128 species and 22 facilities reported 418 bat fatalities spanning five species. Relative to long-distance migratory birds, short-distance migrants were found farther from turbines. Body mass of birds and bats positively influenced fall distance. Turbine size positively influenced fall distance of birds and bats when analyzed collectively and of birds when analyzed separately from bats. This suggests that as turbines increase in size, a greater search radius will be necessary to detect carcasses. Bird and bat fall distance distributions were notably multimodal, but only birds exhibited a high peak near turbine bases, a novel finding we attribute to collisions with turbine poles in addition to blades. This phenomenon varied across bird species, with potential implications for the accuracy of mortality estimates. Although pole collisions for birds is intuitive, this phenomenon has not been formally recognized. This finding may warrant an updated view of turbines as a collision threat to birds because they are a tall structure, and not strictly as a function of their motion.

Keywords: ENERGY FACILITIES; GUY WIRES; NORTH; FATALITIES; POPULATION; COLLISIONS; MIGRATION; TOWER; EXPLORATION; CARCASSES

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Seabirds are vulnerable to oil pollution, particularly in cold-water regions. We investigated the response of small spills (<7.95m(3)) at offshore production platforms in Newfoundland, a region recognized for seabird diversity and abundance. In three environmental assessments for oil production operations Environment Canada requested monitoring and mitigation of small spills potentially impacting seabird populations; suggestions supported by two independent reviews. An industry spill response plan states that operators would collect systematic observations on spills and deploy countermeasures where possible. Operators' spill reports were obtained under an Access to Information request. There were 220 daytime spills with sheens (out of 381 spills; 1997-2010). Of these, six reported time to oil dispersion and eleven the presence or absence of seabirds. Industry self reporting has not permitted an evaluation of the impact of chronic oil spills on seabirds. We recommend that independent observers be placed on platforms to systematically collect data on spills and seabirds. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Chronic oil pollution; Marine birds; Post-spill monitoring; Independent observers; C-NLOPB; BEACHED BIRD SURVEYS; HYDROCARBON SPILLS; EASTERN CANADA; GAS PLATFORMS; MARINE BIRDS; MORTALITY; RISK; POLLUTION; RATES; SEA

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The Hihi (Stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta) is an endemic New Zealand honeyeater that after European colonization survived on only one offshore island. Attempts to reintroduce Hihi to other islands have been unsuccessful, with populations slowly declining. The main hypothesis for these declines was an inadequate year-round supply of carbohydrate food (nectar and fruit) due to human impacts on the forest habitat. When Hihi were reintroduced to Mokoia, another island with regenerating forest, we tested whether survival was limited by carbohydrate food in the year after release. We conducted an "on-off" experiment in which ad libitum sugar water was available to birds for 2 out of every 4 weeks. We compared the masses of individual birds at the end of on and off periods to identify times when birds lost condition with no supplementary food and would be likely to starve. We also used mark-recapture analysis of resighting data to test whether mortality rates were higher when supplementary food was unavailable. The only effect of the supplementary food was that Hihi spent less time foraging for nectar and fruit and more time foraging for invertebrates. There was no time of year when birds lost mass when the food was taken away, and survival rates were not significantly lower when supplementary food was absent. The low (38%) annual survival rate could not be accounted for by shortage of carbohydrate food, and population viability analysis suggests that the population is likely to slowly decline. Our experiment shows that declines of reintroduced Hihi populations may be unrelated to food supply and that alternative hypotheses should be developed and tested. Our results also show the importance of using experimental methods, when possible, to test hypotheses about factors thought to be limiting reintroduced populations.

Keywords: ENGLAND-NATIONAL-PARK; NECTAR AVAILABILITY; TERRITORIAL HONEYEATERS; MIGRANT HUMMINGBIRDS; NOTIOMYSTIS-CINCTA; SEASONAL-CHANGES; BEHAVIOR; TRANSLOCATIONS; MELIPHAGIDAE; CONSERVATION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Offshore, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

A key solution to imminent energy shortage and the protection of environment is to use much more of renewable resources of energy. There are various renewable resources of energy and choosing the most appropriate al-ternative is a complex task that involves several decision factors with different weights. Although nearly all decisions to be made by decision makers (DMs) in energy sector are subject to uncertainty, how to efficient handling ambiguity is an open problem. In this paper, a new multi criteria decision making framework is pro- posed to evaluate renewable energy alternatives under uncertainty. Considering the explicit advantages of D number in dealing with imprecise information and best worst method (BWM) in obtaining the criteria weight, we provide a new weighting method, which integrates BWM and D numbers, called D-BWM. D number is a more flexible extension of Dempster-Shafer theory and possesses key advantages in handling uncertainty in the process of decision making. The illustrative examples demonstrate that D-BWM can obtain more reliable weights and higher consistency compared with traditional BWM. Moreover, to rank the available energy resources, we explore the application of WASPAS and COPRAS in this context and an important remark about WASPAS is pointed out. The suggested method selects solar energy with the highest score in Iran. Fortunately, the in-troduced method provides an easy and systematic approach which can be straightforwardly extended to handle many decision problems in the field of sustainable development. Finally, this paper provides a brief discussion on the potentials and barriers to sustainable energy development in the country.

Keywords: Sustainable development; Renewable energy; D number; BWM; WASPAS; MULTICRITERIA DECISION-MAKING; ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS; FUZZY-AHP; SUSTAINABLE ENERGY; SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY; MCDM APPROACH; TOPSIS METHOD; SELECTION; IRAN; ELECTRICITY

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

An integrated risk management method is developed for the task of addressing global risks-those threatening the destruction of civilisation, humanity, life on Earth, or the entire planet. Use of the method produced four main results. First, the following risks were classified as global risks: an avian influenza pandemic; scientific experiments which change the fabric of the universe in ways not previously seen in nature; global-warming, especially either releasing methane from methane clathrates or causing a new ice age; biovorous nanoreplicators; computers or robots surpassing human accomplishment; super-eruption; nuclear exchange (full superpower arsenals); strike by large asteroid or comet; eruption of continental flood basalts; and a massive pulse of cosmic rays. Second, it was found that responses are capable of development for each risk. Third, a comprehensive scan for potential interactions between risks and responses found that solar and wind energy (mooted as an alternative to global-warming fossil fuels) would be greatly reduced or uncertain during a super-eruption winter. Two energy options both address global warming and are robust against super-eruption: geothermal and nuclear. Of these, geothermal energy seems lower-risk than nuclear. Finally, the full suite of required responses is estimated to cost approximately $67 trillion. Starting now but introduced over the multi-decade timeframes generally available, this budget would represent a surprisingly small 2.2 per cent of gross world product per year. By contrast, US expenditure on World War 11 in 1944 was 35 per cent of GNP. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION; CLIMATE; EXTINCTIONS; THREAT

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

We present an integrative statistical approach for estimating the current conditions of marine-bird habitats affected by human activities. We first estimated the influence of multiple human offshore activities on the species of interest using integrative regression techniques. We then used these models to predict the distribution and abundance of the species throughout the study area, in both the current situation, with human activities, and in a hypothetical situation without the effects of the studied human activities. We finally developed different measures related to the comparison between these two scenarios. The presented approach allows the integration of bird-count data from different sources and sampling schemes, thus maximizing the underlying database. It also provides a local metric highlighting critical regions where locally high abundance is co-localized with large declines in abundance due to human activities, as well as a global metric quantifying the overall condition of the marine-bird habitat in the study area in relation to human disturbance. This approach allows us to assess the cumulative influence of several anthropogenic pressures. We exemplarily applied the above approach to four different species and two different sea regions, namely European herring gulls and long-tailed ducks in the German section of the Baltic Sea, and European herring gulls, red-throated loons, and common murres in the German-Dutch-Belgian part of the North Sea. The considered activities were offshore wind farms, bottom-trawling fishery, and ship traffic. The results confirmed the avoidance of and attraction to human activities by marine bird species found in previous studies. These results show that the methods developed here can be used to provide indicators for inclusion in bird assessments under OSPAR and HELCOM conventions, and MSFD Article 8, criterion D1C5 (habitat for the species). The resulting indicator can be used to inform programmes of measures under MSFD Article 13.

Keywords: Habitat indicator; Seabird; Human activity; Human pressure; Habitat disturbance; Seabird abundance; MSFD; OFFSHORE WIND FARMS; MODELS; SEABIRDS; ECOLOGY; FUTURE; TRENDS; SEA

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This article presents an integrated risk assessment methodology for maintenance prediction of oil wetted gearbox and bearing in marine and offshore machinery with emphasis on ship cranes. Predictive maintenance uses important parameters measured in the equipment to 'feel' when breakdown is eminent. This type of maintenance intends to make interventions on machinery before harmful events may occur. This article assesses the risk levels of bearing and gearbox, which are the most sensitive components of the ship crane using fuzzy rule-based judgement for common elements and their sources. This will provide the ship crane operators with a means to predict possible impending failure without having to dismantle the crane. Furthermore, to monitor the rate of wear in gearbox and bearing of a ship crane, the ship crane reliability, and a trend to provide an operational baseline of data that will help the engineers to detect abnormal wear rates as they develop, is established. Within the scope of this research, a risk assessment model is developed for determining the risk levels of a crane's components and recommending solutions using all the diagnostic capability obtainable for effective condition monitoring of the gearbox and bearing in ship cranes.

Keywords: Predictive maintenance; rule base; ship crane reliability; risk level; risk assessment; condition monitoring; oil analysis

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The use of ammonia-based working fluids for absorption prevails in a wide range of applications due to the low freezing temperature of the refrigerant and the absence of crystallization as well as the lack of problems under vacuum conditions. This paper presents a comprehensive overview on the use of ammonia-based absorption chillers and heat pumps. The thermodynamic and physical properties of pure ammonia and binary and ternary ammonia mixtures are presented in correlation formulas. Developments and applications in subfreezing refrigeration, heating/domestic hot water, renewable energy utilization, waste heat recovery, thermal energy storage and miniaturization of absorption systems are presented and summarized. In subfreezing refrigeration, the evaporation temperatures for single-stage absorption lie mainly between -30 degrees C and -5 degrees C, and they can reach as low as -70 degrees C in advanced absorption systems. Air-source and ground-source absorption heat pumps are suggested for heating/domestic hot water applications in cold regions. For renewable energy uses, ammonia-based solar absorption applications with various working fluids are quite popular, whereas geothermal and biomass energy systems are less studied. In thermal energy storage, ammonia-based working fluids are not advantageous for storage capacity or cycle efficiency, but they prevail for subfreezing energy storage. Additionally, ammonia-based fluids are also attractive options for the miniaturization of absorption systems due to the absence of crystallization. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Absorption heat pump; Fluid properties; Subfreezing refrigeration; Heating; Renewable energy; Energy storage; THERMODYNAMIC DESIGN-DATA; VAPOR-LIQUID-EQUILIBRIA; OF-THE-ART; PLUS LITHIUM-NITRATE; REFRIGERATION SYSTEM; SODIUM THIOCYANATE; WASTE HEAT; HOT-WATER; PERFORMANCE EVALUATION; GEOTHERMAL-ENERGY

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Bird migration is a long studied phenomenon that involves animals moving back and forth from wintering sites and to reproductive grounds. Several studies have focused on identifying the timing, physiology and evolution of migration, but a spatial approach to understand the migratory routes is still an open challenge. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide the tools to explore such a complicated issue. Birds usually move from the wintering sites to spring breeding grounds in multiple flights, stopping at intermediate sites to rest and refuel, being unable to cover the distance in a single travel. The choice of stopover sites by birds depends not only on their ecological features but also on their position and visibility along main migratory flyways. In this work, we calculated the possible migratory routes that minimize the distance covered or the elevation gaps for birds crossing the Southern Alps, simulating the flight within a network connecting potential stopover sites and other relevant point of passage, using the shortest path computation. Subsequently, we performed a visibility analysis along the identified flyways to understand which stopover sites, belonging to the Natura2000 network, were visible for a bird in an area with complex morphology. Data available from ringing stations confirm the selection or avoidance of some stopover sites based on their en route visibility. The knowledge of bird flyways and stopover sites has implications for conservation as well as for planning, especially for wind farms or other infrastructures.

