Windturbines and Meadow Birds in Germany. Results of a 7-Year BACI Study

Transcription

1 Windturbines and meadow birds in Germany Windturbines and Meadow Birds in Germany of a 7-Year BACI Study Marc Reichenbach & Hanjo Steinborn

2 Windturbines and meadow birds in Germany Methods Study area Location of the study area:

3 Methods Study area

4 Methods Study area

5 Methods Study design Study design Sept Dec. 2007: Breeding bird survey (10 excursions per year) Control of breeding success Staging bird survey (every days, in total 233 excursions) Mapping of land usage Habitat modelling 2003/2006 Behaviour recording ( )

6 Population trends Population trends in the wind farms and reference area Lapwing: Breeding population Number of pairs / 10 ha 2,5 2 1,5 1 0,5 0 Population trend of the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) (Density of territories) significant (p< 0,05) m =-0,0335 not significant (p> 0,05) m =-0,0948 Turbine construction not significant (p> 0,05) m =-0,1669 Construction Fiebing Construction total wind farm significant (p< 0,05) m =-0, Reference area Wind farm Hinrichsfehn Wind farm Fiebing Total wind farm Area / Year

7 Population trends Photo: Robert Lorch Photo: Klaus Reinke Photo: Gary Noon Population trends in the wind farms and reference area Negative effects on the population trend for: Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) No negative effects on the population trend for: Curlew (Numenius arquata) Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) Skylark (Alauda arvensis) Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) Partridge (Perdix perdix) Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Photo: Andreas Trepte Photo: Andreas Trepte Photo: Alan D. Wilson Photo: Daniel Pettersson

8 Windturbines and meadow birds in Germany Breeding birds: Territory centres and wind turbines Impact Gradient Design (IG) Impact gradient Wind farm Hinrichsfehn Lapwing: Breeding population Total Wind farm

9 Windturbines and meadow birds in Germany Breeding birds: Territory centres and wind turbines Impact Gradient Design (IG) Impact gradient Wind farm Hinrichsfehn Total wind farm Lapwing: Breeding population

10 Impact gradient Expected values: Breeding birds: Territory centres and wind turbines Impact Gradient Design (IG) 1. Determination of the density in the reference area 2. Calculation of the expected number of pairs in every distance class based on the reference density 3. Comparison of the real and the expected values

11 BACI / IG Number of territories Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) combined with Impact Gradient (IG) Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus ) (before turbine construction) Distance to turbine [m] Real value Expected value Number of territories Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) (after turbine construction) Distance to turbine [m] Real value Expected value Lapwing: Breeding population of the Mann-Whitney U-Test for breeding Lapwings Lapwing Distance class Real value Expected value Significance p < 0,05 p < 0,01 p > 0,05

12 BACI / IG Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) combined with Impact Gradient (IG) Significant displacement (100 m): Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) Photo: Robert Lorch Photo: Klaus Reinke Displacement (100 m, not significant): Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) Curlew (Numenius arquata) Skylark (Alauda arvensis) Photo: Andreas Trepte Photo: Andreas Trepte Number of territories Photo: Gary Noon Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus ) (before turbine construction) Distance to turbine [m] Real value Expected value No displacement: Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) Partridge (Perdix perdix) Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Photo: Alan D. Wilson Photo: Daniel Pettersson

13 Windturbines and meadow birds in Germany Staging birds: Individuals and wind turbines Impact Gradient Design (IG) Impact gradient Wind farm Hinrichsfehn Lapwing: Staging birds Total Wind farm

14 Windturbines and meadow birds in Germany Staging birds: Individuals and wind turbines Impact Gradient Design (IG) Impact gradient Wind farm Hinrichsfehn Januar 2007 December 2007 Total wind farm Lapwing: Staging birds

15 BACI / IG Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) combined with Impact Gradient (IG) Expected values: 1. Determination of the density of individuals in the reference area 2. Calculation of the expected number of individuals in every distance class based on the reference density 3. Comparison of the real and expected values

16 BACI / IG Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) combined with Impact Gradient (IG) Staging Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) in the wind farm Fiebing (before turbine construction) Staging Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) in the wind farm Fiebing (after turbine construction) Number of individuals Real value Expected value Number of individuals Real value Expected value Distance to turbine [m] Distance to turbine [m] Lapwing: Staging birds of the Mann-Whitney U-Test for staging Lapwings Lapwing Distance class Real value Expected value Significance p < 0,01 p < 0,05 p > 0,05

17 BACI / IG Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) combined with Impact Gradient (IG) Significant displacement (200 m, in single years up to 400 m): Photo: joost j. bakker Photo: Hans Hillewaert Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Significant displacement (100 m): Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) Photo: Marek Szczepanek Photo: Martin Olsson Photo: MichaelMaggs Number of individuals Staging Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) in the wind farm Fiebing (after turbine construction) Distance to turbine [m] Real value Expected value Displacement (100 m, not significant): Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) Photo: Andreas Treptes

