US Wind Turbines Linked to Deaths of More than 60,000 Bats: Report

A latest study estimates that more than 600,000 bats were killed in the United States last year because of wind turbines. The highest number of bat deaths was recorded in the Appalachian Mountains.

The new report by researchers at the University of Colorado claims that nearly 600,000 bats were killed in the U.S. in 2012 by wind energy turbines.  This report also raises concerns over the decreasing bat population as the species produces just one young per year.

The report  based the numbers on data from 21 different wind energy facility locations.

 In the ecosystem, bats play an important role as insect eaters and also help in pollination. Bat deaths occur not only due to collision with the turbine blades but also because of trauma from sudden alteration in the air pressure from the fast-moving blade.

 Mark Hayes, the author of the study asserts that 600,000 bat deaths are just a conservative estimate and the actual number could be 50 percent higher.

The study found that some regions suffered higher bat fatalities at wind energy facilities compared to other places.

The mortality of the bats was calculated on a per megawatt basis, and the highest rates of bat deaths were linked with East Coast generators in the Appalachian Mountains, reports the  LA Times.

Due to the lack of high quality estimates of the population of the North American bat species, it is difficult to assess the consequence of the bat fatalities at wind energy facility.

Hayes concludes saying, "The bat populations are already under stress because of climate change and disease, in particular white-nose syndrome. The new estimate is therefore worrisome, especially as bat populations grow only very slowly, with most species producing only one young per year."

The study was published in the article BioScience.