Effects of wind turbines on area use and behaviour of semi-domestic reindeer in enclosures

In recent decades, industrial developments have expanded into reindeer ranges in the arctic and adjacent higher latitudes in search for energy, minerals, timber and other resources. Several wind turbine parks are under planning in reindeer ranges in Norway, and there is concern about possible negative effects on behaviour and area use of wild and semi-domestic reindeer. We tested whether a wind turbine and its rotor movement had any effect on area use, activity changes, vigilance bouts, and restless behaviour like running, walking, and standing for enclosed semi-domestic reindeer. Five different groups of reindeer in a 450 m long, 8 hectare, enclosure close to a wind turbine were manipulated by turning the wind turbine rotor on and off, and compared with reindeer in a control enclosure without wind turbine exposure. When exposed to rotor movement, two groups used locations farther from the wind turbine, two groups showed no shift, while one group moved closer to the wind turbine. The reindeer showed no systematic differences in the measured behaviour patterns between the two enclosures that could indicate fright or stress as a consequence of the wind turbine or rotor movement. We conclude that semi-domestic reindeer in an enclosure showed no negative behavioural response and little or no aversion towards a wind turbine. The possibility of rapid habituation in a small enclosure with continuous wind turbine exposure suggests that effects on area use should be studied at a larger scale or with free-ranging reindeer.Abstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag:I løpet av de senere tiår har industriell utbygging til utnytting av energi, mineraler, tømmer og andre ressurser ekspandert inn i reinens beiteområder i nordområdene. Flere vindmølleparker er under planlegging i norske reinbeiteområder, og det spekuleres i mulige konsekvenser av disse på atferd og arealbruk hos villrein og tamrein. Vi testet om en vindmølle og dens rotorbevegelse hadde noen effekt på arealbruk, aktivitetsskifter, vaktsomhetsatferd, og rastløshetsatferd i form av løp, gange og ståing for tamrein i innhegning. I en 450 m lang innhegning på 8 hektar som var plassert tett opp til en vindmølle, ble fem forskjellig grupper av reinsdyr manipulert ved å slå vindmøllerotoren av og på. Reinsdyrene i innhegningen ved vindmøllen ble sammenlignet med reinsdyr i en kontrollinnhegning som var uten påvirkning fra vindmøller. Når reinsdyrene ble utsatt for vindmøllerotoren i bevegelse, viste to grupper av dyr et skifte i arealbruk til områder av innhegningen som var lenger unna møllen, to grupper av dyr viste ikke noe skifte i arealbruk, mens en gruppe dyr beveget seg nærmere vindmøllen. Sammenligning av atferden hos reinsdyrene i vindmølleinnhegningen og kontrollinnhegningen viste ingen systematisk forskjell som kunne indikere frykt eller stress som en effekt av vindmøllen eller rotorbevegelsen. Vi konkluderer med at tamrein i innhegning ikke viser negative atferdsresponser og viser lite eller ingen reduksjon i arealbruken tett opp til en vindmølle. Muligheten for at det skjer en rask tilvenning i en liten innhegning der dyrene er i kontinuerlig påvirkning av vindmøllen betyr at effekter på arealbruk bør studeres i et større arealperspektiv eller på frittgående rein

High voltage transmission lines and their effect on reindeer: a research programme in progress

We review literature on high voltage transmission lines and their effect on wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) migration patterns and area use. We conclude that reliable knowledge is lacking on the effects of transmission lines on reindeer ecology. This condition relates to the lack of long-term monitoring of reindeer migration patterns in relation to existing lines. It is also related to the fact that nothing is known about hearing in reindeer (or any other deer species in Norway) in relation to transmission line noise, which is considered an obstacle for migrating reindeer.We then outline a research programme that includes a laboratory study to determine the audiogram in reindeer and two field studies to examine the proximate effects of transmission lines - independently as well as combined with ambient environmental variables - on reindeer behaviour. The audiogram in two yearling male reindeer has been determined; this part of the study will be completed this year with the determination of a corresponding audiogram in two female yearlings. The behaviour study of domestic reindeer under high voltage transmission lines was completed in September 1999. The behaviour study of wild reindeer in the area crossed by a 420 kV power line will continue this year and its completion is anticipated in 2001

