Wind energy development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Risk assessment for flying vertebrates

Abstract

Airspace fragmentation caused by human activity threatens wildlife. Wind turbines occupy a range of altitudes frequently used by many flying vertebrates, potentially leading to collisions and other adverse effects. Here, we review the impact of wind farms on birds and bats in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and found that research is lacking, with just 22 available articles focusing on only six countries. Indirect effects, such as habitat fragmentation and barrier effects remain understudied, with most studies focusing on direct collision mortality. We identified more than 16,000 wind turbines in operation or being planned in LAC countries. Nearly half of the region's threatened bird and bat species inhabit areas with operating wind farms, including the densely wind farmed Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico, the Guajira region in Colombia, and the Caribbean islands, among others. Passeriformes, followed by Psittaciformes, were the bird orders most frequently found in areas with wind turbines. Additionally, we found some migratory bat species, which are particularly prone to collision with wind turbines, were commonly associated with regions of high wind turbine density. Our results suggest that expansion of wind energy in Latin America and the Caribbean could affect several threatened species. Finally, we provide a map showing potential areas for future wind energy development and recommend conducting focused field studies on habitat use by local bird and bat species in these regions to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts.