The use of solar farms by bats in mosaic landscapes: Implications for conservation

Kriszta Lilla Szabadi, Anikó Kurali, Nor Amira Abdul Rahman, Jeremy S P Froidevaux, Jeremy S P Froidevaux, E A Tinsley, Gareth Jones, Tamás Görföl, Péter Estók, Sandor Zsebok*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
48 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Highlights

-Solar farms have expanded globally while their ecological effects are little known.
-Solar panels may act as sensory traps for animals.
-We surveyed bat activity on solar farms and neighboring habitats.
-Mainly species adapted to anthropogenic environments are common at solar farms.
-Further research is needed to support wildlife-friendly management of solar farms.



Abstract

Solar energy is an important renewable energy source. However, the ecological effects of solar farms are largely unknown. Behavioral experiments proved previously that smooth surfaces, such as solar panels act as sensory traps for bats and insects, increasing collision risk, and suggesting that solar farms may affect local ecosystems in a complex way. As the orientation of bats is impeded around smooth surfaces, the exploitation of solar farms as foraging habitats by bats needs research. We surveyed the activity of bats at solar farms and in the neighboring habitats (forests, grasslands, arable fields, settlements and watersides) to evaluate the effects of solar farms on the occurrence and activity of bats and on the composition of bat communities. We conducted bioacoustic surveys at 190 sites in 15 areas of Hungary and recorded nearly 30 000 bat echolocation call sequences. We detected patterns of overall bat activity similar to those in other open habitats such as arable land and grassland indicating that some bat species can exploit this anthropogenic environment. Bat species detected at solar farms also frequently occur in arable land and settlements (Hypsugo savii, Nyctalus noctula and Pipistrellus kuhlii), suggesting that bats adapted to anthropogenic environments exploit solar farms. However, some species of major conservation concern (e.g. Myotis spp. and Barbastella barbastellus) were detected less frequently on solar farms than in other habitats raising implications for mitigation procedures.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere02481
Number of pages12
JournalGlobal Ecology and Conservation
Volume44
Early online date20 Apr 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2023

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The use of solar farms by bats in mosaic landscapes: Implications for conservation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this