TY - JOUR
T1 - Mitigation-driven translocation effects on temperature, condition, growth, and mortality of Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the face of solar energy development
AU - Brand, L. Arriana
AU - Farnsworth, Matthew L.
AU - Meyers, Jay
AU - Dickson, Brett G.
AU - Grouios, Christopher
AU - Scheib, Amanda F.
AU - Scherer, Rick D.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank field biologists for their help gathering data, including J. Valentine, B. Cohn, S. Lindey, C. Furman, C. Himmelwright, J. Smith, J. Holloway, M. Havelka, W. Ball, J. Hillman, and G. Keyes. We also thank M. Vaughn, P. Woodman, B. Weise, T.G. Jackson, Jr., K. Herbinson, B. Cohn, C. Llewellyn, and L. Pavliscak who acted as Designated Biologists and/or helped with project development. We wish to thank the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for encouraging this work. Field data collection and analysis was funded by NRG Energy Services, Google Inc., and BrightSource Energy through three limited liability companies: Solar Partners I, Solar Partners II, and Solar Partners VIII. The ISEGS is operated by NRG Energy Services. The funder played no role in study design, analysis, interpretation of data, in writing the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the article for publication. We are sincerely grateful for comments made by Dr. K. H. Beard and 3 anonymous reviewers that improved our manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2016/8/1
Y1 - 2016/8/1
N2 - Given the rapid pace of renewable energy development, there is need to assess impacts of mitigation-driven translocations on sensitive species, including federally protected Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) distributed widely across a global solar energy hotspot. We monitored 215 tortoises over 3 years to evaluate translocation effects on temperature, condition, growth, and mortality of tortoises adjacent to the world's largest solar thermal plant located in southern California. On the basis of generalized estimating equation mixed models, maximum daily tortoise temperature increased with environmental temperature then leveled off at highest environmental temperatures for all three groups (translocated, resident, and control) likely due to behavioral thermoregulation. This pattern was consistent among groups, but translocated tortoises had higher average maximum daily temperature and durations above 35 °C than resident and control tortoises in the first month post-translocation, with smaller effects in the second and fourth months, and no differences in subsequent years. During the first year, adult translocated males had higher temperatures than females. Average percent changes in body condition and carapace length increased post-translocation for all groups and there were no differences in mortality probability among groups or years. Based on the relatively short-term thermal effects, and lack of negative effects on condition, growth, or mortality, our study suggests relatively minimal impacts following short-distance translocation releases in spring. Our study also serves as a unique example and first step for science-based, mitigation-driven translocations implemented to evaluate and reduce effects of translocation from solar energy development on sensitive species.
AB - Given the rapid pace of renewable energy development, there is need to assess impacts of mitigation-driven translocations on sensitive species, including federally protected Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) distributed widely across a global solar energy hotspot. We monitored 215 tortoises over 3 years to evaluate translocation effects on temperature, condition, growth, and mortality of tortoises adjacent to the world's largest solar thermal plant located in southern California. On the basis of generalized estimating equation mixed models, maximum daily tortoise temperature increased with environmental temperature then leveled off at highest environmental temperatures for all three groups (translocated, resident, and control) likely due to behavioral thermoregulation. This pattern was consistent among groups, but translocated tortoises had higher average maximum daily temperature and durations above 35 °C than resident and control tortoises in the first month post-translocation, with smaller effects in the second and fourth months, and no differences in subsequent years. During the first year, adult translocated males had higher temperatures than females. Average percent changes in body condition and carapace length increased post-translocation for all groups and there were no differences in mortality probability among groups or years. Based on the relatively short-term thermal effects, and lack of negative effects on condition, growth, or mortality, our study suggests relatively minimal impacts following short-distance translocation releases in spring. Our study also serves as a unique example and first step for science-based, mitigation-driven translocations implemented to evaluate and reduce effects of translocation from solar energy development on sensitive species.
KW - Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
KW - Mitigation-driven translocation
KW - Mojave Desert
KW - Renewable energy
KW - Thermoregulation
KW - Utility-scale solar development
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U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.032
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.032
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84977080774
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 200
SP - 104
EP - 111
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
ER -