McNew Lance B, Hunt Lyla M, Gregory Andrew J, Wisely Samantha M, Sandercock Brett K
Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, U.S.A..
Conserv Biol. 2014 Aug;28(4):1089-99. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12258. Epub 2014 Mar 14.
Wind energy is targeted to meet 20% of U.S. energy needs by 2030, but new sites for development of renewable energy may overlap with important habitats of declining populations of grassland birds. Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) are an obligate grassland bird species predicted to respond negatively to energy development. We used a modified before-after control-impact design to test for impacts of a wind energy development on the reproductive ecology of prairie-chickens in a 5-year study. We located 59 and 185 nests before and after development, respectively, of a 201 MW wind energy facility in Greater Prairie-Chicken nesting habitat and assessed nest site selection and nest survival relative to proximity to wind energy infrastructure and habitat conditions. Proximity to turbines did not negatively affect nest site selection (β = 0.03, 95% CI = -1.2-1.3) or nest survival (β = -0.3, 95% CI = -0.6-0.1). Instead, nest site selection and survival were strongly related to vegetative cover and other local conditions determined by management for cattle production. Integration of our project results with previous reports of behavioral avoidance of oil and gas facilities by other species of prairie grouse suggests new avenues for research to mitigate impacts of energy development.
风能的目标是到2030年满足美国20%的能源需求，但可再生能源开发的新地点可能与草原鸟类数量下降的重要栖息地重叠。大草原榛鸡（草原榛鸡属）是一种专性草原鸟类，预计会对能源开发产生负面反应。在一项为期5年的研究中，我们采用了改良的前后对照影响设计，以测试风能开发对草原榛鸡繁殖生态的影响。在一个大草原榛鸡筑巢栖息地的201兆瓦风能设施开发之前和之后，我们分别找到了59个和185个巢穴，并评估了巢穴选址以及相对于与风能基础设施的距离和栖息地条件的巢穴存活率。靠近涡轮机对巢穴选址（β = 0.03，95%置信区间 = -1.2 - 1.3）或巢穴存活率（β = -0.3，95%置信区间 = -0.6 - 0.1）没有负面影响。相反，巢穴选址和存活率与植被覆盖以及由养牛生产管理所决定的其他当地条件密切相关。将我们项目的结果与之前关于其他草原松鸡物种对石油和天然气设施行为回避的报告相结合，为减轻能源开发影响的研究提供了新途径。