Keywords: bird migration; spring migration; Alps; stopover sites; Natura2000; shortest path problem; elevation gain

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Three types of failure are present on the continental slope off Nice: superficial slumping, deep-seated failure, and gullying of the canyon walls. Only deep-seated failures displace large sediment volumes and represent an important geological hazard. Triggering mechanisms for failure are variable and include earthquake loading, undercutting, and increasing pore pressure through sediment loading. A combination of failure type, depositional setting, and triggering mechanism suggests six different failure scenarios that have to be taken into account if geotechnical modeling is to reproduce the variability and pattern of seafloor failure of Nice.

Keywords: OFFSHORE MASS-MOVEMENTS; BAIE-DES-ANGES; MEDITERRANEAN-SEA; SUBMARINE

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

A five-year dataset of Argus-derived mean intertidal positions has been analysed to characterize the shoreface variability in a beach protected by a system of groynes and a parallel low crested structure (Lido di Dante Ravenna, Italy). For the period 2004-2009, 84 intertidal beach bathymetries and shorelines at the zero sea level were used as indicators to assess beach changes in between a number of selected surveys and to determine characteristic patterns of the beach response to storm events from different directions. Variations in the shoreline at the zero sea levels have been quantified and analysed in conjunction with nearshore wave conditions and provenance linked to storm events. These fall into two categories: (1) storm events occurring during Bora (north-eastern) wind conditions and (2) storm events occurring during Scirocco (south-eastern) wind conditions. The results show that, apart from main beach advances of the whole protected beach due to nourishments periodically carried out, a marked variability is observed among the four sub-cells into which the shoreface behaviour has been separately analysed. In particular, a dependence of beach rotation in the 'artificially embayed' area on the substantially bi-directional wave climate has been shown: Bora and Scirocco storm events produce shoreline rotation in counterclockwise and clockwise directions, respectively, due to the occurrence of longshore currents in the opposite direction in the nearshore. An attempt was made to correlate the shoreface dynamics for the main rotation events (14 selected ones) to the wave attack intensity (as the total energy flux due to storm events). A relationship seems to occur (for each storm category) between the shoreline displacements estimated for each sub-cell and the total energy flux computed for inter-survey periods, supporting the occurrence of a link between the observed morphological changes and the hydrodynamic forcing associated with storm events in the five-year monitoring period. Copyright (c) 2011 JohnWiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: storm response; beach rotation; Argus video-system; Northern Adriatic Sea; coastal state indicators; LOW-CRESTED STRUCTURES; VIDEO; MORPHOLOGY; EVOLUTION; ROTATION; PROJECT

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of wind farms on population trends of breeding passerines assessing between years changes in abundance of the bird species under examination. The surveys were realized in a pilot area 4 years before and 4 after the wind farm construction, by means of the point count method. The collected data were then statistically analyzed using TRIM (TRends & Indices for Monitoring data) software, developed for the analysis of count data obtained from monitoring wildlife populations. Then, in order to evaluate whether the obtained population trends were influenced by the presence of the wind farm, they were compared with the national trends of the same passerine species during the same period. The results showed that during the wind farm construction phase some species had a decreasing trends but all of them increased their trends when the wind turbines were operating. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Wind farm; Environmental assessment; Bird populations trend; CLIMATE-CHANGE; BIRDS; IMPACTS; INDICATORS; ENERGY; CONSERVATION; FOREST

Tags: Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

The interface between field biology and technology is energizing the collection of vast quantities of environmental data. Passive acoustic monitoring, the use of unattended recording devices to capture environmental sound, is an example where technological advances have facilitated an influx of data that routinely exceeds the capacity for analysis. Computational advances, particularly the integration of machine learning approaches, will support data extraction efforts. However, the analysis and interpretation of these data will require parallel growth in conceptual and technical approaches for data analysis. Here, we use a large hand-annotated dataset to showcase analysis approaches that will become increasingly useful as datasets grow and data extraction can be partially automated. We propose and demonstrate seven technical approaches for analyzing bioacoustic data. These include the following: (1) generating species lists and descriptions of vocal variation, (2) assessing how abiotic factors (e.g., rain and wind) impact vocalization rates, (3) testing for differences in community vocalization activity across sites and habitat types, (4) quantifying the phenology of vocal activity, (5) testing for spatiotemporal correlations in vocalizations within species, (6) among species, and (7) using rarefaction analysis to quantify diversity and optimize bioacoustic sampling. To demonstrate these approaches, we sampled in 2016 and 2018 and used hand annotations of 129,866 bird vocalizations from two forests in New Hampshire, USA, including sites in the Hubbard Brook Experiment Forest where bioacoustic data could be integrated with more than 50 years of observer-based avian studies. Acoustic monitoring revealed differences in community patterns in vocalization activity between forests of different ages, as well as between nearby similar watersheds. Of numerous environmental variables that were evaluated, background noise was most clearly related to vocalization rates. The songbird community included one cluster of species where vocalization rates declined as ambient noise increased and another cluster where vocalization rates declined over the nesting season. In some common species, the number of vocalizations produced per day was correlated at scales of up to 15 km. Rarefaction analyses showed that adding sampling sites increased species detections more than adding sampling days. Although our analyses used hand-annotated data, the methods will extend readily to large-scale automated detection of vocalization events. Such data are likely to become increasingly available as autonomous recording units become more advanced, affordable, and power efficient. Passive acoustic monitoring with human or automated identification at the species level offers growing potential to complement observer-based studies of avian ecology.

Keywords: bioacoustics; biodiversity assessment; birdsong; Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest; passive acoustic monitoring; rarefaction; TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST; BIRD COMMUNITY DYNAMICS; SINGING BEHAVIOR; POPULATION; SONG; COMMUNICATION; ENERGETICS; DIVERSITY; INTENSITY; CRICKETS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

To develop mitigation measures for the protection of bats in close proximity to onshore wind turbines, new detection techniques covering large-scale environments and techniques, which are able to track individuals are required. Radar based observations, successfully applied in ornithological studies, offer a promising potential, but come with challenges regarding the comparability of measurements and noise interference (ground clutter) from objects within detection range. This paper presents improvements of a commercially available inexpensive pulse radar for 3D spatial detection of bat-sized objects in onshore wind parks. A new analytical spatial detection volume model is presented incorporating calibrated radar data and landscape parameters such as clutter. Computer simulation programs to process the analytical spatial detection volume model were developed. For model calibration, the minimum signal power of the radar was experimentally determined with the radar cross section (RCS) of an artificial bat (similar toNyctalus noctula), resulting in a maximum detection range of 800 m and a corresponding RCS of 12.7 cm(2). Additionally, the spatial volume for radar detection was optimized with a clutter shielding fence (CSF). Adjusting the volume model by incorporating a theoretical model of the CSF, an extension of the detection volume by a factor of 2.5 was achieved, while the total volume of a 105 degrees horizontal angular radar image section yields 0.0105 km(3). Extrapolation and comparison with state-of-the-art acoustic bat detection result in a 270 times larger volume, confirming the large-scale detection capabilities of the pulse radar.

Keywords: BIRD MIGRATION; QUANTIFICATION

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Submarine power cable are widely used for power transmission, such as between mainlands and offshore islands and from offshore wind farms to on-land substations. There are several ways to protect power cables from accidental loads. Protection includes concrete blankets, sand bags, bundles, tunnel-type protectors, and trenching. However, no design standard for power-cable protectors is currently available because of the varieties of cable. Thus, this paper presents anchor drop tests for a newly designed, matrix-type submarine power-cable protector assembled with reinforced concrete blocks, to make a safety assessment. Marine environments were surveyed at the target site and simulated in the test set-up. A 2-ton stock anchor was selected as the colliding object, and a 25-ton crane was prepared to drop the anchor. Preliminary tests were performed to investigate the effect of soil composition and protector arrangements on the test results. Finally, four field anchor drop test scenarios were designed, carriedout, and analyzed, and a safety assessment was made for the submarine power cable. From thetests, it was found that, in addition to falling distanced, the soil composition and saturation were significant factors for the settlemetn depth and damaged areas. Considering the settlement depth of soils, the damaged areas of the concrete blocks, and the damaged state fo the pipes (safety zone), all of the test results showed that the mattress failed to protect the power cable from the anchor collision. The deformation, damage, and breakage of pipe, which simulated the safety zone of the power cable, gave clues as to the reasons for the failure.

Keywords: anchor drop; field test; submarine power-cable protector; stock anchor

Tags: Artsgruppe:Andre termikkflygere, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Wind farms are positioned in open landscapes and may cause loss of wildlife habitat due to disturbance, fragmentation, and infrastructure development. Especially flocking geese, swans, ducks and waders are regarded as vulnerable to wind farm development. We compared past and current displacement effects of two onshore wind farms and a line of land-based turbines on spring-staging pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) to see if there was evidence of habituation. In one wind farm area, geese previously (1998) (Larsen and Madsen 2000) kept a distance of c. 200 m (the distance at which 50% of peak densities is reached) and they did not go between the turbines; today (2008) they keep a distance of c. 100 m, but do still not enter the wind farm area. In another wind farm, where foraging geese previously (2000) kept a distance of more than 100 m and did not enter the wind farm, they now (2008) forage between the wind turbines and keep a distance of c. 40 m to turbines. In 1998, geese kept a distance of 125 m to a line of turbines, compared to 50 m now. We conclude that geese have behaviorally adapted to changing landscapes created by wind farms. The difference in avoidance between the sites may be due to the sizes of the turbines which in this study were small in both rotor-swept area and in height compared to more recent "industry standard" of 2.5 and 3.0 MW turbines. The study points to the need for longer term studies to properly assess the impact of wind farms on wildlife, including consequent increased risks from inclement weather events of feeding, rafting, and migrating waterfowl.

Keywords: Anser brachyrhynchus; Disturbance; Habitat loss; Habituation; Landscape connectivity; Pink-footed goose; Wind facility; Wind turbines; PINK-FOOTED GEESE; FIELD UTILIZATION; CONNECTIVITY; BIRDS; IMPACTS; DENMARK; NEEDS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Generelt, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind turbines harness the wind—a clean, free, and widely available renewable energy source—to generate electric power. The animation  is interactive. You can start and stop the turbine’s movement, hover over parts to see their description, and use the icons in the lower right corner of the animation to switch views. A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade. When wind flows across the blade, the air pressure on one side of the blade decreases. The difference in air pressure across the two sides of the blade creates both lift and drag. The force of the lift is stronger than the drag and this causes the rotor to spin. The rotor connects to the generator, either directly (if it’s a direct drive turbine) or through a shaft and a series of gears (a gearbox) that speed up the rotation and allow for a physically smaller generator. This translation of aerodynamic force to rotation of a generator creates electricity.

