Interpreting failure to reject the null hypothesis of displacement from wind turbines in three species of grassland birds: Response to Johnson (2016)

Abstract

Johnson (2016) criticized our 3-year study investigating displacement in breeding grassland birds at an operational wind facility in the southern Great Plains. Although Johnson characterized our statistical methods as inappropriate and our study as intentionally misleading, his claims are based on his own view of the appropriate analysis and interpretation. Although we failed to reject the null hypothesis of no displacement in breeding grassland birds at our study site, the main message of our manuscript was a cautionary tale-that is, that at many wind facilities it will be difficult to isolate the effect of distance to turbine from other factors that covary with distance.