Abstract
Latrodex (Pty) Ltd Wind Energy Facility has appointed Stephanie Dippenaar Consulting to undertake the required bat monitoring processes for the proposed construction of the Latrodex Wind Energy Facility (WEF) and associated grid connection infrastructure near Haga Haga in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The proposed Latrodex WEF consists of five (5) wind turbines. The hub height of the proposed turbines will be between 80 m and 125 m, with a maximum blade diameter of 90 m and the lowest point of the turbine sweep will be between 35 m and 80 m, depending on the final hub height and blade diameter. The methodology and approach for this bat monitoring is mainly guided by the relevant South African bat monitoring guidelines (Sowler, et al., 2017) concerned with bat monitoring and wind energy development. The monitoring systems at the proposed Latrodex WEF consisted of a Wildlife Acoustics SM3BAT full spectrum bat detector with two microphones, one at 10 m and one 80 m. Bat monitoring included five field visits to investigate the site, do roost surveys, install and remove instruments, download data and perform transects. The area has an oceanic humid subtropical climate with moderate, warm temperature typical of the South African coastline. Although most rain occurs in summer, the area receives rainfall throughout the year. The Latrodex WEF falls within the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests classified by SANBI (2012) as Albany Coastal Belt. The vegetation, with various flowering and fruit baring plant species, lends itself to high bat activity. Fruit bats as well as insectivores’ bats could roost in the dense vegetation and insect occurrence associated with the vegetation cover, attracts insectivorous bats. Field visits confirmed signs of bat presence at the human dwellings and bat droppings indicate that bats could use these areas as roosts. Of the two fruit bat species and twenty-three insectivores’ bat species which have distribution maps overlaying the proposed development area, seven have a Near Threatened and two have an Endangered conservation status in South Africa, while three of these have a global conservation status of being Near Threatened. Two of the Near Threatened bat species Miniopterus fraterculus (Lesser long-fingered bat) and Rhinolophus capensis (Cape horseshoe bat), as well as two Least Concern bat species Eptesicus hottentotus (the Long-tailed serotine) and Sauromys petrophilus (Roberts’s flat-headed bat) are endemic to Southern Africa (Monadjem, 2010). According to the likelihood of fatality risk, as indicated by the pre-construction guidelines (MacEwan, et al, 2020), twelve of the species, namely Epomophorus wahlbergi (Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat), Rousettus aegyptiacus (Egyptian rousette), Taphozous mauritianus (Mauritian tomb bat), Miniopterus fraterculus (Lesser long-fingered bat), Miniopterus natalensis (Natal long-fingered bat), Chaerephon pumilus (Little free-tailed bat), Mops condylurus (Angolan free-tailed bat), Otomops martiensenni (Large-eared giant mastiff bat), Sauromys petrophilus (Roberts’s flat-headed bat), Tadarida aegyptiaca (Egyptian free-tailed bat), Neoromicia capensis (Cape serotine bat) and Neoromicia nana (Banana bat) have a high risk of fatality due to its foraging habitat at high altitudes. Three more species, Myotis tricolor (Temminck’s Myotis bat), Pipistrellus hesperidus (Dusky pipistrelle) and Scotophilus dinganii (Yellow-bellied house bat) have a medium to high risk of fatality while E. hottentotus has a medium fatality risk.