Dryad
Published November 17, 2022 | Version v1
Dataset Open

Hotspots in the grid: Avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and North Africa

Creators

  • 1. University of East Anglia
  • 2. CIBIO*
  • 3. British Trust for Ornithology
  • 4. Heriot-Watt University
  • 5. Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
  • 6. Estación Biológica de Doñana
  • 7. University of Amsterdam
  • 8. CIBIO
  • 9. Tour du Valat Research institute for conservation of Mediterranean wetlands*
  • 10. University of the Highlands and Islands
  • 11. Nature Research Centre, Vilnius*
  • 12. Centre of Evolutionary and Functional Ecology, CNRS Campus*
  • 13. Institute of Avian Research, Vogelwarte*
  • 14. Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • 15. Tel Aviv University
  • 16. Waldrappteam Conservation and Research*
  • 17. Environment Science and Solutions S.L. *
  • 18. Kiel University
  • 19. University of Pisa
  • 20. Sofia University
  • 21. Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • 22. Bionet Natuuronderzoek*
  • 23. Institute of Biological Problems of the North
  • 24. Netherlands Institute of Ecology
  • 25. University of Valencia
  • 26. University of Siena
  • 27. Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds and BirdLife Bulgaria*
  • 28. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
  • 29. Fund for wild Flora and Fauna, Bulgaria*
  • 30. The Vulture Conservation Foundation*
  • 31. Maremma Natural History Museum*
  • 32. Linnaeus University
  • 33. Danish Hydraulic Institute
  • 34. Hellenic Ornithological Society (BirdLife Greece)*

Description

Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) can be minimised through effective landscape-scale planning and mitigation. The identification of high-vulnerability areas is urgently needed to assess potential cumulative impacts of EI while supporting the transition to zero-carbon energy.

We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds from 27 species susceptible to collision within Europe and North Africa and identified areas where tracked birds are most at risk of colliding with existing EI. Sensitivity to EI development was estimated for wind turbines and power lines by calculating the proportion of GPS flight locations at heights where birds were at risk of collision and accounting for species' specific susceptibility to collision. We mapped the maximum collision sensitivity value obtained across all species, in each 5x5 km grid cell, across Europe and North Africa. Vulnerability to collision was obtained by overlaying the sensitivity surfaces with density of wind turbines and transmission power lines.

Results: Exposure to risk varied across the 27 species, with some species flying consistently at heights where they risk collision. For areas with sufficient tracking data within Europe and North Africa, 13.6% of the area was classified as high sensitivity to wind turbines and 9.4% was classified as high sensitivity to transmission power lines. Sensitive areas were concentrated within important migratory corridors and along coastlines. Hotspots of vulnerability to collision with wind turbines and transmission power lines (2018 data) were scattered across the study region with highest concentrations occurring in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar and the Bosporus in Turkey.

Synthesis and Applications: We identify the areas of Europe and North Africa that are most sensitive for the specific populations of birds for which sufficient GPS tracking data at high spatial resolution were available. We also map vulnerability hotspots where mitigation at existing EI should be prioritised to reduce collision risks. As tracking data availability improves our method could be applied to more species and areas to help reduce bird-EI conflicts.

Notes

The results here are intended to provide a continental scale guide to where the collision risk hotspots are for the tracked birds used in the analysis and help guide further wind farms and power line development away from the higher risk areas for birds. It is important not to assume that areas where we do not have tracking data are free from risk, therefore this analysis does not remove the need for more local scale investigations into the ecological impact of a proposed development. 

Funding provided by: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Award Number: No 727922 (Delta‐Flu)

Funding provided by: Natural England

Funding provided by: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Award Number: NPP 866.13.010

Funding provided by: Whitley Fund for Nature
Award Number: LIFE14 NAT/BG/000649

Files

Final_Submission_Files_Hotspots_Paper.zip

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