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Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: Implications for Conservation

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Bat Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation

Abstract

At a time of growing concern over the rising costs and long-term environmental impacts from the use of fossil fuels, wind energy has become an increasingly important sector of the electrical power industry. However, large numbers of bats are being killed at utility-scale wind energy facilities, and these fatalities raise important concerns about cumulative impacts of proposed wind energy development on bat populations. We discuss our current state of knowledge on patterns of bat fatalities at wind facilities, present new information on cumulative fatalities in the USA and Canada, and present findings from mitigation studies. Given the magnitude and extent of fatalities of bats worldwide, the conservation implications of understanding and mitigating bat fatalities at wind energy facilities are critically important.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate reports shared with us by Western Ecosystems Technology, Stantec, Golder, TransAlta Wind, and several other companies. We are grateful to C. Martin and N. Quintana, Texas Tech University, for assisting with the development of our stratification criteria for regions. This chapter was greatly enhanced by reviews from R. Adams, S. Pedersen, and an anonymous reviewer. We dedicate this chapter to our friend and colleague David Redell, whom we lost way too soon. We also dedicate our work to Dr. Thomas Kunz for all of his wisdom, knowledge, and efforts in regard to wind energy impacts on bats.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, 3604 Canter Ln., Loveland, CO, 80537, USA

    Edward B. Arnett

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Erin F. Baerwald

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  1. Edward B. Arnett
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  2. Erin F. Baerwald
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Correspondence to Edward B. Arnett .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, USA

    Rick A. Adams

  2. Department of Biology, South Dakota State, Brookings, South Dakota, USA

    Scott C. Pedersen

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Arnett, E.B., Baerwald, E.F. (2013). Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: Implications for Conservation. In: Adams, R., Pedersen, S. (eds) Bat Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7397-8_21

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