Wind energy development and wildlife conservation in Lithuania: A mapping tool for conflict assessment

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 1; p. e0227735
• Main Authors: Morkūnė, Rasa, Marčiukaitis, Mantas, Jurkin, Viačeslav, Gecevičius, Giedrius, Morkūnas, Julius, Raudonikis, Liutauras, Markevičius, Antanas, Narščius, Aleksas, Gasiūnaitė, Zita R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.01.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Animal Distribution - physiology; Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Bird migration; Birds; Birds - physiology; Breeding; Chiroptera; Chiroptera - physiology; Coasts; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; Conservation status; Current distribution; Decision making; Earth Sciences; Ecological Parameter Monitoring - methods; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Electricity distribution; Emissions; Energy conservation; Energy resources; Engineering and Technology; Environmental assessment; Environmental impact assessment; Greenhouse gases; Lithuania; Mapping; Migratory birds; Migratory species; Models, Biological; Mortality; Municipalities; People and places; Planning; Renewable energy; Renewable resources; Sensitivity analysis; Social Sciences; Software; Supervision; Sustainable Development; Turbines; Wildlife conservation; Wind; Wind effects; Wind energy; Wind farms; Wind power; Wind power generation; Wind speed; Lithuania
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227735

The paper presents a mapping tool aiming to identify and minimise potential conflicts between onshore wind energy development and wildlife conservation in Lithuania. It merges current information on the distribution, conservation status and sensitivity of birds and bats to wind power with an integrated evaluation of wind resources (modelled wind speed), special planning status and technical perspectives of wind energy development. The paper includes assessment of the selected wildlife species which were described as sensitive to wind power (69 breeding and 43 migratory bird species and 17 bat species bats in the country). Used species level information allowed the precise identification of sensitive territories and might be used to mitigate negative wind farm effects using special measures based on species behavior. Finally, we delivered overlaps as possible conflicts among the most promising wind farm areas and the areas with high sensitivity in relation to bird and bat distribution. These overlaps point to the required attention and relevant decisions that are needed to ensure sustainable development of wind energy throughout the country. We suggest this tool for initial determination of appropriate areas for wind energy development in the country and as supplement to Environmental Impact Assessment.