Is the accumulation of wind farms in the same area likely to have an impact on bird populations?
This is the subject of a study in which we recently participated, and whose main results we presented last week at the Rencontres de l'Observatoire des énergies renouvelables (EnR) et de la biodiversité, held at the French Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition.
Commissioned by DREAL Hauts-de-France, and conducted alongside auddicé and Sens Of Life, the study aimed to analyze the cumulative effects of wind power development in the region, particularly on bird species diversity and population abundance.
The Hauts-de-France region is France's leading producer of wind energy (28% of total national production in 2022), and therefore one of the most concerned by the potential ecological impacts of the densification of installations.
The study began with a vast campaign of field observations: 150 sites were inventoried during two visits in early and late spring from 2021 to 2022.These sites, spread across the entire region, were selected to cover all possible situations, both in terms of wind turbine density and landscape diversity.
An in-depth statistical analysis was then carried out to identify any relationships that might exist between bird presence, turbine density and landscape context.
The result: yes, the density of wind turbines has a significant impact on the diversity and abundance of bird species, particularly passerines.
But this impact is complex, specific to each bird group studied, and varies according to the landscape context. In particular, it increases when wind turbines are located near urban areas, water or forest.
The study therefore highlights the need to limit the density of wind farms approaching these types of environments, and even more so in areas where several of these habitats are present.
This work also shows the potential value of such analyses in a predictive approach, particularly on a regional planning scale.
Anticipating the expected impacts of the accumulation of wind turbines in a given area would enable us to better steer strategies and actions aimed at mitigating them, while supporting sustainable energy development.