A spatial explicit agent based model approach to evaluate the performance of different monitoring options for mortality estimates in the scope of onshore windfarm impact assessments

Authored by Daniel Ferreira, Joao Alexandre Cabral, Mario Santos, Rita Bastos, Paulo Travassos, Andreia Santos, Paulo Barros, Diogo Carvalho, Carla Gomes, Helia Marisa Vale-Goncalves, Luis Braz, Francisco Morinha, Maria das Neves Paiva-Cardoso, Samantha Jane Hughes

Date Published: 2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.09.044

Sponsors: Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)

Platforms: NetLogo

Model Documentation: ODD

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Despite the environmental benefits associated with wind energy, studies have confirmed the occurrence of significant levels of bat and bird fatalities at windfarms, which raise concerns about the long-term effects of these infra-structures on these populations. Reliable estimates of windfarm fatalities are fundamental for accurate environmental assessment studies and supporting management actions. A spatially explicit agent-based model (ABM) was developed to investigate how searcher ``controlled{''} variables, i.e., different field monitoring protocols, monitoring periods and periodicities influence the success of carcasses detection in field trials and estimator accuracy. Different rates of bat mortality due to collision, scavenger pressures and habitat complexity were simulated in order to reproduce variable conditions that might take place at onshore wind facilities. Based on our findings we propose a reduction in the monitoring periods and a shortening in the periodicity of searches in order to reduce bias in the estimations and increase the confidence limits of impact assessments associated with mortality estimates at onshore windfarms. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tags

Agent-based modelling patterns birds bird Improve Turbines Farms Bats Windfarms Mortality estimators Absolute error mae Bat fatality Carcass searches Rmse