Wind Farms Alter Amphibian Community Diversity and Chorusing Behavior

Abstract: Anurans exhibit altered chorusing behaviors in response to anthropogenic noise, yet no studies have considered the effects of wind farm presence on anuran chorusing behaviors. We studied amphibian communities in a wind farm situated in a landscape that includes relatively pristine wetlands and forests. We measured amphibian diversity in habitats adjacent to wetlands using transect surveys, and we quantified anuran chorus and call characteristics (diversity, frequency, and duration) using nightly audio recordings in replicated turbine sites (<0.5 km from turbines) and control sites (>1.5 km from turbines). If wind farms present a source of disturbance, then we expected wetlands near turbines to have lower species diversity, lower chorus intensity, and altered call characteristics. We found significantly lower chorus diversity in turbine-site recordings, but no differences in biodiversity between turbine and control sites based on animals captured during transect surveys. Call characteristics did not differ between control and turbine sites; however, frogs calling in the wind farm displayed call characteristics similar to those of frogs calling near noisy roads within control sites, and some anuran species were notably absent from turbine sites. Identification of new threats, including those resulting from putatively green energy alternatives, is essential to mitigating global amphibian decline.