The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France
Abstract Wind turbines used to combat climate change pose a green-green dilemma when endangered and protected wildlife species are killed by collisions with rotating blades. Here, we investigated the geographic origin of bats killed by wind turbines along an east-west transect in France to determine...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85636-5 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849726441311174656 |
|---|---|
| author | Maela Merlet David X. Soto Laurent Arthur Christian C. Voigt |
| author_facet | Maela Merlet David X. Soto Laurent Arthur Christian C. Voigt |
| author_sort | Maela Merlet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Wind turbines used to combat climate change pose a green-green dilemma when endangered and protected wildlife species are killed by collisions with rotating blades. Here, we investigated the geographic origin of bats killed by wind turbines along an east-west transect in France to determine the spatial extent of this conflict in Western Europe. We analysed stable hydrogen isotopes in the fur keratin of 60 common noctule bats ( Nyctalus noctula ) killed by wind turbines during summer migration in four regions of France to predict their geographic origin using models based on precipitation isoscapes. We first separated migratory from regional individuals based on fur isotope ratios of local bats. Across all regions, 71.7% of common noctules killed by turbines were of regional and 28.3% of distant origin, the latter being predominantly females from northeastern Europe. We observed a higher proportion of migratory individuals from western sites compared to eastern sites. Our study suggests that wind-turbine-related losses of common noctule bats may impact distant breeding populations across whole Europe, confirming that migratory bats are highly vulnerable to wind turbines and that effective conservation measures, such as temporary curtailment of turbine operation, should be mandatory to protect them from colliding with the rotating blades of wind turbines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1126a5f945f9465e8e38afce3eb249f8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-1126a5f945f9465e8e38afce3eb249f82025-08-20T03:10:10ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-85636-5The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in FranceMaela Merlet0David X. Soto1Laurent Arthur2Christian C. Voigt3Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)Chauve-Qui-PeutLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)Abstract Wind turbines used to combat climate change pose a green-green dilemma when endangered and protected wildlife species are killed by collisions with rotating blades. Here, we investigated the geographic origin of bats killed by wind turbines along an east-west transect in France to determine the spatial extent of this conflict in Western Europe. We analysed stable hydrogen isotopes in the fur keratin of 60 common noctule bats ( Nyctalus noctula ) killed by wind turbines during summer migration in four regions of France to predict their geographic origin using models based on precipitation isoscapes. We first separated migratory from regional individuals based on fur isotope ratios of local bats. Across all regions, 71.7% of common noctules killed by turbines were of regional and 28.3% of distant origin, the latter being predominantly females from northeastern Europe. We observed a higher proportion of migratory individuals from western sites compared to eastern sites. Our study suggests that wind-turbine-related losses of common noctule bats may impact distant breeding populations across whole Europe, confirming that migratory bats are highly vulnerable to wind turbines and that effective conservation measures, such as temporary curtailment of turbine operation, should be mandatory to protect them from colliding with the rotating blades of wind turbines.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85636-5ConservationBat migrationDeuteriumIsoriXStable isotopes |
| spellingShingle | Maela Merlet David X. Soto Laurent Arthur Christian C. Voigt The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France Scientific Reports Conservation Bat migration Deuterium IsoriX Stable isotopes |
| title | The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France |
| title_full | The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France |
| title_fullStr | The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France |
| title_full_unstemmed | The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France |
| title_short | The trans-european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in France |
| title_sort | trans european catchment area of common noctule bats killed by wind turbines in france |
| topic | Conservation Bat migration Deuterium IsoriX Stable isotopes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85636-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT maelamerlet thetranseuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT davidxsoto thetranseuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT laurentarthur thetranseuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT christiancvoigt thetranseuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT maelamerlet transeuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT davidxsoto transeuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT laurentarthur transeuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance AT christiancvoigt transeuropeancatchmentareaofcommonnoctulebatskilledbywindturbinesinfrance |