Keywords: Document/Website

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Survival and emigration are two population parameters fundamental to our understanding of the demographics of avian populations. Almost nothing is known about annual survival rates and breeding site fidelity of the Common Scoter Melanitta nigra, a species whose life history traits are poorly known. Adult female annual survival is an especially important population parameter in this species, which has a male-biased sex ratio (1.2-2.0 males: 1 female on the breeding grounds, Bengtson 1972, A. Garoarsson in litt.). From a conservation management perspective, it is essential that we understand the basic population dynamics of this species, because of its susceptibility to, for instance, oil pollution incidents as a result of its aggregated non-breeding distribution (e. g. Joensen & Hansen 1977, Hughes et al. 1997). Although not generally threatened on the breeding grounds (due to its dispersed nature and remote nesting habitats), increasing development of shallow marine coastal zones (e. g. as a result of increased exploitation of mineral and biological resources, increasing shipping traffic and offshore windfarm developments) threatens moulting and wintering areas of the species. Adequate environmental impact assessment associated with such development necessitates at least a rudimentary assessment of the sensitivity of the Common Scoter to increased mortality and habitat loss, based upon demographic modelling.

Keywords: DUCKS; POPULATIONS; PHILOPATRY

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Human activities are having increasingly devastating effects on the health of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Studying the adaptive responses of animal species to changes in their habitat can be useful in mitigating this impact. Vultures represent one of the most virtuous examples of adaptation to human-induced environmental changes. Once dependent on wild ungulate populations, these birds have adapted to the epochal change resulting from the birth of agriculture and livestock domestication, maintaining their essential role as ecological scavengers. In this review, we retrace the main splitting events characterising the vultures' evolution, with particular emphasis on the Eurasian griffon Gyps fulvus. We summarise the main ecological and behavioural traits of this species, highlighting its vulnerability to elements introduced into the habitat by humans. We collected the genetic information available to date, underlining their importance for improving the management of this species, as an essential tool to support restocking practices and to protect the genetic integrity of G. fulvus. Finally, we examine the difficulties in implementing a coordination system that allows genetic information to be effectively transferred into management programs. Until a linking network is established between scientific research and management practices, the risk of losing important wildlife resources remains high.</p>

Keywords: Gyps fulvus; genetic integrity; species management; anthropogenic impacts; OLD-WORLD VULTURES; REINTRODUCED POPULATIONS; NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES; SOCIAL INFORMATION; FAMILY BOVIDAE; VETERINARY USE; WIND FARMS; SCAVENGERS; DICLOFENAC; CONSERVATION

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The offshore wind energy sector has rapidly expanded over the past two decades, providing a renewable energy solution for coastal nations. Sector development has been led in Europe, but is growing globally. Most developments to date have been in well-mixed, i.e., unstratified, shallow-waters near to shore. Sector growth is, for the first time, pushing developments to deep water, into a brand new environment: seasonally stratified shelf seas. Seasonally stratified shelf seas, where water density varies with depth, have a disproportionately key role in primary production, marine ecosystem and biogeochemical cycling. Infrastructure will directly mix stratified shelf seas. The magnitude of this mixing, additional to natural background processes, has yet to be fully quantified. If large enough it may erode shelf sea stratification. Therefore, offshore wind growth may destabilize and fundamentally change shelf sea systems. However, enhanced mixing may also positively impact some marine ecosystems. This paper sets the scene for sector development into this new environment, reviews the potential physical and environmental benefits and impacts of large scale industrialization of seasonally stratified shelf seas and identifies areas where research is required to best utilize, manage, and mitigate environmental change.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Many marine animals have evolved sensory abilities to use electric and magnetic cues in essential aspects of life history, such as to detect prey, predators and mates as well as to orientate and migrate. Potential disruption of vital cues by human activities must be understood in order to mitigate potential negative influences. Cable deployments in coastal waters are increasing worldwide, in capacity and number, owing to growing demands for electrical power and telecommunications. Increasingly, the local electromagnetic environment used by electro- and magneto-sensitive species will be altered. We quantified biologically relevant behavioural responses of the presumed, magneto-receptive American lobster and the electro-sensitive Little skate to electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions of a subsea high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission cable for domestic electricity supply. We demonstrate a striking increase in exploratory/foraging behaviour in skates in response to EMF and a more subtle exploratory response in lobsters. In addition, by directly measuring both the magnetic and electric field components of the EMF emitted by HVDC cables we found that there were DC and unexpectedly AC components. Modelling, restricted to the DC component, showed good agreement with measured results. Our cross-disciplinary study highlights the need to integrate an understanding of the natural and anthropogenic EMF environment together with the responses of sensitive animals when planning future cable deployments and predicting their environmental effects.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Land-based nutrient pollution represents a significant human threat to coral reefs globally. We examined this phenomenon in shallow seagrass and coral reef communities between the Content Keys (southern Florida Bay) and Looe Key (south of Big Pine Key) in the Lower Florida Keys by quantifying the role of physical forcing (rainfall, wind, tides) and water management on mainland South Florida to nutrient enrichment and blooms of phytoplankton, macroalgae, and seagrass epiphytes. Initial studies (Phase 1) in 1996 involved daily water quality sampling (prior to, during, and following physical forcing events) at three stations (AJ, an inshore area directly impacted by sewage discharges; PR, a nearshore patch reef located inshore of Hawk Channel; and LK, an offshore bank reef at Looe Key) to assess the spatial and temporal patterns in advection of land-based nutrients to the offshore reefs. Concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN =NH4+ +NO3- +NO2-), soluble reactive phosphor-us (SRP), and chlorophyll a increased at PR and LK following a wind event (similar to 15 knots, northeast) in mid-February. The highest DIN (mostly NH4+) and SRP concentrations of the entire study occurred at the inshore AJ during an extreme low tide in March. Following the onset of the wet season in May, mean NH4+ and chlorophyll a concentrations increased significantly to maximum seasonal values at PR and LK during summer; relatively low concentrations of NO3- and a low f-ratio (NO3-NH4++NO3-) at all stations during summer do not support the hypothesis that the seasonal phytoplankton blooms resulted from upwelling of NO3-. A bloom of the seagrass epiphyte Cladosiphon occidentalis (phaeophyta) followed the onset of the rainy season and increased NH4+ concentrations at LK, resulting in very. high epiphyte:blade ratios ( similar to 3: 1) on Thalassia testudinum. Biomass of macroalgae increased at all three stations from relatively low values (< 50 g dry wt m(-2)) in winter and early spring to higher values ( similar to 100 - 300 g dry wt m(-2)) typical of eutrophic seagrass meadows and coral reefs following the onset of the rainy season. The mean delta N-15 value of Laurencia intricata (rhodophyta) during 1996 at AJ (+4.7 parts per thousand) was within the range reported for macroalgae growing on sewage nitrogen; lower values at the more offshore PR (+ 3.1 parts per thousand) and LK (+ 2.9 parts per thousand) were at the low end of the sewage range, indicating an offshore dilution of the sewage signal during the 1996 study. However, transient increases in delta N-15 of Cladophora catanata (chlorophtyta) from similar to + 2% to + 5% at LK concurrent with elevated NH4+ concentrations following rain and/or wind events in May and July suggest episodic advection of sewage nitrogen to the offshore LK station. The Phase II study involved sampling of macroalgae for delta(15)N along a gradient from the Content Keys through Big Pine Key and offshore to LK in the summer wet season of 2000 and again in the drought of spring 2001. During the July 2000 sampling, macroalgae in nearshore waters around Big Pine Key had elevated delta(15)N values (similar to + 4parts per thousand) characteristic of sewage enrichment; lower values (similar to + 2parts per thousand) at LK were similar to values reported for macroalgae in upstream waters of we That pattern contrasted with the drought sampling in March 2001, when delta(15)N values of macroalgae were elevated (+ 6parts per thousand) to levels characteristic of sewage enrichment over a broad spatial scale from the Content Keys to LK. These results suggest that regional-scale agricultural runoff from the mainland Everglades watersheds as well as local sewage discharges from the Florida Keys are both significant nitrogen sources supporting eutrophication and algal blooms in seagrass and coral reef communities in the Lower Florida Keys. Hydrological and physical forcing mechanisms, including rainfall, water management on the South Florida mainland, wind, and tides, regulate the relative importance and variability of these anthropogenic nitrogen inputs over gradients extending to the offshore waters of the Florida Reef Tract. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: nitrogen; phosphorus; eutrophication; coral; seagrass; phytoplankton; macroalgae; GREAT-BARRIER-REEF; MACROALGAL BLOOMS; GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE; THALASSIA-TESTUDINUM; SURFACE WATERS; EUTROPHICATION; PHOSPHORUS; PATTERNS; INPUTS; FLUX

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Barriere, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Capsule Patterns in the frequency and co-occurrence of anthropogenic pressures associated with suitable breeding habitat for Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus demonstrates the need for specific, focussed management and policy options aimed at mitigating impacts on this threatened population. Aims To describe anthropogenic pressures and threats in the upland breeding range of Hen Harriers and to explore their potential impacts on the declining Hen Harrier population. Methods We used text mining, mixed-effects models, principal component analysis and clustering methods to explore anthropogenic pressures on suitable breeding and foraging habitats for Hen Harriers in Ireland, based on the 2015 national breeding Hen Harrier survey data. Results Mixed-effects models described a strong influence of agriculture, forestry, predator activity, and recreational activities on survey areas that contained Hen Harrier territories. Cluster analyses described three discrete pressure clusters and showed consistent co-occurrence of independent pressures. Conclusions Areas of suitable habitat for Hen Harriers in the uplands overlap with areas that experience anthropogenic pressures known to negatively impact on this vulnerable bird species. Combined with clear evidence for the co-occurrence of multiple pressures at a regional scale, this demonstrates a clear need for statutory agencies to consider the potential cumulative impacts of individual pressures when developing conservation strategies for Hen Harriers.

