Development of a Practical Modeling Framework for Estimating the Impact of Wind Technology on Bird Populations

One of the most pressing environmental concerns related to wind project development is the potential for avian fatalities caused by the turbines. The goal of this project is to develop useful, practical modeling framework for evaluating potential wind power plant impacts that can be generalized to most bird species. This modeling framework could be used to get a preliminary understanding of thelikelihood of significant impacts to birds, in a cost-effective way. We accomplish this by (1) reviewing the major factors that can influence the persistence of a wild population; (2) briefly reviewing various models that can aid in estimating population status and trend, including methods of evaluating model structure and performance; (3) reviewing survivorship and population projections; and(4) developing a framework for using models to evaluate the potential impacts of wind development on birds.