18 BACI / IG Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) combined with Impact Gradient (IG) No displacement: Photo: Andreas Trepte Photo: J. M. Garg Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) Common Gull (Larus canus) Photo: L. B. Tettenborn Photo: Andreas Trepte Photo: Marek Szczepanek Staging Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) in the wind farm Fiebing (after turbine construction) Number of individuals Real value Expected value Photo: Andreas Trepte Distance to turbine [m]

19 Behaviour recording Curlew (Numenius arquatus) Proportion of presence [%] Behaviour recording Curlew Proportion of presence distribution of two Curlew pairs in different distance classes with different behaviour (duration = 1865,5 min) Distance to turbine [m] Searching for food Pluming / Resting All behaviour without pluming or resting Pair 1 Pair 2 Photo: Alan D. Wilson

20 Behaviour recording Curlew (Numenius arquatus) Proportion of presence [%] Behaviour recording Curlew Proportion of presence distribution of two Curlew pairs in different distance classes with different behaviour (duration = 1865,5 min) Distance to turbine [m] Searching for food Pluming / Resting All behaviour without pluming or resting Pair 1 Pair 2 Photo: Alan D. Wilson

21 Behaviour recording Curlew (Numenius arquatus) Proportion of presence [%] Behaviour recording Curlew Proportion of presence distribution of two Curlew pairs in different distance classes with different behaviour (duration = 1865,5 min) Distance to turbine [m] Searching for food Pluming / Resting All behaviour without pluming or resting Pair 1 Pair 2 Photo: Alan D. Wilson

22 Breeding success Breeding success ,8 Breeding success of the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa ) within and outside the potential influence area of the wind turbines Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) Juveniles per territory 0,6 0,4 0,2 0 n=3 n=2 n=3 n=3 n=4 n=1 n=2 n=5 n=4 n=8 n=4 n= Within 200 m Outside 200 m Years Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Juveniles per territory 1 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0 Breeding success of the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) within and outside the potential influence area of the wind turbines n=3 n=7 n=4 n=9 n=7 n=2 n= Years n=5 n=9 n=33 n=11 n=29 Within 200 m Outside 200 m

23 Land usage Territories per 10 ha. Breeding Lapwing: Preference for corn Breeding density of the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) on different land usages 3,0 2,5 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 0, Grassland Grassland with rush Corn Cereal and rape Fallow land Lapwing Breeding birds Distribution of the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) territory centres and corn fields

24 Land usage Breeding Lapwing: Avoidance of woods and hedges Lapwing Breeding birds Number of Lapwing individuals in the circular areas around random points Sum of Lapwing individuals in relation to wood 2007 y = x p < 0.05 Area of wood in the circular areas around random points No significant linear regression between the number of breeding Lapwing individuals and the distance to the next wind turbine.

25 Habitat modelling Determination of habitat quality with multiple habitat models (logistic regression) - Skylark Skylark Breeding birds Photo: Daniel Pettersson Density 2003: Wind farm area: 0,35 Territories per ha of good habitat Reference area: 0,17 Territories per ha of good habitat Density 2006: Wind farm area: 0,21 Territories per ha of good habitat Reference area: 0,35 Territories per ha of good habitat

26 Habitat modelling of the habitat modelling: Breeding density in good habitat in the wind farm area equal or higher than in the reference area no influence of the wind farm Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Pheasant (2006) Higher breeding density in the good habitat of the wind farm area in 2003, lower density in the good habitat of the wind farm area in 2006 decrease in wind farm & increase in reference area Skylark Long term effect?

27 Literature review of the literature review for the Curlew: Only 4 studies (all IG design) In Germany little or no impact In Scotland up to 800 m Different habitats Curlew (Numenius arquatus) Agricultural areas with more disturbance in Germany

28 Literature review of the literature review for the Skylark: 16 studies 2 with BACI No long term study Mostly no impact Skylark (Alauda arvensis) Again in Scotland an impact up to 200 m Photo: Daniel Pettersson

29 Conclusion Photo: Daniel Pettersson Staging birds are more sensitive than breeding birds Statistically significant displacement (breeding birds) only up to 100 m for Lapwing and Meadow Pipit Long term effects for skylark possible (displacement 100 m) Habitat parameters have more influence on distribution of breeding birds Most sensitive staging bird: Lapwing (displacement m) from other studies in other habitats can deviate Photo: Andreas Trepte vs.

30 Thank you very much for your attention! Marc Reichenbach & Hanjo Steinborn Black-tailed Godwit