Keywords: HUMAN DISTURBANCE; WIND FARMS; CONSERVATION; RECREATION; HABITAT; SUCCESS; PREDATORS; CONFLICTS; RESPONSES; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This document is Appendix E-1 from the Final Environmental Assessment LEEDCo Project Icebreaker Lake Erie, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The proposed Icebreaker Wind demonstration project will include installation of six wind turbines, 8 to 10 miles offshore of Cleveland, Ohio in the Central Basin of Lake Erie. The turbines will be placed in water depths ranging from 58 feet to 63 feet, each with a nameplate capacity of 3.45 megawatts (MW) for a total generating capacity of 20.7 MW. The facility is expected to operate for approximately 8,200 hours annually, and have an approximate capacity factor of 41.1%, generating approximately 75,000 megawatt- hours (MWh) of electricity each year. A 2.3-mile buried electric cable will connect the six turbines, and an approximate 9.3-mile buried electric cable will connect the turbines to the Cleveland Public Power Lake Road substation.  The purpose of this report is to document the field methods, results, and analysis carried out in 2016 to support the Icebreaker Wind project. LimnoTech, under contract to Icebreaker Windpower, Inc., led a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to collect site specific data at the site of and in the vicninity of the proposed Offshore Wind (OSW) demonstration project in Lake Erie. The report includes the following major sections: Project introduction (Section 1) Sampling methods (Section 2) Results and discussion (Section 3) Conclusion (Section 4) References (Section 5) Appendices

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This document is Appendix E-2 from the Final Environmental Assessment LEEDCo Project Icebreaker Lake Erie, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The proposed Icebreaker Wind demonstration project will include installation of six wind turbines, 8 to 10 miles offshore of Cleveland, Ohio in the Central Basin of Lake Erie. The turbines will be placed in water depths ranging from 58 feet to 63 feet, each with a nameplate capacity of 3.45 megawatts (MW) for a total generating capacity of 20.7 MW. A 2.3-mile buried electric cable will connect the six turbines, and an approximate 9.3-mile buried electric cable will connect the turbines to the Cleveland Public Power Lake Road substation. The purpose of this report is to document the field methods, results, and analysis carried out in 2017 to support the Icebreaker Wind project. LimnoTech, under contract to Icebreaker Windpower, Inc., led a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to collect site specific data at the site of and in the vicinity of the proposed Offshore Wind (OSW) demonstration project in Lake Erie. The report includes the following major sections: Project introduction (Section 1) Sampling methods (Section 2) Results and discussion (Section 3) Conclusion (Section 4) References (Section 5) Appendices

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

This document is Appendix I from the Final Environmental Assessment LEEDCo Project Icebreaker Lake Erie, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. This document summarizes the relevant ecological issues affecting offshore wind development in Lake Erie that have been identified by experts. The report characterizes the site chosen by Icebreaker Windpower, Inc. (Icebreaker Windpower) for Icebreaker Wind, the six turbine demonstration project 8 to 10 miles off the shore of Cleveland, Ohio and assesses the potential aquatic ecological impact of the project on Lake Erie. This assessment was done utilizing a weight of evidence approach based on information presented from the following sources: Review of risk factor maps created by Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to specifically map out key aquatic habitats and areas of low and high potential impact from offshore wind across the Ohio Waters of Lake Erie. Review of recent reports authored by experts from around the Great Lakes region as part of the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative (GLWC) to identify categories of impacts from offshore wind in the Great Lakes. Review of other studies and reports from similar projects in Lake Erie, on the east coast of the U.S., and abroad where offshore wind (OSW) turbines have been installed in freshwater. Collection of site specific ecological data in 2016 at the proposed project site to validate the impact assessments contained in GLWC reports and in ODNR’s risk analysis maps. A project team led by LimnoTech with support from Ohio State University and Cornell University identified relevant potential impact categories from ODNR and GLWC documents. These major impact categories included: Aquatic habitat alteration during and after construction Noise impacts during and after construction Electromagnetic field impacts from electric cables Sediment disturbance Physical changes to wind, waves, and currents on the lake The primary receptors for these potential impacts would include the following: Fish, which includes all growth stages including larval, juvenile, and adult Zooplankton and phytoplankton Benthic macroinvertebrates Humans that use the lake’s resources for fishing, boating, swimming, and a source of drinking water A review of the available information from federal, state, universities, and site specific data collected as part of the project concludes that Icebreaker Wind poses minimal risk to the aquatic ecological resources of Lake Erie. This conclusion was based on the following major assessment outcomes: Aquatic habitat alteration Sediment disturbance Noise Fish movement/behavior Physical lake conditions The 2016 aquatic data collection by LimnoTech was conducted under the guidance of ODNR with review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A comprehensive sampling plan was developed to guide the 2016 monitoring and characterization effort and to meet the requirements of the submerged lands lease from ODNR (ODNR, 2013). The sampling plan was first drafted in May 2016, but has undergone minor revisions after review with ODNR and USFWS. The latest version is dated January 23, 2017 (LimnoTech 2017). ODNR, USFWS and Icebreaker Windpower are finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which details the annual level of sampling and analysis that Icebreaker Windpower will be required to perform during all pre-, during-, and post- construction phases of the project. ODNR and USFWS will review monitoring data and address any discrepancies between the assessment of potential impacts and results from monitoring data.  It is our assessment that the scientific weight of evidence presented here shows that Icebreaker Wind presents minimal risk to the aquatic ecosystem. Ongoing engagement with regulators through ecosystem monitoring, adaptive management, and stakeholder engagement will address any other concerns.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Kyst, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Biomass such as agricultural residues, energy crops and yard waste has significant potential to be used as renewable feedstocks for production of fuels, chemicals and energy. However, in a given location, biomass availability, cost and quality can vary markedly. Strategies to manage these traits must be identified and implemented so that consistent low-cost and high-quality feedstocks can be delivered to biorefineries year round. In this study, we examine air classification as a method to mitigate high ash concentrations in corn stover, switchgrass, and grass clippings. Formulation techniques were then used to produce blends that met ash quality and biomass quantity specifications at the lowest possible cost for biopower and biochemical conversion applications. It was found that air classification can separate the biomass into light fractions which contain concentrated amounts of elemental ash components introduced through soil contamination such as sodium, alumina, silica, iron and titania; and heavy fractions that are depleted in these components and have relatively lower total ash content. Light fractions of corn stover and grass clippings were found to be suitable for combustion applications since they had less propensity to slag than the whole biomass material. The remaining heavy fractions of corn stover or grass clippings could then be blended with switchgrass to produce blends that met the 5% total ash specifications suggested for biochemical conversions. However, ternary blends of the three feedstocks were not possible due to the high ash content of grass clippings. It was determined that air classification by itself was not suitable to prepare these feedstocks for pyrolysis due to high ash content. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Air classification; Formulation; Biochemical conversion; Biopower; Quality; Ash; BIOMASS; COAL; PRETREATMENT; PERFORMANCE; WOOD; ASH

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Assessment of the displacement impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds is impeded by a lack of evidence regarding species-specific reactions to developed sites and the potential ecological consequences faced by displaced individuals. In this study, we present a method that makes best use of the currently limited understanding of displacement impacts. The combination of a matrix table displaying the full range of potential displacement and mortality levels together with seasonal potential biological removal (PBR) assessments provides a tool that increases confidence in the conclusions of impact assessments. If unrealistic displacement levels arid/or mortality rates are required to equal or approach seasonal PBRs, this gives an indication of the likeliness of adverse impacts on the assessed population. This approach is demonstrated by assessing the displacement impacts of an offshore wind farm cluster in the German North Sea on the local common guillemot (Uric aalge) population. (c) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Displacement; Assessment; Offshore wind; Ecological consequence; Matrix; Common guillemot; DENSITY-DEPENDENCE; BIRD POPULATIONS; NORTH-SEA; COMPETITION; IMPACTS; FOOD; VULNERABILITY; CONSEQUENCES; MORTALITY; DECISIONS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

The aqueous phase reforming (APR) of glycerol is an attractive yet challenging pathway to convert abundant biomass into value added hydrogen. Pt catalysts have received attention due to their ability to produce hydrogen-rich gas under APR conditions. In this work, the conversion of glycerol into hydrogen is demonstrated using Pt0.05CeXZr0.95-XO2 (x = 0, 0.29, 0.475, 0.66 and 0.95) solid solution catalysts. Both characteristic (XRD, BET, H-2-TPR, CO-chemisorption, TEM and XPS) and reactivity measurements were used to investigate the activity of the catalysts. Results indicated that reactivity depended on the Ce/Zr ratio, which in turn affected the Pt oxidation state, active metal dispersion and surface area, and particle size. Among these catalysts Pt0.05Ce0.475Zr0.475O2 showed the highest carbon to gas conversion (95%), highest H-2 yield (93%), highest H-2 selectivity (98%) and at least 50 h of stability. The overall catalytic performance decreased in the order Pt0.05Ce0.475Zr0.475O2 > Pt0.05Ce0.29Zr0.66O2 > Pt0.05Zr0.95O2 > Pt0.05Ce0.66Zr0.29O2 > Pt0.05Ce0.95O2. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: PtCeZrO2; Solid solution catalysts; Glycerol; Aqueous phase reforming; Renewable hydrogen; WATER-GAS SHIFT; SUPPORTED PLATINUM CATALYSTS; SELECTIVE CO OXIDATION; ETHYLENE-GLYCOL; RENEWABLE HYDROGEN; OXYGENATED HYDROCARBONS; BIMETALLIC CATALYSTS; MESOPOROUS CARBON; RHENIUM CATALYSTS; METAL-CATALYSTS

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Artificial substrates associated with renewable offshore energy infrastructure, such as floating offshore wind farms, enable the establishment of benthic communities with a taxonomic composition similar to that of naturally occurring rocky intertidal habitats. The size of the biodiversity impact and the structural changes in benthic habitats will depend on the selected locations. The aim of the study is to assess colonisation and zonation, quantify diversity and abundance, and identify any non-indigenous species present within the wind farm area, as well as to describe changes in the epifouling growth between 2018 and 2020, with regards to coverage and thickness. This article is based on work undertaken within the offshore floating Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, the first floating offshore wind park established in the world, located approximately 25 km east of Peterhead, Scotland. The floating pilot park is situated in water depths of approximately 120 m, with a seabed characterised predominantly by sand and gravel substrates with occasional patches of mixed sediments. The study utilised a work class remotely operated vehicle with a mounted high-definition video camera, deployed from the survey vessel M/V Stril Explorer. A total of 41 structures, as well as their associated sub-components, including turbines substructures, mooring lines, suction anchors and infield cables, were analysed with regards to diversity, abundance, colonisation, coverage and zonation. This approach provides comprehensive coverage of whole structures in a safe and time-saving manner. A total of 11 phyla with 121 different taxa were observed, with macrofauna as well as macroalgae and filamentous algae being identified on the different structures. The submerged turbines measured approximately 80 m in height and exhibited distinct patterns of zonation. Plumose anemones (Metridium senile) and tube-building fan worms (Spirobranchus sp.) dominated the bottom and mid-sections (80–20 m) of the turbines, while kelp and other Phaeophyceae with blue mussels (Mytilus spp.) dominated top sections of the turbines (20–0 m). A general increase in the coverage of the epifouling growth between 2018 and 2020 was observed, whereas the change in thickness between years was more variable.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Species protection of birds and permit procedure of wind power projects-particulary on section 4 of the Species Protection Act and its relation to the EU Birds Directive and EU law …

Keywords: NA

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Offshore wind farms are rapidly being permitted along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Exposure of northern gannet (Morus bassanus) to multiple wind farms could affect the population because gannets are vulnerable to both displacement and collision. A critical question is whether wind-farm siting decisions can reduce cumulative exposure of gannets. We quantified how 3 different wind-farm siting scenarios would cumulatively expose gannets. Two independent gannet abundance data sets were used to ensure robustness of the analysis: 1) individual tracking data from birds captured in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States from 2012-2015 and 2) relative abundance models developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from surveys conducted from 1978-2014 along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Our results indicate that for initial development, projects sited close to shore and in shallow areas exposed gannets at the greatest rates; however, no siting scenario effectively avoided exposing gannets because of the birds' broad distribution across the outer continental shelf. These findings suggest that gannets will be cumulatively exposed regardless of siting scenario and management actions should focus on efforts to minimize adverse effects at each wind farm rather than avoiding exposure through siting decisions. (c) 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: avoidance mitigation; cumulative effects; exposure; mitigation; Morus bassanus; northern gannet; offshore wind farm; VULNERABILITY; SEABIRDS; TRACKING; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Kyst, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

