A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal
Bats and Wind Farms: The Role and Importance of the Baltic Sea Countries in the European Context of Power Transition and Biodiversity Conservation
Authors: Gaultier SP, Blomberg AS, Ijäs A, Vasko V, Vesterinen EJ, Brommer JE, Lilley TM
Publisher: AMER CHEMICAL SOC
Publication year: 2020
Journal: Environmental Science and Technology
Journal name in source: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Journal acronym: ENVIRON SCI TECHNOL
Volume: 54
Issue: 17
First page : 10385
Last page: 10398
Number of pages: 14
ISSN: 0013-936X
eISSN: 1520-5851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00070
Web address : https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c00070
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/49309660
Although labeled as environmentally friendly, wind power can have negative impacts on the environment, such as habitat destruction or wildlife fatalities. Considering the distribution and migratory characteristics of European bats, the negative effects of wind power should be addressed on an appropriate scale. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on interactions between wind farms and bats in Europe, and compares it with the situation in the countries of the European boreal biogeographic region. We analyzed data from papers published in international and national scientific journals, focusing on studies conducted in Europe. The issue of the impacts wind power has on bats is clearly overlooked in most of the countries of the European boreal region, with low volumes of research available on the topic. This is probably due to fewer wind farms in the area, making this recent issue a less-prioritized topic. However, the Baltic Sea, and the countries surrounding it, are of extreme importance with regards to bat migration, especially for the Pipistrellus nathusii. Therefore, more research on wind power and bats is needed in this region, as well as more cooperation between all the stakeholders.
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