Bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in the Nordic-Baltic region Gunars Petersons Latvia University of Agriculture, LV-3004, Jelgava, Latvia Viesturs.

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1 Bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in the Nordic-Baltic region Gunars Petersons Latvia University of Agriculture, LV-3004, Jelgava, Latvia Viesturs Vintulis University of Latvia, LV-1586, Riga, Latvia Jens Rydell Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, SE-10648 Stockholm, Sweden

2 Swarming insects tend to concentrate at high protruding objects such as trees, towers and wind turbines

3 …en del insekter migrerar på natten på hög höjd (flera 1000 m) … i miljoner… … and this may also apply to migrating insects, including many pests … Cabbage moth Plutella xylostella Beet aphid Aphis fabae

4 Using ultrasonic echolocation, bats are experts at finding insect swarms in the open air or near land-marks Some forage at 1000 m altitude or more …

5 V = 90 m x  / 3 s = 100 m/s = 360 km/h!

6 Germany Fatality rate = 10-12 bats/turbine x year! 30 000 turbines x 10 = 300 000 bats/year! 70% are migrants born in the Nordic-Baltic region!

7 Open air bats >90% of fatalities Nyctalus noctula (Nyctalus leisleri) Pipistrellus nathusii Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) Eptesicus nilssonii Vespertilio murinus

8 Seasonal patterns

9 RegionWind farm (location) No. of FatalityReference turbines rate* NW Germany Cappel-Neufeldt (fields) 5 3.1Bach & Bach 2010 Others (8) (fields) 77 0.0Grünkorn et al. 2005 E Germany Puschwitz (woodland) 10 4.1Endl et al. 2004 Others (11) (fields) 86 1.8Endl et al. 2004 S Germany Ittenschwander Horn (peak) 2 18.3Behr et al. 2006 Rosskopf (peak) 4 26.0Brinkmann et al. 2006 Brudergarten (peak) 3 15.0Brinkmann et al. 2006 Hohe Eck (peak) 1 41.0Brinkmann et al. 2006 Schillinger Berg (peak) 2 31.6Brinkmann et al. 2006 EnglandColdham 1 (fields) 8 1.2Bioscan 2008 FranceBouin (coast line) 8 19.0Dulac 2008 * Fatality rate = number of fatalities per turbine per year, adjusted for scavenger removals and differences in searching efficiency between searchers and sites Patterns in northern Europe

10 Population effects? Population size not known for any bat anywhere

11 Revisits at wind farms in Alberta, Canada Unpublished results R. Barclay, Calgary Univ. Thanks Robert!

12 The Habitats Directive (EU) Bats of all species a) Could not be killed deliberately b) Places used for reproduction and roosting may not be damaged deliberately c) May not be disturbed deliberately during reproduction or migration Deliberately means that the actor is aware of the risk but still carries out the act

13 1.Avoid building turbines in places where many bats occur a. lakes b. wetlands c. coastline 2. Stop the turbines under critical periods Sunset-sunrise in July-August if wind speed 10 o C

14 Map: the average annual wind speed in Latvia at the height of 50 meters

15 Wind turbines surveyed in Latvia in August – September 2013 SiteNumber of turbines Number of visits Vēde 25 Sārnate 11 Alsunga 21 Saraiķi 21 Grobiņa 41 Liepāja N 113 Liepāja S 15 Dorupe - Otaņķi 27

16 Pipistrellus nathusii25 Pipistrellus pygmaeus 1 Eptesicus nilssonii 13 Vespertilio murinus 1 Species and numbers of indivudals found dead at wind turbines in Latvia 2013

17 Latvia in perspective… Country/region No visitsNo bats No bats/visitReference Latvia 34 40 1.18This study Southern Sweden 160 17 0.11Ahlén 2002 Thüringen, Germany 94 7 0.06Kusenbach 2004 Saxen, Germany6987114 0.02Seiche 2008

18 Thanks!