WEST Biologists, Dr. Amanda Hale, Sarah LiCari, and Dr. Juliet Nagel are co-authors of the recently published research article, “Spatiotemporal Patterns in Sex Ratios of Bat Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities in the United States,” in Global Ecology and Conservation.
Bat-wind turbine mortality continues to be an important conservation issue; and yet evidence on sex differences or other vulnerabilities to collision risk is limited. In this study, we used molecular techniques to determine the sex of over 4,000 bat carcasses from various species found at wind energy facilities across the US. Female fatalities of some species were more common than for others, and these patterns varied by time and locations. The results can help target strategies to reduce bat fatalities at specific times and places to maximize conservation benefits.
We appreciated the opportunity to collaborate on this effort with our colleagues at Bowman Consulting, Texas Christian University, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and Texas State University. We also appreciate financial support from the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) Research Fund.
Read the full article here: Spatiotemporal patterns in sex ratios of bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in the United States – ScienceDirect