Wildlife and mammals

Study Overview

  • Title: Responses of Birds and Mammals to Long-Established Wind Farms in India

  • Authors: Honnavalli N. Kumara, S. Babu, G. Babu Rao, and others

  • Focus: Assessing the impact of wind farms on avian and mammalian biodiversity in Karnataka, India.

Background

  • Wind Energy: Recognized as a clean energy source with low environmental impact but poses risks to biodiversity.

  • Conservation Concerns: Wind turbine collisions significantly affect migratory birds; impacts on terrestrial mammals are less understood.

  • Study Duration: January 2016 - May 2018.

  • Study Location: Central Karnataka, specifically in Chitradurga and Gadag districts.

Methodology

Data Collection Techniques

  • Carcass Searches: To quantify animal collisions (birds and bats).

  • Bird Population Assessment: Fixed radius point count to evaluate bird diversity and abundance.

  • Mammal Occupancy Assessment: Occupancy framework to determine terrestrial mammal distribution.

  • Study Sites: Wind turbine sites compared with control sites without wind turbines.

Carcass Search Procedures

  • Search Parameters: Monitored 15-14 turbines at various sites, searching a 120m radius for dead animals weekly.

  • Record Keeping: Species, sex, carcass status, location, and environmental conditions documented.

  • Mean Annual Fatality Rate: 0.26 animals per turbine per year.

Bird Diversity Assessment

  • Data Collection: Point count methodology at both control and wind turbine sites between June 2016 and May 2017.

  • Parameters Measured: Species richness, abundance, and functional composition of birds.

  • Sampling Techniques: Fixed-radius point counts and vantage counts for raptors.

Mammal Distribution Study

  • Timing: Conducted during the dry season (Jan-May 2018) using camera traps to monitor mammal presence.

  • Study Area: Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary, adjusting for human activity by excluding agriculture-dominant grid cells.

Results

Bird and Mammal Responses

  • Species Richness and Abundance: Higher in control sites compared to turbine sites, indicating avoidance of wind farms.

  • **Mammal Occupancies Affected by Wind Turbines:

    • Species such as Blackbuck and Golden Jackal less likely to occupy areas with more turbines.

    • Blacknaped Hare showed no significant avoidance of turbines but varied in habitat preferences.

Specific Findings

  • Collision Rates: Slightly elevated in some sites (higher in Chitradurga than Gadag).

  • Diversity Analysis: Significant differences in species composition between control and turbine sites.

    • Functional guilds like frugivores, granivores, and insectivores exhibited noticeable differences.

Conservation Implications

  • Management Recommendations: Mitigation measures necessary to reduce impacts on wildlife.

  • Habitat Protection: Retaining portions of natural habitats undisturbed by wind energy infrastructure is urged.

  • Long-Term Monitoring: Required to ongoing assess impacts of existing wind farms on local biodiversity.

  • Wind Farm Location Considerations: Future establishments should consider animal density, migration routes, and habitat characteristics before development.

Conclusion

  • Overall Impact of Wind Farms: While direct collisions were relatively low, the long-term avoidance behaviors by certain species highlight significant management concerns regarding wind energy development and wildlife conservation.