- Title
- Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) and the threat of wind farms: a race to extinction?
- Creator
- Brooke, Francis Rae
- Subject
- Wind Turbines --Blades --Materials
- Subject
- Gyps --South Africa
- Date Issued
- 2022-04
- Date
- 2022-04
- Type
- Doctoral theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55910
- Identifier
- vital:54399
- Description
- The development of wind energy is increasing globally and is often considered more environmentally friendly when compared to fossil fuel technologies. However, one of the ecological drawbacks of wind energy are the collisions of wildlife with turbine blades. In addition, the resulting anthropogenic landscape transformation can negatively impact populations. The Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), a large endangered southern African endemic species, thus may be at risk from turbine development. The species has decreased dramatically in the past 50 years and understanding how additional mortalities from wind turbine impacts affect the population is needed to ensure effective conservation efforts. This study aimed to determine the population response to this emerging threat. This study first reviewed the species-, site- and wind farm- specific traits that make Gyps species vulnerable to collision with wind energy infrastructure. It examined the monitoring practices employed during the pre- and post-construction phase and mitigation measures in South Africa and compared it with international standards. Furthermore, wind energy development may disrupt landscape connectivity and understanding which, and how habitat patches are used is needed. Using network theory combined with telemetry data from tagged individuals across three age classes, habitat patch use was identified. Further, environmental variables associated with identified habitat patches were identified. Additionally, considering the wind energy industry is expanding in South Africa, exploring how the Cape Vulture population will respond to this novel and emerging threat may aid future conservation management plans. Therefore, using a population viability analysis approach, the study explored how present and future wind turbine mortality scenarios impact the Cape Vulture population and how the population will respond to increased wind turbine development.
- Description
- Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (xiii, 182 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Brooke, F.pdf | 3 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |