OPTIPOL Sub projects

Denne undersiden foreligger foreløpig kun på engelsk.

The project is split up into the following sub-projects, which may be further divided into more specific tasks.

  1. Develop a “least-cost path” GIS-based application for an environmental friendly routing of power lines based on ecological, financial and technological criteria. 
  2. Assess power-line Rights-of-Way (ROW) as wildlife habitats, and in particular study how habitat selection by moose is influenced. 
  3. Assess population impact of bird mortality due to power-line collisions, relative to other human related mortality factors (primarily hunting) in gallinaceous birds (with capercaillie and black grouse as model species). 
  4. Identify ecological high-risk factors for bird collisions, i.e. site-specific factors connected to topographic characteristics, including vegetation structure, season, weather and light conditions. 
  5. Establish a national web portal for management of dead bird data (including birds recorded as collision and electrocution victims) by developing an online web application enabling the general public to contribute with data on recorded dead birds via Internet. 
  6. Review available literature to assess 1) the possibilities for increased collision hazard to birds by making power-line structures less visible for humans given the present knowledge on bird vision, and 2) technical properties and constraints of camouflaging techniques on conductors and earth wires. 
  7. Review available literature on technical modifying solutions and assess their effective-ness to mitigate bird collisions and electrocution. 
  8. Develop guidelines for technical solutions to mitigate power-line induced mortality to birds. 
  9. Assess eagle owl mortality and population impact caused by power-line collision and elec-trocution, identify high-hazard collision and electrocution structures and possible mitigating measures.

A moose in the power line recorded by an automatic detector camera in the OPTIPOL field area. Photo © NINA