Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity
International audience Abstract Renewable energy is growing at a rapid pace globally but as yet there has been little research on the effects of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) developments on bats, many species of which are threatened or protected. We conducted a paired study at 19 ground‐mo...
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ftmuseumnhn:oai:HAL:hal-04361855v1 2024-02-11T10:08:00+01:00 Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity Tinsley, Elizabeth Froidevaux, Jérémy Zsebők, Sándor Szabadi, Kriszta Lilla Jones, Gareth Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) University of Stirling University of Bristol Bristol Leverhulme Trust, Grant/Award Number: ECF-2020-57 2023-08-07 https://hal.science/hal-04361855 https://hal.science/hal-04361855/document https://hal.science/hal-04361855/file/Journal%20of%20Applied%20Ecology%20-%202023%20-%20Tinsley%20-%20Renewable%20energies%20and%20biodiversity%20%20Impact%20of%20ground%E2%80%90mounted%20solar.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14474 en eng HAL CCSD Wiley info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14474 hal-04361855 https://hal.science/hal-04361855 https://hal.science/hal-04361855/document https://hal.science/hal-04361855/file/Journal%20of%20Applied%20Ecology%20-%202023%20-%20Tinsley%20-%20Renewable%20energies%20and%20biodiversity%20%20Impact%20of%20ground%E2%80%90mounted%20solar.pdf doi:10.1111/1365-2664.14474 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 0021-8901 EISSN: 1365-2664 Journal of Applied Ecology https://hal.science/hal-04361855 Journal of Applied Ecology, 2023, 60 (9), pp.1752-1762. ⟨10.1111/1365-2664.14474⟩ [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2023 ftmuseumnhn https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14474 2024-01-24T17:21:34Z International audience Abstract Renewable energy is growing at a rapid pace globally but as yet there has been little research on the effects of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) developments on bats, many species of which are threatened or protected. We conducted a paired study at 19 ground‐mounted solar PV developments in southwest England. We used static detectors to record bat echolocation calls from boundaries (i.e. hedgerows) and central locations (open areas) at fields with solar PV development, and simultaneously at matched sites without solar PV developments (control fields). We used generalised linear mixed‐effect models to assess how solar PV developments and boundary habitat affected bat activity and species richness. The activity of six of eight species/species groups analysed was negatively affected by solar PV panels, suggesting that loss and/or fragmentation of foraging/commuting habitat is caused by ground‐mounted solar PV panels. Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Nyctalus spp. activity was lower at solar PV sites regardless of the habitat type considered. Negative impacts of solar PV panels at field boundaries were apparent for the activity of Myotis spp. and Eptesicus serotinus , and in open fields for Pipistrellus pygmaeus and Plecotus spp. Bat species richness was greater along field boundaries compared with open fields, but there was no effect of solar PV panels on species richness. Policy implications : Ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic developments have a significant negative effect on bat activity, and should be considered in appropriate planning legislation and policy. Solar photovoltaic developments should be screened in Environmental Impact Assessments for ecological impacts, and appropriate mitigation (e.g. maintaining boundaries, planting vegetation to network with surrounding foraging habitat) and monitoring should be implemented to highlight potential negative effects. Résumé Les énergies renouvelables se développent à un rythme effréné dans le monde entier, mais jusqu'à ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Pipistrellus pipistrellus Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHM): HAL Journal of Applied Ecology 60 9 1752 1762 |
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Open Polar |
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Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHM): HAL |
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ftmuseumnhn |
language |
English |
topic |
[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology |
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[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology Tinsley, Elizabeth Froidevaux, Jérémy Zsebők, Sándor Szabadi, Kriszta Lilla Jones, Gareth Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
topic_facet |
[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology |
description |
International audience Abstract Renewable energy is growing at a rapid pace globally but as yet there has been little research on the effects of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) developments on bats, many species of which are threatened or protected. We conducted a paired study at 19 ground‐mounted solar PV developments in southwest England. We used static detectors to record bat echolocation calls from boundaries (i.e. hedgerows) and central locations (open areas) at fields with solar PV development, and simultaneously at matched sites without solar PV developments (control fields). We used generalised linear mixed‐effect models to assess how solar PV developments and boundary habitat affected bat activity and species richness. The activity of six of eight species/species groups analysed was negatively affected by solar PV panels, suggesting that loss and/or fragmentation of foraging/commuting habitat is caused by ground‐mounted solar PV panels. Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Nyctalus spp. activity was lower at solar PV sites regardless of the habitat type considered. Negative impacts of solar PV panels at field boundaries were apparent for the activity of Myotis spp. and Eptesicus serotinus , and in open fields for Pipistrellus pygmaeus and Plecotus spp. Bat species richness was greater along field boundaries compared with open fields, but there was no effect of solar PV panels on species richness. Policy implications : Ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic developments have a significant negative effect on bat activity, and should be considered in appropriate planning legislation and policy. Solar photovoltaic developments should be screened in Environmental Impact Assessments for ecological impacts, and appropriate mitigation (e.g. maintaining boundaries, planting vegetation to network with surrounding foraging habitat) and monitoring should be implemented to highlight potential negative effects. Résumé Les énergies renouvelables se développent à un rythme effréné dans le monde entier, mais jusqu'à ... |
author2 |
Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO) Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) University of Stirling University of Bristol Bristol Leverhulme Trust, Grant/Award Number: ECF-2020-57 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tinsley, Elizabeth Froidevaux, Jérémy Zsebők, Sándor Szabadi, Kriszta Lilla Jones, Gareth |
author_facet |
Tinsley, Elizabeth Froidevaux, Jérémy Zsebők, Sándor Szabadi, Kriszta Lilla Jones, Gareth |
author_sort |
Tinsley, Elizabeth |
title |
Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
title_short |
Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
title_full |
Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
title_fullStr |
Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
title_full_unstemmed |
Renewable energies and biodiversity: Impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
title_sort |
renewable energies and biodiversity: impact of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic sites on bat activity |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-04361855 https://hal.science/hal-04361855/document https://hal.science/hal-04361855/file/Journal%20of%20Applied%20Ecology%20-%202023%20-%20Tinsley%20-%20Renewable%20energies%20and%20biodiversity%20%20Impact%20of%20ground%E2%80%90mounted%20solar.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14474 |
genre |
Pipistrellus pipistrellus |
genre_facet |
Pipistrellus pipistrellus |
op_source |
ISSN: 0021-8901 EISSN: 1365-2664 Journal of Applied Ecology https://hal.science/hal-04361855 Journal of Applied Ecology, 2023, 60 (9), pp.1752-1762. ⟨10.1111/1365-2664.14474⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14474 hal-04361855 https://hal.science/hal-04361855 https://hal.science/hal-04361855/document https://hal.science/hal-04361855/file/Journal%20of%20Applied%20Ecology%20-%202023%20-%20Tinsley%20-%20Renewable%20energies%20and%20biodiversity%20%20Impact%20of%20ground%E2%80%90mounted%20solar.pdf doi:10.1111/1365-2664.14474 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14474 |
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Journal of Applied Ecology |
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60 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1752 |
op_container_end_page |
1762 |
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