When wildlife habitat overlaps with industrial development animals may be harmed. Because wildlife and people select resources to maximize biological fitness and economic return, respectively, we estimated risk, the probability of eagles encountering and being affected by turbines, by overlaying models of resource selection for each entity. This conceptual framework can be applied across multiple spatial scales to understand and mitigate impacts of industry on wildlife. We estimated risk to Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) from wind energy development in 3 topographically distinct regions of the central Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania (United States) based on models of resource selection of wind facilities (n = 43) and of northbound migrating eagles (n = 30). Risk to eagles from wind energy was greatest in the Ridge and Valley region; all 24 eagles that passed through that region used the highest risk landscapes at least once during low altitude flight. In contrast, only half of the birds that entered the Allegheny Plateau region used highest risk landscapes and none did in the Allegheny Mountains. Likewise, in the Allegheny Mountains, the majority of wind turbines (56%) were situated in poor eagle habitat; thus, risk to eagles is lower there than in the Ridge and Valley, where only 1% of turbines are in poor eagle habitat. Risk within individual facilities was extremely variable; on average, facilities had 11% (SD 23; range= 0-100%) of turbines in highest risk landscapes and 26% (SD 30; range= 0-85%) of turbines in the lowest risk landscapes. Our results provide a mechanism for relocating high-risk turbines, and they show the feasibility of this novel and highly adaptable framework for managing risk of harm to wildlife from industrial development. Evaluacion del Riesgo para las Aves por el Desarrollo de Energia Eolica Industrial Mediante Modelos de Seleccion de Recursos Pareados. Resumen Cuando el habitat de la fauna silvestre se traslapa con el desarrollo industrial, los animales pueden resultar afectados. Como la fauna silvestre y la gente seleccionan recursos para maximizar la aptitud biologica y el reingreso economico, respectivamente; estimamos el riesgo y la probabilidad de que las aguilas entren en contacto y sean afectadas por las turbinas al sobreponer modelos de la seleccion de recursos para cada entidad. Este marco de trabajo conceptual puede aplicarse en multiples escalas espaciales para entender y mitigar los impactos de la industria sobre la fauna silvestre. Estimamos el riesgo para el aguila dorada (Aquila chrysaetos) a partir del desarrollo de energia eolica en tres regiones distintas topograficamente de la parte central de las montanas Apalaches en Pennsylvania (E.U.A) basandonos en modelos de seleccion de recursos de las instalaciones eolicas (n= 43) y de las aguilas que migraban hacia el norte (n= 30). El riesgo para las aguilas fue mayor en las zonas de la Cresta y del Valle; las 24 aguilas que pasaron por esa region usaron los paisajes con alto riesgo por lo menos una vez durante el vuelo de poca altitud. En contraste, solo la mitad de las aves que entraron a la region de la Meseta Allegheny usaron paisajes de alto riesgo y ninguna los uso en las montanas Allegheny. Asi mismo, en las montanas Allegheny, la mayoria de las turbinas eolicas (56%) estaban situadas en un habitat pobre para las aguilas; por esto el riesgo para las aguilas es mas bajo aqui que en el Risco y el Valle, donde solamente el 1% de las turbinas se encuentran en un habitat pobre para las aguilas. El riesgo dentro de las instalaciones individuales fue extremadamente variable: en promedio, las instalaciones tuvieron un 11% (SD 23; rango= 0 - 100%) de las turbinas en paisajes de alto riesgo y un 26% (SD 30; rango= 0 - 85%) de las turbinas en los paisajes con riesgo mas bajo. Nuestros resultados proporcionan un mecanismo para reubicar a las turbinas de alto riesgo y muestran la factibilidad de este marco de trabajo novedoso y altamente adaptable para manejar el riesgo de danar a la fauna silvestre con el desarrollo industrial.

Keywords: birds; Golden Eagle; habitat modeling; risk assessment; spatial ecology; wind energy development; aguila dorada; aves; desarrollo de energia eolica; ecologia espacial; estudio de riesgo; modelado de habitat; AQUILA-CHRYSAETOS; MORTALITY; CONSERVATION; RAPTOR; FATALITY; TURBINES; FARMS; RATES; AREA

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

1. The aim of this guidance is to assist SNH staff, when advising on a windfarm proposal for which an adverse impact on bird populations is predicted, in coming to a view as to whether that impact should be considered sufficiently significant for SNH to be concerned. 2. The guidance will assist when assessing windfarm proposals in the wider countryside, where impacts do not affect notified interests or qualifying features of designated sites (SSSI, SPA, SAC or Ramsar sites). The guidance takes account of the legal and policy obligations applying where designated sites are not affected, including obligations in the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and National Planning Guidance (NPPG 14). A separate information paper is available which sets out how this guidance relates to European and national legislation and Government policy. 3. This guidance should not be used where impacts may affect SSSIs, SPAs, SACs or Ramsar sites. Different guidance applies, as these sites are under more specific legal obligations. 4. The guidance may be used whenever a windfarm proposal involves a potential impact on birds that does not affect designated sites, and that impact has been quantified or estimated in terms of the overall effect on the species populations. The general approach to judging significance may have wider applicability to other forms of development, such as forestry, and to species other than birds, but this guidance is tailored to the impacts of windfarms on birds. 5. The guidance should be used alongside the guidance in the SNH Environmental Impact Assessment Handbook and Appendix V of the SNH Local Authorities Handbook. 6. The guidance will be principally used at the stage of assessing a proposal. However, where an Environmental Impact Assessment is required, the guidance should also be referred to at scoping stage to help in identifying those bird species for which there is the potential for significant adverse impact and which therefore should be considered in some depth within the Environmental Statement.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Presently, onshore wind turbine densities are increasing in many countries. The “crowding” of wind turbines in especially the urban fringe and in more densely populated rural areas is expected to meet resistance. However, few studies have to date analysed the cumulative effects of wind power on the social acceptance of wind power. We shed light on this issue and find that the attitude towards increasing the onshore wind power capacity in Denmark is significantly influenced by the number of turbines people see on a daily basis. However, we find that this effect is conditional on having a wind turbine in the viewshed from the permanent or summer residence. Accordingly, if people cannot see an onshore wind turbine from their permanent or summer residence we do not find significant evidence of cumulative effects on attitude. Furthermore, if we hypothesise that an increase in the wind power capacity is implemented by replacing smaller wind turbines with larger ones, we find that the cumulative effects are reduced also among respondents having onshore wind turbines in the viewshed. This suggests that alternative strategies for increasing the onshore wind power capacity can have significant impact on social acceptance.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

The application of a biological traits analysis, in the present study, has allowed benthic habitat sensitivities and their risk of impact to be mapped at a spatial scale appropriate for the assessment of the North Sea ecoregion. This study considered habitat impacts associated with five important marine sectors; bottom fishing, marine aggregate dredging, sediment disposal, renewable energy devices (tidal, waves, and wind) and the oil and gas sectors, both individually and cumulatively. The significance of the “actual” footprint of impact arising from these human activities and their associated pressures (sediment abrasion, sediment removal, smothering, and placement of hard structures) is presented and discussed. Notable differences in sensitivity to activities are seen depending on habitat type. Some of the more substantial changes in benthic habitat function evaluated are potentially associated with the placement of hard structures in shallow mobile sedimentary habitats, which result in a shift in habitat dominated by small, short-living infaunal species, to a habitat dominated by larger, longer-lived, sessile epibenthic suspension feeders. In contrast, the impacts of bottom fishing, dredging and disposal activities are all assessed to be most severe when executed in deep, sedimentary habitats. Such assessments are important in supporting policies (e.g. spatial planning) directed towards ensuring sustainable “blue-growth,” through a better understanding of the potential ecological impacts associated with human activities operating across different habitat types. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the spatial extent of selected human activities and their impacts on seabed habitats using a biological trait-based sensitivity analysis.

Keywords: Document/Journal Article

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Our purpose is to provide researchers, consultants, decision-makers, and other stakeholders with guidance to methods and metrics for investigating nocturnally active birds and bats in relation to utility-scale wind-energy development. The primary objectives of such studies are to 1) assess potential impacts on resident and migratory species, 2) quantify fatality rates on resident and migratory populations, 3) determine the causes of bird and bat fatalities, and 4) develop, assess, and implement methods for reducing risks to bird and bat populations and their habitats. We describe methods and tools and their uses, discuss limitations, assumptions, and data interpretation, present case studies and examples, and offer suggestions for improving studies on nocturnally active birds and bats in relation to wind-energy development. We suggest best practices for research and monitoring studies using selected methods and metrics, but this is not intended as cookbook. We caution that each proposed and executed study will be different, and that decisions about which methods and metrics to use will depend upon several considerations, including study objectives, expected and realized risks to bird and bat populations, as well as budgetary and logistical considerations. Developed to complement and extend the existing National Wind Coordinating Committee document "Methods and Metrics for Assessing Impacts of Wind Energy Facilities on Wildlife" (Anderson et al. 1999), we provide information that stakeholders can use to aid in evaluating potential and actual impacts of wind power development on nocturnally active birds and bats. We hope that decision-makers will find these guidelines helpful as they assemble information needed to support the permitting process, and that the public will use this guidance document as they participate in the permitting processes. We further hope that the wind industry will find valuable guidance from this document when 1) complying with data requirements as a part of the permitting process, 2) evaluating sites for potential development, 3) assessing impacts of operational wind-energy facilities, and 4) mitigating local and cumulative impacts on nocturnally active birds and bats.

