Changes in upland bird abundances show associations with moorland management

<p><b>Capsule:</b> Changes in abundance of six bird species showed associations with moorland management.</p> <p><b>Aims:</b> To assess responses of breeding birds to moorland management over a 14-year period.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Vegetation and birds were surveyed at 2–3-year intervals and changes examined in relation to sheep and cattle grazing, vegetation burning and cutting.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Seven correlations between change in management and change in bird abundance were detected, and six between change in vegetation and change in bird abundance. On plots where sheep numbers declined, Golden Plover <i>Pluvialis apricaria</i> and Northern Wheatear <i>Oenanthe oenanthe</i> declined. Where a greater area was burned, Golden Plover increased in the initial post-burning period but Red Grouse <i>Lagopus lagopus scotica</i> declined. Eurasian Curlew <i>Numenius arquata</i> and Sky Lark <i>Alauda arvensis</i> increased where a greater area of moorland vegetation was cut. Whinchat <i>Saxicola rubetra</i> declined with increasing cattle numbers on a plot.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Bird populations respond to changes in moorland management, but these changes are not always associated with detectable changes in vegetation. These responses of moorland breeding birds to management could help refine agri-environment options and other conservation interventions on moorland. Responses differed between bird species, ideally requiring site-specific planning where managing for multiple species is a goal.</p

Appendix A - Supplemental material for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance

<p>Supplemental material, Appendix A for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance by Graeme M. Buchanan, Bradley C. Parks, Paul F. Donald, Brian F. O’Donnell, Daniel Runfola, John P. Swaddle, Łukasz Tracewski and Stuart H. M. Butchart in The Journal of Environment & Development</p

Table S6 -Supplemental material for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance

<p>Supplemental material, Table S6 for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance by Graeme M. Buchanan, Bradley C. Parks, Paul F. Donald, Brian F. O’Donnell, Daniel Runfola, John P. Swaddle, Łukasz Tracewski and Stuart H. M. Butchart in The Journal of Environment & Development</p

Table S5 -Supplemental material for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance

<p>Supplemental material, Table S5 for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance by Graeme M. Buchanan, Bradley C. Parks, Paul F. Donald, Brian F. O’Donnell, Daniel Runfola, John P. Swaddle, Łukasz Tracewski and Stuart H. M. Butchart in The Journal of Environment & Development</p

Supplemental material for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance

<p>Supplemental material for The Local Impacts of World Bank Development Projects Near Sites of Conservation Significance by Graeme M. Buchanan, Bradley C. Parks, Paul F. Donald, Brian F. O’Donnell, Daniel Runfola, John P. Swaddle, Łukasz Tracewski and Stuart H. M. Butchart in The Journal of Environment & Development</p

Appendix A1 from Bird and bat species' global vulnerability to collision mortality at wind farms revealed through a trait-based assessment

Supplementary figure for the location of onshore wind farms included in this study

Appendix A1 from Bird and bat species' global vulnerability to collision mortality at wind farms revealed through a trait-based assessment

Supplementary figure for the location of onshore wind farms included in this study

Appendix A6 from Bird and bat species' global vulnerability to collision mortality at wind farms revealed through a trait-based assessment

Summary of model predictions of collisions per turbine per year for families of birds and bats

File S1 from Bird and bat species' global vulnerability to collision mortality at wind farms revealed through a trait-based assessment

Collision dataset and list of references reviewed

File S1 List of all references reviewed from Bird and bat species' global vulnerability to collision mortality with wind farms revealed through a trait-based assessment

Mitigation of anthropogenic climate change involves deployments of renewable energy worldwide, including wind farms, which can pose a significant collision risk to volant animals. Most studies into the collision risk of species with wind turbines, however, have taken place in industrialized countries. Potential effects for many locations and species therefore remain unclear. To redress this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review of recorded collisions of birds and bats with wind turbines within developed countries. We related collision rate to species-level traits and turbine characteristics to quantify the potential vulnerability of 9538 bird and 888 bat species globally. Avian collision rate was affected by migratory strategy, dispersal distance and habitat associations and bat collision rates were influenced by dispersal distance. For birds and bats, larger turbine capacity (megawatts) increased collision rates, however, deploying a smaller number of large turbines with greater energy output, reduced total collision risk per unit energy output, although bat mortality increased again with the largest turbines. Areas with high concentrations of vulnerable species were also identified, including migration corridors. Our results can therefore guide wind farm design and location to reduce the risk of large-scale animal mortality. This is the first quantitative global assessment of the relative collision vulnerability of species groups with wind turbines, providing valuable guidance for minimizing potentially serious negative impacts on biodiversity