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The impact of energy sprawl on biodiversity and ecosystem services

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dc.contributor.authorJones, Nathan Forrest, author
dc.contributor.authorPejchar, Liba, advisor
dc.contributor.authorTheobald, David M., committee member
dc.contributor.authorAldridge, Cameron L., committee member
dc.date.accessioned2007-01-03T04:53:09Z
dc.date.available2007-01-03T04:53:09Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractThe future of energy production is uncertain as society demands clean and abundant energy to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly developed population. Wind energy offers the benefit of reduced greenhouse gas emissions; however, like conventional power sources such as oil and natural gas, wind energy results in an environmental footprint that contributes to energy sprawl, or the use and degradation of land due to energy production. In order to better understand these potential affects I summarized and evaluated the impacts on a diverse set of indicators including habitat loss, fragmentation, wildlife mortality, noise and light pollution, invasive species, and changes in carbon stock and water resources. I quantified these indicators by digitizing the land-use footprint within 375 randomly selected one kilometer diameter plots, stratified across each energy type, within Colorado and Wyoming, USA. I found substantial differences in impacts between energy types for most indicators, although the magnitude and direction of the differences varied. Wind energy resulted in greater impacts to noise and light pollution whereas oil and natural gas development resulted in greater habitat fragmentation and impacts to biomass carbon stock and water resources. Underlying land-use and location of production activities were a critical factor in describing the impacts. This novel technique and my specific findings can be used by developers, planners and policy-makers to design energy development that retains biodiversity while meeting society's demand for energy.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierJones_colostate_0053N_11422.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/78747
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectconservation
dc.subjectindicator
dc.subjectlandscape
dc.subjectnatural gas
dc.subjectoil
dc.subjectwind energy
dc.titleThe impact of energy sprawl on biodiversity and ecosystem services
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineFish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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