An Updated Review of Hypotheses Regarding Bat Attraction to Wind Turbines

dc.contributor.authorGuest, Emma
dc.contributor.authorStamps, Brittany
dc.contributor.authorDurish, Nevin
dc.contributor.authorHale, Amanda
dc.contributor.authorHein, Cris D.
dc.contributor.authorMorton, Brogan
dc.contributor.authorWeaver, Sara
dc.contributor.authorFritts, Sarah R.
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-21T18:28:18Z
dc.date.available2022-11-21T18:28:18Z
dc.date.issued2022-01-31
dc.description.abstractPatterns of bat activity and mortalities at wind energy facilities suggest that bats are attracted to wind turbines based on bat behavioral responses to wind turbines. For example, current monitoring efforts suggest that bat activity increases post-wind turbine construction, with bats making multiple passes near wind turbines. We separated the attraction hypothesis into five previously proposed explanations of bat interactions at or near wind turbines, including attraction based on noise, roost sites, foraging and water, mating behavior, and lights, and one new hypothesis regarding olfaction, and provide a state of the knowledge in 2022. Our review indicates that future research should prioritize attraction based on social behaviors, such as mating and scent-marking, as this aspect of the attraction hypothesis has many postulates and remains the most unclear. Relatively more data regarding attraction to wind turbines based on lighting and noise emission exist, and these data indicate that these are unlikely attractants. Analyzing attraction at the species-level should be prioritized because of differences in foraging, flight, and social behavior among bat species. Lastly, research assessing bat attraction at various scales, such as the turbine or facility scale, is lacking, which could provide important insights for both wind turbine siting decisions and bat mortality minimization strategies. Identifying the causes of bat interactions with wind turbines is critical for developing effective impact minimization strategies.
dc.description.departmentBiology
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent12 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationGuest, E. E., Stamps, B. F., Durish, N. D., Hale, A. M., Hein, C. D., Morton, B. P., Weaver, S. P., & Fritts, S. R. (2022). An updated review of hypotheses regarding bat attraction to wind turbines. Animals, 12(03), 343.
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030343
dc.identifier.issn2076-2615
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/16327
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
dc.rights.licenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
dc.sourceAnimals, 2022, Vol. 12, No. 03, Article 343, pp. 1-12.
dc.subjectattraction
dc.subjectbats
dc.subjectmortality
dc.subjectturbines
dc.subjectwind energy
dc.subjectBiology
dc.titleAn Updated Review of Hypotheses Regarding Bat Attraction to Wind Turbines
dc.typeArticle

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