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Effects of Natural Gas Drilling on Wildlife

Effects of Natural Gas Drilling on Wildlife. Dr. Jerry Skinner Keystone College. Who…"speaks for the trees, as the trees have no tongues“?. What are the impacts?. It depends…… Land use-farmland of forest?. What are the impacts?. It depends…… land use-farmland of forest?

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Effects of Natural Gas Drilling on Wildlife

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  1. Effects of Natural Gas Drilling on Wildlife Dr. Jerry Skinner Keystone College Who…"speaks for the trees, as the trees have no tongues“?

  2. What are the impacts? It depends…… • Land use-farmland of forest?

  3. What are the impacts? It depends…… • land use-farmland of forest? • core forest is of special concern • >300 ft from edge or opening • number of wells and their placement • depends on geology, proximity to pipelines and water, and size of the gas drainage unit The bottom line…the landscape will change.

  4. Pad Site • often 4-6 acres • stabilized with compacted stone and aggregate • created ponds • roads and pipeline connections

  5. Linear Openings:Roads, Seismic Lines, and Pipelines • some wildlife avoid roads-even deer • forest-dependent salamanders are impacted by both active and inactive roads • encourage trespass by ATVs • seismic lines 8 m wide became territorial boundaries • lines 2-3 m wide were incorporated into territories

  6. Linear Openings:Roads, Seismic Lines, and Pipelines • highways for invasive species: • Multiflora rose • Stiltgrass • Autumn olive • Garlic mustard

  7. Invasives: Garlic Mustard • Allelopathic • Aggressive

  8. Japanese Knotweed/Bamboo

  9. Japanese Barberry

  10. Autumn Olive

  11. Mile-a-Minute

  12. freshwater reservoirs frac waters trap for amphibians attractor for migratory waterfowl Impoundments

  13. Noise • Drilling is temporary • Compressors stations are permanent • Birds and amphibians communicate vocally during breeding season • along highways, birds wait until big trucks have passed to sing • low frequency sounds travel farther • songbird diversity is 1.5x higher away from noise (Baynbe, Habib, and Boutin 2008)

  14. Ovenbirds had lower pairing success by compressors; younger males occupied sites nearer to compressor stations. (Habib, Bayne, and Boutin 2007)

  15. Habitat Fragmentation

  16. Species Area Curve: Bats on Caribbean Islands Log of cumulative # of species Log of island size in square miles Conclusion: Larger islands patches have more species.

  17. Allegheny National Forest

  18. Roads and Wildlife • Forest dependent salamanders negatively impacted by both active and inactive logging roads (Semiltisch et al. 2007) • Road traffic and location influence mortality rates (Langen et al. 2009, Eigenbrod et al. 2008) • 40-60% reduction in density of sage-brush songbirds within 100 m of roads associated with natural gas extraction (Ingelfinger and Anderson 2004)

  19. Disturbance to Sensitive Habitats

  20. When the ‘edge’ increases… • the core “deep dark woods” decreases • higher predation and nest parasitism

  21. Increased Predation

  22. Brown-headed Cowbird

  23. The Winners: habitat generalists, tolerant of distubance and people American Crow, Common Raven, Blue Jay

  24. The Losers: intolerant of disturbance or habitat specialists Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk

  25. Poor Dispesral Abilities Spotted Salamander, Northern Red Salamander, Wood Frog

  26. Area sensitive or forest interior birds Scarlet Tanager, Blue-headed Vireo

  27. Allegheny Woodrat, Timber Rattlesnake

  28. Timber Rattlesnake

  29. PA candidate species • species of immediate concern • responsibility species-may have 5% of total world breeding population; PA is the NE US stronghold • strong correlation to Marcellus shale distribution • seismic testing can collapse dens

  30. Impacts to Plants & Communities • Pads • Direct mortality & loss of ecological community • Fragmentation (more on this later) • Invasive-on equipment or natural dispersal • Won’t be restored to original community • Related Activities • Seismic survey • Access roads • Impoundment • Water use and disposal • Pipelines

  31. Is there legal protection?

  32. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory(PNDI)

  33. Possible Outcomes of PNDI “Hits” • No impact • Recommend moving the site • Other mitigations • Extensive survey for species of special concern (endangered, threatened, etc.) • Monitor impacts

  34. Indiana Bat Northern Myotis Eastern Small-footed Myotis Silver-haired Bat PNDI Species of Interest

  35. Upland Sandpiper PNDI: Grassland Birds-avoid activity during nesting season

  36. Short-eared Owl

  37. Northern Harrier/Marsh Hawk

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