Global plans to combat climate change and biodiversity loss have increasingly turned toward renewable energy. Alternative sources such as wind and solar power have the potential to not only decrease dependency on fossil fuels, but to also create more affordable and sustainable energy for the long-term.
While renewable energy sources have the potential to help achieve climate goals, they also are known to negatively impact wildlife.
Leskova, O.V., Frakes, R.A. and Markwith, S.H. 2022. Impacting habitat connectivity of the endangered Florida panther for the transition to utility‐scale solar energy. Journal of Applied Ecology 59(3): 822-834.
It has been well documented that birds and bats are affected by large-scale wind turbine farms, which can cause collision, displacement, disorientation, or death. Other wildlife is also impacted; for example, one study found that desert tortoise burrows located close to wind turbine roads were more likely to visited by predators, leading them to be less used by tortoises themselves. Solar energy farms can have similar effects, with habitat loss and fragmentation potential consequences of their construction.
These impacts also include landscape connectivity. Endangered Florida panthers were the focus of the first study to look at how solar energy facilities impact habitat suitability and broad-scale connectivity for a large carnivore. Panther habitat suitability and connectivity were compared pre- and post-installation of 45 utility-scale solar energy (USSE) facilities. Circuitscape was used to look at cumulative current density between core areas, along with effective resistance between pairs of core areas, for both before and after facilities were built or planned.
Of the 45 installations, 9 were located within major corridors connecting current breeding habitat and other core areas with the potential to support panther populations, and 26 were located in rural areas between core areas that could potentially support dispersal. There appears to be a bias in locating the installations within rural and undeveloped lands that could provide important population connectivity. Overall, it’s likely that the facilities decrease corridor quality and negatively impact linkages that are crucial for supporting limited panther populations.
Renewable energy has an important role in the future, with numerous benefits to humans and the environment. As renewable energy efforts ramp up, however, it’s important to consider not only where these energy facilities are located, but how they impact the larger landscape and the wildlife that inhabit it. A broader perspective that includes wildlife movement is needed to ensure that future renewable energy sites support individual dispersal, landscape connectivity, and biodiversity in general.
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