Wind of change : Wind power establishments correlate with changes in moose harvests in central Sweden and Norway

A growing concern for climate change puts high demands on electricity from renewable energy sources. Varying results have been reported on the impacts of wind power on terrestrial mammals, e.g. effects on migration corridors and grazing habitat of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), increased stress-hormones in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), lowered breeding success in wolves (Canis lupus), and lowered activity and habitat shifts for moose (Alces alces). Using a retrospective dataset of moose harvest (2012-2020) from Sweden and Norway, I examined how harvest at three management levels of various size (Moose Management Areas, Moose Management Units and Hunting team areas/Game management areas) was affected by the establishment of wind parks. Additional covariates were the occurrence of large predators (wolf and brown bear (Ursus arctos)), road densities, and 12-year accumulated forest loss. Harvest significantly correlated with wind park establishment at the small and middle levels of moose management. Harvest was affected by the distance to closest wind parks, the number of turbines in wind parks and, at the smallest management level, by the wind turbines height. At the small level, the number of turbines temporarily had a positive correlation with moose harvest during construction phase but shifted to negative during the operative phase. Such pattern was possibly resulting from allocated hunting efforts in relation to altered movement patterns of moose in response to wind park establishment. At the large level, while wind turbines had no significant effect, predator occurrence and gravel road density affected moose harvest. At the middle level, harvest density was affected by wolf occurrence and proportion of young forest stands, but not by occurrence of brown bear. Results show that wind power establishment can affect hunting, an important leisure activity for people on the countryside. Reduced harvests risk to increase browsing damages in forestry and moose-v