Keywords: bats; birds; methods; metrics; migration; wind energy; ECHOLOCATION CALLS; MARBLED MURRELETS; WILDLIFE POPULATIONS; RADAR OBSERVATIONS; STABLE-ISOTOPES; BREEDING ORIGINS; MIGRATING BIRDS; GENETIC-MARKERS; FLIGHT BEHAVIOR; RADIO-TRACKING

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

With diminishing seabird populations and little knowledge on incidental bycatch in fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic, this study aimed to screen seabird bycatch in Norwegian coastal fisheries in 2009. The purpose was to 1) quantify magnitude of seabird bycatch rates and estimate total bycatch from the entire fleet by different estimators 2) evaluate data from an access point survey against monitoring data from a reference fleet as methods for collecting data on bycatch mortality of seabirds and 3) give advice on further bycatch studies. The study focused on three small-vessel fisheries (< 15 m LOA) outside Northern Norway; the coastal cod (gillnet and manual longline) and lumpfish (gillnet) fisheries and the more offshore Greenland halibut longline fishery. We found no correlation between landed catch and bycatch and upscaling was made based on number of fishing trips. In these fisheries, northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis outnumbered the other species and constituted almost half of the overall bycatch, totalling about 5500 (mostly on longlines) of the > 11 000 birds estimated caught. The black guillemot Cepphus gryllealso stood out as a numerous victim, constituting almost two thirds of the > 3000 birds estimated to have drowned in lumpfish gillnets. The two methods were both considered to hold merit and yielded approximately similar estimates of the bycatch in the coastal cod fisheries, however BPUE differs. Further studies are recommended especially on the lumpfish gillnet and Greenland halibut longline fisheries and on temporal and spatial variations in bycatch. More studies are also needed to model effects on seabirds at the population level. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Keywords: Unintentional bycatch; Waterbirds; Small vessel fishery; Gillnets; Longlines; Northeast Atlantic

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norge, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Quantifying the impact of anthropogenic development on local populations is important for conservation biology and wildlife management. However, these local populations are often subject to demographic stochasticity because of their small population size. Traditional modeling efforts such as population projection matrices do not consider this source of variation whereas individual-based models, which include demographic stochasticity, are computationally intense and lack analytical tractability. One compromise between approaches is branching process models because they accommodate demographic stochasticity and are easily calculated. These models are known within some sub-fields of probability and mathematical ecology but are not often applied in conservation biology and applied ecology. We applied branching process models to quantitatively compare and prioritize species locally vulnerable to the development of wind energy facilities. Specifically, we examined species vulnerability using branching process models for four representative species: A cave bat (a long-lived, low fecundity species), a tree bat (short-lived, moderate fecundity species), a grassland songbird (a short-lived, high fecundity species), and an eagle (a long-lived, slow maturation species). Wind turbine-induced mortality has been observed for all of these species types, raising conservation concerns. We simulated different mortality rates from wind farms while calculating local extinction probabilities. The longer-lived species types (e.g., cave bats and eagles) had much more pronounced transitions from low extinction risk to high extinction risk than short-lived species types (e.g., tree bats and grassland songbirds). High-offspring-producing species types had a much greater variability in baseline risk of extinction than the lower-offspring-producing species types. Long-lived species types may appear stable until a critical level of incidental mortality occurs. After this threshold, the risk of extirpation for a local population may rapidly increase with only minimal increases in wind mortality. Conservation biologists and wildlife managers may need to consider this mortality pattern when issuing take permits and developing monitoring protocols for wind facilities. We also describe how our branching process models may be generalized across a wider range of species for a larger assessment project and then describe how our methods may be applied to other stressors in addition to wind.

Keywords: endangered species assessment; population assessment; wind turbine mortality; WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME; AVIAN MORTALITY; BAT FATALITIES; INDIANA BAT; BIRD; IMPACTS; RISK

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Artsgruppe:Spurvefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Human activity influences wildlife. However, the ecological and conservation significances of these influences are difficult to predict and depend on their population-level consequences. This difficulty arises partly because of information gaps, and partly because the data on stressors are usually collected in a count-based manner (e.g., number of dead animals) that is difficult to translate into rate-based estimates important to infer population-level consequences (e.g., changes in mortality or population growth rates). However, ongoing methodological developments can provide information to make this transition. Here, we synthesize tools from multiple fields of study to propose an overarching, spatially explicit framework to assess population-level consequences of anthropogenic stressors on terrestrial wildlife. A key component of this process is using ecological information from affected animals to upscale from count-based field data on individuals to rate-based demographic inference. The five steps to this framework are (1) framing the problem to identify species, populations, and assessment parameters; (2) field-based measurement of the effect of the stressor on individuals; (3) characterizing the location and size of the populations of interest; (4) demographic modeling for those populations; and (5) assessing the significance of stressor-induced changes in demographic rates. The tools required for each of these steps are well developed, and some have been used in conjunction with each other, but the entire group has not previously been unified together as we do in this framework. We detail these steps and then illustrate their application for two species affected by different anthropogenic stressors. In our examples, we use stable hydrogen isotope data to infer a catchment area describing the geographic origins of affected individuals, as the basis to estimate population size for that area. These examples reveal unexpectedly greater potential risks from stressors for the more common and widely distributed species. This work illustrates key strengths of the framework but also important areas for subsequent theoretical and technical development to make it still more broadly applicable.

Keywords: anthropogenic stressors; bats; birds; demographic impacts; integrated population model; renewable energy; stable isotope analysis; WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; HUMAN-CAUSED MORTALITY; GENETIC-MARKERS; BIRDS; CONSERVATION; MIGRATION; MODELS; BATS; ABUNDANCE; FATALITY

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Chronic marine oil pollution is an ongoing global problem, yet no model currently exists to assess seabird mortality from continuous low-level inputs of oil. Taking into account persistence and detection rates of birds on beaches, and the wind-dependent proportion of birds lost at sea, we present a general mathematical Oiled Seabird Mortality Model (OSMM) to assess seabird mortality due to chronic oil pollution along a given coastline, using birds counted during systematic beached-bird surveys. We applied our OSMM to Newfoundland, Canada, where the incidence of chronic oil pollution is among the highest in world. We estimated that between 1998 and 2000, an average of 315,000 +/- 65,000 murres (common L Uria aalge] and thick-billed [ U. lomvia]) and dovekies (Alle alle) were killed annually in southeastern Newfoundland due to illegal discharges of oil from ships. Thick-billed murres that over-winter on the Grand Banks made up 67% of this kill. This species already is subject to extensive summer and winter hunting in Greenland, as well as winter hunting in Newfoundland, which harvests an additional 250,000-300,000 birds/year. Although populations remain stable, these levels of sustained mortality make thick-billed murre populations vulnerable to pulse perturbations and ocean regime shifts and hamper our ability to set harvest at sustainable levels.

Keywords: chronic; dovekies; model; mortality; murres; Newfoundland; oil; pollution; seabirds; BEACHED BIRD SURVEYS; SPILL; POLLUTION; NEWFOUNDLAND; PERSISTENCE; INGESTION; CARCASSES; ALASKA; ISLAND

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The expansion of wind energy over large areas may be accompanied by major conflicts with birds, including birds of prey. Hence, it is desirable that the space use of species known to be vulnerable to wind energy be assessed in light of current and future developments. Here, we report on the large-scale dispersal movements of pre-breeding white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Finland, where a currently modest wind-energy capacity is expected to increase in the near future. We studied white-tailed eagle space use with a particular focus on the potential for annual power production (GWh) at specific locations, as estimated by the Finnish Wind Atlas. Also, we aimed to detect a potential human-wildlife conflict by assessing white-tailed eagle space use against the spatial distribution of existing and recently proposed wind farms. We found that, despite visiting a large proportion of the country, the eagles stayed primarily within coastal areas and islands, restricted to where human infrastructure was present only at very small amounts. Because of the distribution of wind resources, such areas were found to contain considerable potential for power production. The eagles visited most of the areas targeted for wind-energy development. However, these areas did not coincide with a higher-than-average eagle relocation frequency, suggesting that the existing and recently proposed wind farms do not represent an elevated threat to dispersing eagles. Caution should nevertheless be taken against interpreting that co-occurrence poses no threat at any given site, as site selection is paramount to avoid conflicts with avian conservation.

Keywords: Raptors; Turbine; Renewable energy; Conservation; Landscape ecology; Land use; MORTALITY; NORWAY; FARMS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Geografi:Norge, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The Northern Great Plains (NGP) contains much of the remaining temperate grasslands, an ecosystem that is one of the most converted and least protected in the world. Within the NGP, the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) provides important habitat for >50% of North America's breeding waterfowl and many species of shorebirds, waterbirds, and grassland songbirds. This region also has high wind energy potential, but the effects of wind energy developments on migratory and resident bird and bat populations in the NGP remains understudied. This is troubling considering >2,200 wind turbines are actively generating power in the region and numerous wind energy projects have been proposed for development in the future. Our objectives were to estimate avian and bat fatality rates for wind turbines situated in cropland- and grassland-dominated landscapes, document species at high risk to direct mortality, and assess the influence of habitat variables on waterfowl mortality at 2 wind farms in the NGP. From 10 March to 7 June 2013-2014, we completed 2,398 searches around turbines for carcasses at the Tatanka Wind Farm (TAWF) and the Edgeley-Kulm Wind Farm (EKWF) in South Dakota and North Dakota. During spring, we found 92 turbine-related mortalities comprising 33 species and documented a greater diversity of species (n=30) killed at TAWF (predominately grassland) than at EKWF (n=9; predominately agricultural fields). After accounting for detection rates, we estimated spring mortality of 1.86 (SE=0.22) deaths/megawatt (MW) at TAWF and 2.55 (SE=0.51) deaths/MW at EKWF. Waterfowl spring (Mar-Jun) fatality rates were 0.79 (SE=0.11) and 0.91 (SE=0.10) deaths/MW at TAWF and EKWF, respectively. Our results suggest that future wind facility siting decisions consider avoiding grassland habitats and locate turbines in pre-existing fragmented and converted habitat outside of high densities of breeding waterfowl and major migration corridors. (c) 2016 The Wildlife Society.

Keywords: bat; bird; carcass; collision; fatality; mortality; turbine; wildlife; wind energy; PRAIRIE POTHOLE REGION; COLLISION MORTALITY; BAT FATALITIES; LAND-USE; BIRD; TURBINES; PATTERNS; IMPACTS; FARMS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Renewable energy is an increasingly important part of Scotland’s economic, social and environmental success. The pace of renewable developments has increased rapidly in recent years and windfarms are now familiar sights in many parts of the country. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) supports the development of onshore windfarms and recognises the many benefits they bring. However, their cumulative impacts on the natural heritage need to be carefully considered to ensure that these are acceptable. The increasing development of on-shore windfarms has led to concerns about cumulative impacts in some locations as was illustrated in the debate in the Scottish Parliament on 1 December 2011. During the debate Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy Enterprise and Tourism observed: “The Scottish planning system is committed to delivery of increased renewable energy capacity. It also seeks to safeguard communities and the environment… The main issue has perhaps been cumulative impact, which is already a key consideration in decision making. In determinations, planning authorities and the Scottish Government will continue to draw on planning policy and advice from SNH. ” Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) highlights that cumulative impacts may present an eventual limit to the extent of onshore wind development and the increased need to consider cumulative impacts in the decision making process (SPP para 189). This guidance therefore seeks to identify methodologies which can be used to assess cumulative impacts. The guidance is aimed at public bodies, developers and consultants involved in onshore wind energy development. It sets out methods to be used to assess cumulative impacts on landscapes and birds. It is not possible to provide generic advice on the significance of cumulative effects, which need to be assessed on a case by case basis against other guidance. Although the guidance concentrates on the particular issue of assessing the cumulative effects of more than one windfarm development, the methods may also be helpful when considering the cumulative impact of other forms of development. Impacts on other natural heritage interests, such as habitats and protected species require to be addressed on a case by case basis as it is not possible to provide meaningful generic guidance. Cumulative impacts are just one of many issues that have to be considered in order to make good development happen in the right places. We have produced guidance on a range of other issues to be considered during the design and assessment of windfarms. Further guidance and information, for example Siting and Designing windfarms in the landscape.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

State-mandated renewable portfolio standards affect substantial portions of the total U.S. electricity supply. Renewable portfolio standards are environmentally motivated policies, yet they have the potential to greatly impact economy. There is not an agreement in the literature on the impact of renewable portfolio standards policies on regional economies, especially on job creation. By integrating various methodologies including econometrics, geographic information system, and input-output analysis into a unique system dynamics model, this paper estimates the economic and environmental impacts of various renewable portfolio standards scenarios in the state of New Mexico, located in Southwestern U.S. The state is endowed with traditional fossil fuel resources and substantial renewable energy potential. In this work we estimated and compared the economic and environmental tradeoffs at the county level under three renewable portfolio standards: New Mexico's original standard of 20% renewables, the recently adopted 100% renewables standard, and a reduced renewable standard of 10%. The final one would be a return to a more traditional generation profile. We found that while the 20% standard has the highest market-based economic impact on the state as a whole, it is not significantly different from other scenarios. However, when environmental impacts are included, the 100% standard yields the highest value. In addition, while the state level economic impacts across the three scenarios are not significantly different, the county-level impacts are substantial. This is especially important for a state like New Mexico, which has a high reliance on energy for economic development. A higher renewable portfolio standard appears to be an economic tool to stimulate targeted areas' economic growth. These results have policy implications.

