Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 31-43 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Regional environmental change |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Offshore wind power generation represents a chance to supply energy in a more sustainable way; however, the ecological risks associated with the construction and operation of offshore wind farms are still largely unknown. This paper uses the concept of ecological risk for analysing ecological changes during construction of offshore wind farms. "Ecological risk" is defined as the potentially reduced ability of providing ecosystem services. The ERSEM ecosystem model allows assessing ecological risk based on a number of selected variables (integrity indicators) and under the assumption that increased suspended matter concentration during construction of wind farms affects ecosystem functioning. We conclude that ecological risk is adequate to describe the effects of wind farm constructions, although the computation procedure still needs to be refined and the choice of indicators further optimised. In this context, the choice of indicators available in modelling as well as in monitoring time-series may offer the way forward.
Keywords
- Ecological integrity, Ecosystem services, Integrity indicators
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Global and Planetary Change
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In: Regional environmental change, Vol. 8, No. 1, 03.2008, p. 31-43.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecological risk as a tool for evaluating the effects of offshore wind farm construction in the North Sea
AU - Nunneri, Corinna
AU - Lenhart, Hermann J.
AU - Burkhard, Benjamin
AU - Windhorst, Wilhelm
N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments This work has been carried out in the frame-work of the BMBF-funded project Zukunft Küste-Coastal Futures (Project No. 03F0404A), a LOICZ affiliated project. Many thanks to F. Colijn for useful suggestions and constructive comments on an earlier version of this paper. Copyright: Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - Offshore wind power generation represents a chance to supply energy in a more sustainable way; however, the ecological risks associated with the construction and operation of offshore wind farms are still largely unknown. This paper uses the concept of ecological risk for analysing ecological changes during construction of offshore wind farms. "Ecological risk" is defined as the potentially reduced ability of providing ecosystem services. The ERSEM ecosystem model allows assessing ecological risk based on a number of selected variables (integrity indicators) and under the assumption that increased suspended matter concentration during construction of wind farms affects ecosystem functioning. We conclude that ecological risk is adequate to describe the effects of wind farm constructions, although the computation procedure still needs to be refined and the choice of indicators further optimised. In this context, the choice of indicators available in modelling as well as in monitoring time-series may offer the way forward.
AB - Offshore wind power generation represents a chance to supply energy in a more sustainable way; however, the ecological risks associated with the construction and operation of offshore wind farms are still largely unknown. This paper uses the concept of ecological risk for analysing ecological changes during construction of offshore wind farms. "Ecological risk" is defined as the potentially reduced ability of providing ecosystem services. The ERSEM ecosystem model allows assessing ecological risk based on a number of selected variables (integrity indicators) and under the assumption that increased suspended matter concentration during construction of wind farms affects ecosystem functioning. We conclude that ecological risk is adequate to describe the effects of wind farm constructions, although the computation procedure still needs to be refined and the choice of indicators further optimised. In this context, the choice of indicators available in modelling as well as in monitoring time-series may offer the way forward.
KW - Ecological integrity
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Integrity indicators
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=41149094933&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10113-008-0045-9
DO - 10.1007/s10113-008-0045-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:41149094933
VL - 8
SP - 31
EP - 43
JO - Regional environmental change
JF - Regional environmental change
SN - 1436-3798
IS - 1
ER -