This environmental impact assessment for Kriegers flak ... - Vattenfall

134 CONSEQUENSES OF THE WIND FARM
12.4.4 Bats
The occurrence of bats in the area is described in
Chapter 11.6.4.
12.4.4.1 Impact
a) Collision risk
It is only during the last few years that it has become
known that bats may collide with onshore wind turbines.
The most common cause for collision is that bats
ß y close to the turbines to hunt insects. Hypotheses
also exist that bats interpret turbines for being trees to
which they ß y in order to rest. Studies in the US point
to that only certain species, foremost migrating species
of the Lasiurus family, are prone to collide.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Very high impact (high value – high impact)
• The structure extinguishes (causes permanent
damage) a nature value of national or international
interest, for example a protection worthy species
according to the species and habitat directive (high
value – high impact).
Big impact (high value – reasonable impact/reasonable
value – high impact)
• The structure causes big impact (temporary damage,
long time – up to a generation) on a nature value
of national or international interest, for example a
protection worthy species or biotope according to
the species and habitat directive (high value – high
impact).
• The structure extinguishes (permanent damage) a
natural value, for example a protection worthy species
or biotope according to the species and habitat
directive (high value but lesser extent – reasonable
impact – high impact).
• The structure extinguishes (permanent damage) a
nature protection object of regional interest with
high values (high value but lesser extent – reasonable
value – high impact)
Reasonable impact (reasonable value – reasonable
impact)
• The structure has an impact on (temporary damage,
short time < 5 years) major nature protection values
of national or international interest.
• The structure causes impact on a protection worthy
Collisions between bats and wind turbines are especially
serious as bats have a long life expectancy and
are slow to reproduce.
There are no bats residing at the site and no ß ights
from Sweden are assumed to ß y through the area.
Regarding the ß ights from Germany and Denmark,
one can, according to Ahlén, assume that the spread
of ß ights will be large (see Attachment 9.1). With this
knowledge, one can assume that the risk of a collision
is very low.
12.4.4.2 Mitigating measures
No mitigating measures are proposed.
12.4.4.3 Assessment
regional object, where only part of the nature value
of the object is extinguished (permanent damage,
limited extent)
• The structure causes reasonable impact on the biological
diversity of an object of national or international
interest.
Small impact (reasonable value – minor impact/minor
value – reasonable impact)
• The structure causes a small but measurable impact
on the biological diversity of an object classifi ed as
of “highest nature value”.
• The structure causes impact on a nature protection
object (temporary damage, short time < 5 years) of
regional interest (minor impact – minor value).
• The structure causes major impact on a nature
protection object of local value (reasonable impact
– minor value)
Minor/no impact (minor value – minor impact)
• The structure interferes with a local nature protection
object or causes impact on an object of higher
value. The values can quickly be restored following
the operational phase of the structure.
• The structure causes no risk for measurable impact
on the biological diversity of an object of national
interest.