(ORDO NEWS) — Installing wind turbines in the forest harms the bat population.
Wind power generators are considered one of the promising sources of “green” energy, which should replace oil and gas.
More than 30,000 turbines have already been installed on the German mainland to date, and suitable space is becoming increasingly scarce.
In this regard, the possibility of installing windmills in the forests is being considered. Zoologists decided to find out if it harms local animals.
Research results show that night bats are affected by wind turbines in forests for two reasons: firstly, if wind turbines are built near perches, the risk of collision with turbines increases for bats, and secondly, they lose their feeding place because they avoid wind turbines away from perches.
In their paper, the team concludes that the development of wind power in forests should be avoided or, if there is no alternative, should be carried out with great care.
To find out, the scientists recorded the flight paths of 60 bats over 1-2 nights and then analyzed them.
“We found that vespers were more likely to approach wind turbines if they were near roosts of bats,” the zoologists say. “Being very social mammals, bats use conspicuous structures as meeting places.”
The authors conclude that the wind turbine should be located at least 500 meters from the roosting sites of bats, and the loss of feeding habitat should be compensated by leaving a significant part of the forests free from windmills.
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