Keywords: renewable portfolio standards; employment; economic output; water use; greenhouse gases; emissions; social benefits; WIND POWER; AVIAN MORTALITY; SYSTEM DYNAMICS; AIR-POLLUTION; ENERGY; BENEFITS; SOLAR; COST

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) view groups of three or fewer wind turbines with an o utput greater than 50kW to be ‘small-scale wind energy’, even when the turbines themselves might be quite large. This small-scale wind energy development makes a valuable contribution to managing climate change, but it is important to ensure that it happens in the right places and that natural heritage impacts are minimised. There is however a limit to the engagement SNH is able to have with individual small-scale wind energy proposals, and this will normally be restricted to proposals that require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), or where a protected area is likely to be affected (see our Service Statement for Planning &amp; Development). This guidance aims to help applic ants and planning authorities consider the natural heritage impact of small-scale wind energy proposals without the need for direct input from SNH. The guidance seeks to promote a consistent and proportionate level of assessment, but ultimately it is for the planning authority to determine what is required. In some locations this may differ from what we suggest. For smaller wind energy development of less than 50kW, please refer to our guidance on micro-renewables.

Keywords: Document/Report

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Offshore wind farms are rapidly being permitted along the East Coast of the US, and with subsequent development could cumulatively affect seabird populations. Yet, the seabird guilds most likely at risk of cumulative effects have not been identified. Assessments of cumulative effects must first calculate the cumulative exposure of seabirds to areas suitable for offshore wind farms and then estimate how exposure will affect populations. This paper addresses this first need, and quantifies how three different wind farm siting scenarios could cumulatively expose seven seabird foraging guilds. The coastal bottom gleaner guild (sea ducks) would be exposed at similar rates regardless of siting decision, while other coastal guilds would be exposed at a higher rate when projects are built in shallow areas and close to shore rather than in high-wind areas. The pelagic seabird guild would be exposed at high rates when projects are built in high-wind areas. There was no single offshore wind siting scenario that reduced the cumulative exposure for all guilds. Based upon these findings, we identify the foraging guilds most likely to be cumulatively exposed and propose an approach for siting and mitigation that may reduce cumulative exposure for all guilds.

Keywords: offshore wind farm; cumulative effects; mitigation; exposure; seabirds; guild; MARINE BIRDS; COLLISION RISK; FLIGHT HEIGHTS; FARMS; VULNERABILITY; BEHAVIOR; PROJECTS; IMPACTS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Kyst, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Governments and developers are pursuing offshore wind energy to address climate change, but multiple wind farms may cumulatively affect wildlife populations. Assessments of cumulative effects must first calculate the cumulative exposure of a wildlife population to a hazard and then estimate how the exposure will affect the population. Our research responds to the first need by developing a model designed to assess how different wind farm siting scenarios cumulatively expose wildlife. The model assesses cumulative exposure by identifying all locations where development could occur, placing wind farms within this suitability layer, and then overlaying wind engineering and biological data sets. The first model output is a graphical representation of how offshore wind farm siting decisions affect wildlife cumulative exposure. The second output is an index that ranks which offshore wind farm siting decisions will have the greatest influence on wildlife cumulative exposure. Together these outputs provide stakeholders with valuable information that could be used to guide siting and management decisions.

Keywords: Offshore wind farm; Wildlife; Cumulative effects; Exposure; Mitigation; Adverse effects; VULNERABILITY; SEABIRDS; FARMS; BIRDS; POPULATIONS; COLLISION; PROJECTS; IMPACTS; SCALE; MODEL

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Energy production by wind turbines has many advantages. The wind is a renewable energy that does not emit greenhouse gases and has caused a considerable increase in wind farms around the world. However, this type of energy is not completely free of impact. In particular, wind turbines displace and kill a wide variety of wild species what forces us to plan their location well. In any case, the determination of the effects of wind farms on fauna, especially the flying one, is difficult to determine and depends on several factors. In this work, we will try to establish a mathematical algorithm that allows us to combine all variables that affect the species with the idea of quantifying the effect that can cause the installation of a wind farm with certain characteristics in a given place. We have considered specific parameters of wind farms, the most relevant environmental characteristics related to the location of the wind farm, and morphological, ethological and legal characteristics in the species. Two types of assessment are established for the definitive valuation. Total Assessment and Weighted Assessment. Total Valuation is established based on a reference scale that will allow us to establish categories of affection for the different species while Weighted valuation allows us to establish which species are most affected.

Keywords: ENERGY DEVELOPMENT METHODS; BIRD COLLISIONS; BAT FATALITY; MORTALITY; TURBINES; IMPACTS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

Aim The United States Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has considerable offshore wind energy potential. Capturing that resource is part of a broader effort to reduce CO(2)emissions. While few turbines have been constructed in U.S. waters, over a dozen currently planned offshore wind projects have the potential to displace marine birds, potentially leading to effective habitat loss. We focused on three diving birds identified in Europe to be vulnerable to displacement. Our research aimed to determine their potential exposure to areas designated or proposed for offshore wind development along the Atlantic OCS. Methods Satellite tracking technology was used to determine the spatial and temporal use and movement patterns of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata), Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) and Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus), and calculate their exposure to each offshore wind area. We tagged 236 adults in 2012-2015 on the Atlantic OCS from New Jersey to North Carolina; an additional 147 birds tagged in previous tracking studies were integrated into our analyses. Tracking data were analysed in two-week intervals using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models to develop composite spatial utilization distributions. For each species, these distributions were then used to calculate the spatio-temporal exposure to each offshore wind area. Results Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons were exposed to offshore wind areas almost exclusively during migration because these species were distributed among coastal and inshore waters during winter months. In contrast, Northern Gannets ranged over a much larger area, reaching farther offshore and south in winter, thus exhibited the greatest exposure to extant offshore wind areas. Conclusions Results of this study provide better understanding of how diving birds use current and potential future offshore wind areas on the Atlantic OCS, and can inform permitting, risk assessment and pre- and post-construction impact assessments of offshore energy infrastructure.

Keywords: Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf; diving birds; Northern Gannet; offshore wind energy; Red-throated Loon; spatial use; Surf Scoter; wildlife tracking; WINTERING COMMON; COLLISION RISK; HOME-RANGE; FARMS; MIGRATION; SEABIRDS; VULNERABILITY; IMPACTS; SUPPORT; LOONS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Generelt, Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Geografi:Nordlige halvkule (uten Europa), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Advances in technology and engineering, along with European Union renewable energy targets, have stimulated a rapid growth of the wind power sector. Wind farms contribute to carbon emission reductions, but there is a need to ensure that these structures do not adversely impact the populations that interact with them, particularly birds. We developed movement models based on observed avoidance responses of common eider Somateria mollissima to wind farms to predict, and identify potential measures to reduce, impacts. Flight trajectory data that were collected post-construction of the Danish Nysted offshore wind farm were used to parameterize competing models of bird movements around turbines. The model most closely fitting the observed data incorporated individual variation in the minimum distance at which birds responded to the turbines. We show how such models can contribute to the spatial planning of wind farms by assessing their extent, turbine spacing and configurations on the probability of birds passing between the turbines. Avian movement models can make new contributions to environmental assessments of wind farm developments, and provide insights into how to reduce impacts that can be identified at the planning stage.

Keywords: environmental impact assessment; barriers to movement; collision; common eider; Somateria mollissima; Nysted offshore wind farm; DIRECTION; PATTERNS; BARRIERS; ECOLOGY

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Solar energy is a promising alternative to reduce South Africa's dependency on electricity generation from fossil fuels, since the country has one of the world's most favourable solar energy regimes. Utility-scale solar energy developments can impact bird communities through habitat loss and collision mortality, but there are few studies of the impacts of utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) facilities on birds. This study reports how one of South Africa's largest PV facilities (96 MW, 180 ha) has altered bird communities and assesses the risk of avian collision mortality. Bird species richness and density within the PV facility (38 species, 1.80 +/- 0.50 birds.ha(-1)) tended to be lower than the boundary zone (50 species, 2.63 +/- 0.86 birds.ha(-1)) and adjacent untransformed land (47 species, 2.57 +/- 0.86 birds.ha(-1)). Only eight fatalities were detected during 3 months of surveys of the solar field for bird carcasses and other signs of collisions. The extrapolated mortality for the facility was 435 (95% CI 133-805) birds per year (4.5 bird fatalities.MW-1.yr(-1); 95% CI, 1.5-8.5). No threatened species were impacted by the PV facility, but further data are required to better understand the risk of PV solar energy developments on birds. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Solar energy; Avian collision mortality; Searcher efficiency trials; Carcass persistence trials; Habitat loss; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; RENEWABLE ENERGY; WILDLIFE CONSERVATION; AVIAN MORTALITY; POWER-LINES; WIND; ELECTROCUTION; COLLISIONS; DIVERSITY; FATALITY

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

The potential effects of the proposed increase in wind energy developments on birds are explored using information from studies of existing wind farms. Evidence of the four main effects, collision, displacement due to disturbance, barrier effects and habitat loss, is presented and discussed. The consequences of such effects may be direct mortality or more subtle changes to condition and breeding success. The requirements for assessing the impact of future developments are summarized, including relevant environmental legislation and appropriate methods for undertaking baseline surveys and post-construction monitoring, with particular emphasis on the rapidly developing area of offshore wind farm assessments. Mitigation measures which have the potential to minimize impacts are also summarized. Finally, recent developments in the monitoring and research of wind energy impacts on birds are outlined and some areas for future work are described.

Keywords: COLLISION RISK; MORTALITY; TURBINES

Tags: Effekt:Barriere, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

We evaluated the collision risk of Galapagos Petrels Pterodroma phaeopygia with a wind energy development recently constructed in the highlands of San Cristbal Island, Galapagos. Trained observers recorded the movements of petrels at dusk and dawn from the wind project site, and from control sites located along ravines that host nesting colonies. Collision mortality was also assessed by monitoring circular plots and transect lines located under human-made structures. Petrel flight activity showed a bimodal pattern, with the majority of the movements recorded in the hours previous to sunrise. Most petrels (96%) moved along major ravines that descend from the highlands to the south-southeastern coast of the island. Significant differences in passage rates were found between the project and control sites, with only five petrels recorded on the site selected for turbine installation. Although our data suggest that wind farms will not be more detrimental to petrels than other existing man-made structures, a word of caution is made because even very low levels of additional mortality might be significant for a species with such low productivity and slow maturation rates. Moreover, some other possible indirect effects on habitat change and disturbance might occur that were not assessed in our study. A post-construction monitoring program should be implemented to adequately assess long-term effects on petrels and to enable these uncertainties to be satisfactorily addressed.