Gradual improvement in knowledge on effects of wind power plants on reindeer

Det er stor enighet blant forskere om at menneskelig aktivitet har en negativ effekt på reinsdyrs (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) adferd og arealbruk. Det har imidlertid vært større uenigheter innenfor de samme forskningsmiljøene om hvordan menneskelig infrastruktur i seg selv påvirker dyrene. I denne sammenheng har vi de siste 20 år studert hvordan vindparker påvirker arealbruken til reinsdyr, inkludert visuelle effekter av turbiner innenfor områder på store avstander, hvor menneskelig aktivitet ikke er endret. I perioden 2004 til 2017 publiserte vi fire ulike studier, et på reinsdyr i inngjerdinger ved Vikna vindpark, to studier på frittgående rein ved Kjøllefjord vindkraftverk og et studie ved helårsbeitene på Vannøy ved Fakken vindkraftverk. Alle fire studier viste minimale effekter, og de effektene som ble dokumentert gjaldt i stor grad for anleggsfasen, og ikke for driftsfasen. De siste 10 årene har vi i tillegg samlet inn data fra to andre reinbeitedistrikter som blir berørt av vindkraftverk, nemlig Fosen og Rákkonjárga. Der har vi både før-, under- og etterdata basert på GPS-merket rein. For Fosen så var endringene i arealbruken innenfor det berørte vinterbeitet svært negative. Både nærområdet til Roan vindpark og det berørte vinterbeitet i sin helhet fikk kraftig redusert bruk. Likevel, med kun 1-2 år med etterdata mener vi årsakssammenhengene er usikre. For å konkludere om årsakssammenhenger må vi ha flere år med etterdata. For Rákkočearru vindpark så fant vi negative effekter på reinens arealbruk på regional skala, både om våren og om høsten. Da har områder på opp til ca. 10 km avstand fra vindparken fått redusert bruk, og områder lenger unna fått økt bruk. Om sommeren fant vi ikke slike negative effekter på regional skala, men vi fant effekter på intermediær skala. Vi konkluderer at årsaken til at man ikke finner negative regionale effekter om sommeren sannsynligvis er på grunn av at reindriften har økt ressursbruken sin i forbindelse med gjeting, tilsyn og driving. Dette for å utnytte de berørte beitene best mulig. Avbøtende tiltak ved fremtidige utbygginger kan være å gi reindriften støtte til økt ressursbruk i form av gjeting i det aktuelle sesongbeitet for å redusere konsekvensene av negativ påvirkning, eventuelt redusere fysiske hindringer slik som autovern, skjæringer, fyllinger eller andre strukturer som kan påvirke både reinsdyrenes og reindriftens egen bevegelse under oppsamlings- og drivingsarbeid.Scientists agree that human activities have negative effects on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) behavior and area use. On the other hand, there is disagreement about how infrastructure alone influences reindeer. Over the last 22 years, we have studied how wind power plants influence reindeer area use, including visual effects from turbines at far distances and where levels of human activity remained constant. During 2004-2017, we published 4 separate studies: One for reindeer in enclosures near the Vikna wind plant, two studies on free ranging reindeer in connection with the Kjøllefjord wind plant, and one study with a year-round island inhabiting population on Vannøy with the Fakken wind plant. All four studies showed minimal effects, with slight indications of negative effects for the construction period, but nothing during plant operation. Over the last 10 years, we have collected data in two other reindeer herding districts affected by wind plants; Fosen and Rákkonjárga. Here we have data from before, during and after plant construction for GPS-tagged reindeer. Very negative changes in area use were recorded for the affected winter ranges on Fosen. Areas close to the wind plant on Roan, as well as the winter range in general, showed significantly reduced use. Nevertheless, with only 1-2 years of data from after construction, causation remains uncertain. For conclusions about causation and not correlation, we need additional years with “after-data”. For the Rákkočearru wind plant, we found negative effects on the reindeers’ area use on a regional scale for both spring and autumn. Areas up to 10 km away from the plant had reduced use, while areas further than 10 km showed increased use. For summer, no effects were found at a regional scale, while there was an effect at an intermediate scale. We conclude that a lack of effect in summer is likely a result of increased, focused herding activities counteracting negative effects. In this way, herders aim to utilize their available range optimally. Mitigation measures in connection with wind plants could be providing herders with resources that allow them to adapt their herding practice in the affected areas. Other mitigation measures include minimizing physical barriers in the landscape, such as fences, steep roadsides or road dividers, or structures that otherwise influence the movement patters for the reindeer and herders while herding reindeer

Cumulative effects of infrastructure and human disturbance: a case study with reindeer

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Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) perception of noise from power lines

There has been concern about possible effects of noise from power lines on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) behaviour. Based on recent establishment of the reindeer audiogram and measurements of corona noise from two power lines of 300 kV and 420 kV, we found that reindeer are able to hear noise from power lines at frequencies above 250 Hz. A comparison with the human audiogram shows that humans are better able to perceive noise from power lines than reindeer, at least at the lowest frequencies. By simple comparisons of this kind, the perception of different types of sound by reindeer can be determined. Possible noise disturbances from human activities and constructions can be minimised if the intensity can be reduced for frequencies in the best hearing range of reindeer

Reindeer spatial use before, during and after construction of a wind farm

The Fakken Wind farm (WF) was built in 2010–12 on the Fakken peninsula on the south-east corner of the island of Vannøy. Field and GPS sampling was conducted to test the interaction between reindeer spatial use and the WF with associated infrastructure for the period 2007–2015. “Before data” for both direct observations and GPS-positions confirmed that the site where the WF was built was an important winter grazing area for reindeer. Testing data from before, during and after construction of the WF showed that the overall use on the island and for the WF area did not change during the study period. The reindeer density did not vary significantly among the periods, both for the WF and power line areas. We found no avoidance responses on reindeer spatial use towards the WF during the operation periods for direct observation data. However, we found some significant changes in reindeer area use that may be related to disturbance from human activities for the calving period during construction in WF zone 1 and road zone 1 (GPS-data), and for the power line area during construction in summer and autumn (direct observational data). Our study site represents an area where coexistence of reindeer husbandry and wind energy development is possible, with negligible effects on reindeer spatial use during and after WF development. We recommend that new WFs should be built close to existing infrastructure and limit an increase in human accessibility to remote areas where reindeer are less accustomed to human activity