FEATURE SPONSOR ECOLOGY - SURVEYING FOR BATS
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS AND SCIENTIFICALLY ROBUST SURVEYS
A preliminary assessment of the habitat at a development site is crucial to establish the breadth and type of surveys required for bats as they use habitat in a variety of ways, and this knowledge has to form part of any scientifically robust survey.
PROTECTION
Bats are protected by law from any reckless or deliberate damage or disturbance, to their roosts, as well as killing or injury to individuals. Evidence from North America and Europe suggests that interaction with rotor blades has killed bats, particularly where turbines have been inappropriately sited. Therefore, despite the lack of data for such incidents in the UK, it is essential that the correct level of assessment be applied.
Initially, data trawls are gathered of any known roosts or recent survey data. Surveys can then be designed based on the importance of the area to bats, be it high, medium or low. For example, a site with a mosaic of suitable habitat types and previous evidence of bat presence can be regarded as being of high importance.
RISKS
Noctule bats are known to fly early in the evening and at significant height, often over
to five days and programmed to record bat calls each night. The data can then be analysed using suitable software, allowing identification of calls to species level, a vital aspect of the assessment.
The SM2s are placed in areas of suitable habitat close to the proposed turbine locations, and can be paired up in certain circumstances to assess how bats are using the habitat around the turbines.
These two primary methods can be augmented by a variety of other methods such as vantage point and ‘at height’ surveys if necessary.
PROPER ASSESSMENT
In this way, proper assessment can be made of the potential impact on bats in the vicinity of any proposed development and, if necessary, suitable mitigation designed and implemented.
BAT SURVEYS GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES The bat ecologist’s gospel is the Bat Surveys Good Practice Guidelines, 2nd edition. Updated in 2012 by the Bat Conservation Trust, it now includes a chapter on surveying proposed onshore wind turbine schemes. The chapter builds on current recommendations outlined by EUROBATS. Natural England is responsible for interpreting this guidance in a UK context, supported by Countryside Council for Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage.
open ground; this may well put them at greater risk of collision with turbines. Other species can be attracted to linear features such as hedgerows, as well as water bodies and buildings. In any case, turbines cannot be placed within fifty metres of a linear feature.
DETECTION
In each month that bats are regarded to be most active (April – October), both automated and transect surveys (using handheld detectors) should be carried out. Baker Consultants has pioneered the use of the Song Meter 2 (SM2) automated detector, which can be left in situ for up
IS THIS APPROACH CORRECT? The question that remains is: Is this approach correct?
Post construction monitoring must form part of the overall ecological impact assessment so that data on wind turbine impacts on bats will grow and continue to inform future developments.
Richard Hall Senior Ecologist Baker Consultants
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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