https://www.nature.com/articles/s4 [login to see] 4-9?MessageRunDetailID= [login to see] &PostID=25703583&utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io
The research focussed on Pipistrellus species, which were by far the most abundant bats recorded at these sites. P. pipistrellus activity was 37% higher at turbines than at control locations, whereas P. pygmaeus activity was consistent with no attraction or repulsion by turbines. Given that more than 50% of bat fatalities in Europe are P. pipistrellus, these findings help explain why Environmental Impact Assessments conducted before the installation of turbines are poor predictors of actual fatality rates.
Recently, we showed that pre-construction acoustic surveys, which form part of Environmental Impact Assessments, are poor predictors of bat casualties at wind farms13. Understanding whether this is because bats are actively attracted to turbines is fundamental in designing appropriate risk assessments, as pre-construction surveys are not good indicators of collision risk if turbines themselves are attractive features.
In summary, in a broad survey across the UK, we found evidence that at least one common bat species had higher activity at wind turbines. Coupled with earlier work, this suggests assessing potential impacts of turbines on bats is not straight forward, and operation mitigation is likely to be vital in reducing turbine impacts on bat populations.
It's always interesting to see what happens in regulatory agencies when something considered good (wind turbans) can also cause loss of critical species.