WINDLIFE

The increasing construction of wind power in Finland touches more and more new areas and therefore also wild animals and their habitats. The joint project of the Natural Resources Center Finland (Luke) and fourteen wind power companies investigates the effects of wind power on the so-called directive species, i.e. wolves, wild forest reindeer and golden eagles, as well as on reindeer husbandry and the costs of reindeer husbandry. In addition, the views and experiences of hunters on the effects of wind power on hunting are mapped.

The effects of wind power on fauna have been little studied in Finland. There is a complete lack of domestic research on the species targeted by the now-started project The occurrence of forest animals and use of habitats in the vicinity of wind power areas (WINDLIFE).

In studies conducted in other countries, the effects of wind power on different species have varied, for example, depending on the season, sex, number of animals and habitat. Especially during the breeding season, the effects have been stronger than in other seasons. The effects of wind power have also been found to vary depending on whether the wind power area is just under construction or already in use. For some species, the effects during construction have been stronger than the effects during the production phase of the power plants, but the results cannot be generalized to all species.

The studies utilize several data already collected so far about the presence of animals in wind turbine areas and their surroundings. Research is also done by equipping individual animals with GPS collars and monitoring their movements in the vicinity of wind power areas. The goal of the project is to produce guidelines by which the habitat requirements of the researched species can be better taken into account when planning wind power areas.