Keywords: Collision risk; Flight patterns; Galapagos Islands; Galapagos Petrel; Wind turbines; DARK-RUMPED PETREL; ENERGY DEVELOPMENT; HAWAIIAN PETREL; CONSERVATION; BIRDS; VOCALIZATIONS; SHEARWATERS; MORTALITY; MOVEMENT; PATTERNS

Tags: Artsgruppe:Sjøfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Kyst, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Understanding the factors driving departure decisions from stopover sites is critical when predicting the dynamics of bird migration. We investigated the interactive effects of wind, tidal characteristics, and precipitation on the departure decisions of the Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea I. leucorodia from a major coastal stopover locality in northern Iberia. Most departing Spoonbills (>80%) crossed an adjacent mountain range to follow a direct route over inland Iberia, while the remainder made a detour following an indirect coastal route along the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. During four consecutive autumns, we daily monitored departing Spoonbills leaving along these two routes. The birds taking the inland route, crossing unsuitable habitats and needing therefore higher fuel-loads, departed preferentially under favourable tailwind conditions (TWC). This represented a significant increase in distance covered and/or a decrease in energy spent per unit time. Moreover, Spoonbills taking the inland route often departed during spring tides. For the indirect coastal route, TWC did not affect the onset of migration but bird departures increased with neap tides. Precipitation and date were negatively correlated with departures towards both routes, whereas Spoonbill density at the stopover had a positive effect. Our findings provide empirical support for the role that wind assistance may play for Spoonbills to resume migration.

Keywords: departure decisions; ecological barriers; migratory strategies; Spoonbill; tides; waterbirds; wind assistance; KNOTS CALIDRIS-CANUTUS; LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHTS; GRUS-GRUS MIGRATION; NONSTOP FLIGHT; ERITHACUS-RUBECULA; NORTHERN WHEATEARS; EUROPEAN ROBINS; BIRD MIGRATION; WIND; OENANTHE

Tags: Artsgruppe:Vadefugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Europa (uten Norden/Skandinavia), Habitat:Alpint, Habitat:Kyst, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Ja

The risk of collision with wind turbines remains a critical issue for bird conservation. Undoubtedly, for the continued development of wind farms to increase the energy capacity, wind farm locations must be carefully chosen going forward. This can be achieved not only by avoiding areas with higher bird densities but also by avoiding installations at sensitive distances from their ecologically important land-use types. Through analyses of the Euclidean distances to the different land-use types, we utilized the random forest (RF) machine learning algorithm to model the distance-based impacts of wind turbine locations on detected bird collisions for the frequently-hit groups of birds at WTs. Although, the predicted areas with potential collision risk in total had a small but highly dispersed expanse of similar to 2,130 km(2) across the vast 29,479 km(2) area of the federal state. Our results further segregated these assessed areas based on their different probabilities of collision thresholds (between 0 and 1) to only detect the areas with collision probabilities <.05, which were interpreted as the actual "no risk areas". These "no risk areas" summed to a total of merely 754 km(2) of the land space in Brandenburg, suggesting that any further planned additions of wind energy farms in the state that is, the proposed wind turbines, to be suitably positioned only in these safer areas. Additionally, the study also enabled the identification of any existing wind turbines already installed in the remaining less safe 28,725 km(2) area of the state. These areas are also essential to be include in the collision detection surveys and bird population dynamic studies. This would further our understanding regarding the deleterious consequences of collisions at the population levels of birds, eventually helping in the formulation of adequate mitigation measures.

Keywords: bird collisions; Euclidean distance; land-use types; random forest; wind energy structures; SKYLARKS ALAUDA-ARVENSIS; HABITAT USE; HOME-RANGE; RANDOM FORESTS; BAT FATALITY; BIRD; RAPTORS; ENERGY; BEHAVIOR; IMPACTS

Tags: Effekt:Kollisjon, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

A great deal has been published in the scientific literature regarding the effects of wind energy development and operation on volant (flying) wildlife including birds and bats, although knowledge of how to mitigate negative impacts is still imperfect. We reviewed the peer-reviewed scientific literature for information on the known and potential effects of utility-scale wind energy development and operation (USWEDO) on terrestrial and marine non-volant wildlife and found that very little has been published on the topic. Following a similar review for solar energy we identified known and potential effects due to construction and eventual decommissioning of wind energy facilities. Many of the effects are similar and include direct mortality, environmental impacts of destruction and modification of habitat including impacts of roads, and offsite impacts related to construction material acquisition, processing and transportation. Known and potential effects due to operation and maintenance of facilities include habitat fragmentation and barriers to gene flow, as well as effects due to noise, vibration and shadow flicker, electromagnetic field generation, macro- and micro-climate change, predator attraction, and increased fire risk. The scarcity of before-after-control-impact studies hinders the ability to rigorously quantify the effects of USWEDO on non-volant wildlife. We conclude that more empirical data are currently needed to fully assess the impact of USWEDO on non-volant wildlife. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Desert tortoise; Impacts; Terrestrial; marine wildlife; Turbine; Wind energy; WINTER HABITAT SELECTION; RENEWABLE-ENERGY; DESERT TORTOISE; GOPHERUS-AGASSIZII; ANTIPREDATOR BEHAVIOR; ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT; SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; BAT FATALITIES; MOJAVE DESERT; MULE DEER

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind-energy expansion raises concerns over its potential impacts on bird populations. Birds may be affected directly via collision with turbines or indirectly via habitat loss or displacement due to disturbance. Species with long generation times, low reproductive output or high habitat specialisation are more likely to be impacted. Using national-scale breeding bird distributions, we applied a quantitative prioritisation method to assess the vulnerability of species to onshore wind-energy developments in Finland. We assessed 214 species that regularly breed in the country. Each species was assigned a priority score based on a combination of life-history traits, habitat specialisation, exposure to wind energy and conservation status. We found that the priority scores varied markedly between species, allowing a distinction between a minority of high-ranked species and a majority of low-ranked species. High-ranked species included terns (e.g., Sternula albifrons), raptors (e.g., Aquila chrysaetos), gulls (e.g., Larus fuscus), some forest-dwelling passerines (e.g., Poecile montanus) and ducks (e.g., Aythya ferina). Low-ranked species included woodpeckers (e.g., Picus canus) and many passerines. Our results indicate that the priority species are not limited to the more highly regarded large raptors, and that wind-energy impact assessments need to pay special attention to high-ranked species inhabiting coastal areas.

Keywords: FARMS; IMPACTS; MORTALITY; BARRIERS; TURBINES; SUCCESS; EAGLES

Tags: Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Norden/Skandinavia (uten Norge), Habitat:Skog, Stilling:Onshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Offshore wind farms may affect bird populations through collision mortality and displacement. Given the pressures to develop offshore wind farms, there is an urgent need to assess population-level impacts on protected marine birds. Here we refine an approach to assess aspects of their ecology that influence population vulnerability to wind farm impacts, also taking into account the conservation importance of each species. Flight height appears to be a key factor influencing collision mortality risk but improved data on flight heights of marine birds are needed. Collision index calculations identify populations of gulls, white-tailed eagles, northern gannets and skuas as of particularly high concern in Scottish waters. Displacement index calculations identify populations of divers and common scoters as most vulnerable to population-level impacts of displacement, but these are likely to be less evident than impacts of collision mortality. The collision and displacement indices developed here for Scottish marine bird populations could be applied to populations elsewhere, and this approach will help in identifying likely impacts of future offshore wind farms on marine birds and prioritising monitoring programmes, at least until data on macro-avoidance rates become available. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Marine birds; Offshore wind farms; Adverse effects; Renewable energy; Population vulnerability; Collision mortality; Displacement index; RADAR OBSERVATIONS; ACTIVITY PATTERNS; SEABIRDS; MIGRATION; TURBINES; SENSITIVITY; CONSERVATION; MORTALITY; TRACKING; BEHAVIOR

Tags: Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Offshore, Stilling:Offshore, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources in the United States and has the potential to reduce the use of traditional nonrenewable energy. However, there is concern for potential short-and long-term influences on wildlife populations, such as bird collisions with turbine blades, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and habitat avoidance. Bird flight heights are indicative of collision risks, but knowledge of their distributions is limited. Our goal was to examine the diurnal flight heights of bird species to assess which are at greatest risk of collision with wind turbine blades. During October 2008-August 2009, we estimated the flight heights of 66 bird species at a planned wind energy facility on the southern Great Plains. Flight heights were estimated by measuring angle of incline with a clinometer and ground distance with a laser rangefinder. Previous work has been limited to flight height measurements categorized to site-specific rotor swept zone (RSZ) specifications that has resulted in limited applicability to other wind turbine RSZ specifications. Our research is distinctive because it provides more resolution in flight height estimates than those categorized into bins and allows application to wind turbines with different RSZs. We found that the flight heights of six bird species varied among seasons, indicating their risk of collision changed throughout the year. Observations indicated that the average flight heights of 28 bird species were within the potential RSZ (32-124 m above ground level) at our study site and that two species exhibited mean flight heights above the RSZ. Fifteen of those species were wetland-associated species, 7 were raptor or vulture species, and 6 were listed as species of greatest conservation need by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. We observed 14 bird species (1 vulture, 2 raptors, 7 wetland-associated species, and 4 passerines or other species) with greater than 25% of their observed flight heights within the RSZ. Our results indicate that raptors and wetland-associated species are the avian groups at greatest risk of collision with wind turbines due to their diurnal flight heights. However, the resolution of our data will allow assessment of which bird species are at greatest risk of collision for various wind turbine specifications. This information can help guide site assessment and placement for wind energy facilities across the southern Great Plains and help mitigate potential collision impacts on bird species.

Keywords: behavior; flight height; Llano Estacado Plateau; raptor; Texas High Plains; wetland birds; wind energy; FLIGHT HEIGHTS; FARMS; MORTALITY; ENERGY; CONSERVATION; MINNESOTA; MIGRATION; FATALITY; BEHAVIOR; RADAR

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Kollisjon, Effekt:Unnvikelse, Geografi:Annet, Habitat:Generelt, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei

We assessed the utility of the recommended golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) survey methodology in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2013 Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance. We conducted 800-m radius, 1-hr point-count surveys broken into 20-min segments, during 2 sampling periods in 3 areas within the Intermountain West of the United States over 2 consecutive breeding seasons during 2012 and 2013. Our goal was to measure the influence of different survey time intervals and sampling periods on detectability and use estimates of golden eagles among different locations. Our results suggest that a less intensive effort (i.e., survey duration shorter than 1 hr and point-count survey radii smaller than 800m) would likely be inadequate for rigorous documentation of golden eagle occurrence pre- or postconstruction of wind energy facilities. Results from a simulation analysis of detection probabilities and survey effort suggest that greater temporal and spatial effort could make point-count surveys more applicable for evaluating golden eagle occurrence in survey areas; however, increased effort would increase financial costs associated with additional person-hours and logistics (e.g., fuel, lodging). Future surveys can benefit from a pilot study and careful consideration of prior information about counts or densities of golden eagles in the survey area before developing a survey design. If information is lacking, survey planning may be best served by assuming low detection rates and increasing the temporal and spatial effort. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Keywords: Aquila chrysaetos; golden eagle; point count; survey frequency; survey protocol; BIRD MORTALITY; SITE OCCUPANCY; CALIFORNIA; DYNAMICS; RATES

Tags: Artsgruppe:Rovfugl, Effekt:Annet, Geografi:Annet, Stilling:Annet, Virkninger omtalt:Nei