An approach for evaluating changes in land-use from energy sprawl and other anthropogenic activities with implications for biotic resource management

Journal Article

Title: An approach for evaluating changes in land-use from energy sprawl and other anthropogenic activities with implications for biotic resource management

Author:

Wolaver, B.; Pierre, J.; Labay, B.; LaDuc, T.; Duran, C.; Ryberg, W.; Hibbits, T.

Publication Date:

March 1, 2018

Journal:

Environmental Earth Sciences

Volume:

Issue:

Pages:

171

Publisher:

Springer

Affiliation

University of Texas, The Nature Conservancy, Texas A&M University, Siglo Group

Technology:

Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind

Stressor:

Habitat Change

Receptor:

Reptiles

Document Access

Website:

External Link

Citation

Wolaver, B.; Pierre, J.; Labay, B.; LaDuc, T.; Duran, C.; Ryberg, W.; Hibbits, T. (2018). An approach for evaluating changes in land-use from energy sprawl and other anthropogenic activities with implications for biotic resource management. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77(5), 171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7323-8

Download Citation File

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach for evaluating land-use changes caused by energy development and other anthropogenic activities. We illustrate this technique by assessing the landscape footprint of energy development in the Eagle Ford Shale Play and Permian Basin of Texas, which saw rapid expansion in drilling during 2008-2012. We compare changes in land-use from oil and gas infrastructure construction during this time period with that of wind energy development in West Texas, urbanization in Central Texas, and extensive agricultural areas. Previous studies often use land-use proxies when comparing the footprint of energy infrastructure (e.g., 1 km(2) gridded well density or proposed wind project footprints) with other anthropogenic land-change. This study presents animproved technique because it compares high-resolution datasets of agricultural activity and urbanization with mapped-not surrogate-land-change from oil and gas and wind power infrastructure using high-resolution (1 m) aerial imagery. We found that changes in land-use caused by anthropogenic factors affected 1.06% (3456 km(2)) of the similar to 324,000 km(2) study area. Oil and gas development (well pads and pipelines) was similar to 48% of total changes in land-use (but did not account for access roads), changes in agriculture caused similar to 26%, and urbanization was similar to 24%. Construction of wind turbine pads and high voltage power transmission lines was less important (similar to 1%). We illustrate this approach for a single species (i.e., Spot-tailed Earless Lizard, Holbrookia lacerata) in Texas. This study is part of an ongoing, multi-year research program generating science to inform the federal Endangered Species Act listing decision for H. lacerata. Additionally, this technique can facilitate effective management of a variety of biotic resources inother rapidly developing environments globally by identifying what anthropogenic activities are most important and where land-change is most intense so that on-the-ground conservation strategies can be implemented where they are needed most.