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Boscarino-Gaetano R, Vernes K, Nordberg EJ. Creating wildlife habitat using artificial structures: a review of their efficacy and potential use in solar farms. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38735646 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
The biodiversity crisis is exacerbated by a growing human population modifying nearly three-quarters of the Earth's land surface area for anthropogenic uses. Habitat loss and modification represent the largest threat to biodiversity and finding ways to offset species decline has been a significant undertaking for conservation. Landscape planning and conservation strategies can enhance habitat suitability for biodiversity in human-modified landscapes. Artificial habitat structures such as artificial reefs, nest boxes, chainsaw hollows, artificial burrows, and artificial hibernacula have all been successfully implemented to improve species survival in human-modified and fragmented landscapes. As the global shift towards renewable energy sources continues to rise, the development of photovoltaic systems is growing exponentially. Large-scale renewable projects, such as photovoltaic solar farms have large space requirements and thus have the potential to displace local wildlife. We discuss the feasibility of 'conservoltaic systems' - photovoltaic systems that incorporate elements tailored specifically to enhance wildlife habitat suitability and species conservation. Artificial habitat structures can potentially lessen the impacts of industrial development (e.g., photovoltaic solar farms) through strategic landscape planning and an understanding of local biodiversity requirements to facilitate recolonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remo Boscarino-Gaetano
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Karl Vernes
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Eric J Nordberg
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
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Menta C, Remelli S, Andreoni M, Gatti F, Sergi V. Can Grasslands in Photovoltaic Parks Play a Role in Conserving Soil Arthropod Biodiversity? Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1536. [PMID: 37511911 PMCID: PMC10381872 DOI: 10.3390/life13071536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1-grassland mowed with tractor; site 2-grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Menta
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Viale delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Sara Remelli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Viale delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Matteo Andreoni
- ESPERTA Benefit Corporation, Strada Giarola, 8, 43044 Collecchio, Italy
| | - Fabio Gatti
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Viale delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Valeria Sergi
- Department Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics (DICATAM), University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25060 Brescia, Italy
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Wu C, Liu H, Yu Y, Zhao W, Guo L, Liu J, Yetemen O. Ecohydrological insight: Solar farms facilitate carbon sink enhancement in drylands. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 342:118304. [PMID: 37276619 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Solar farms are critical to tackling climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. Besides producing renewable energy, a solar farm modifies microclimates and changes water distribution, consequently affecting local carbon sequestration capacity (CSC). Yet, how the CSC of an ecosystem responds to these changes after solar farm construction remains inadequately understood. Herein, the SOFAR model was adopted to reveal the effects of large-scale solar farms (LSFs) on CSC in arid northern China, with a series of numeric experiments along a climate gradient (with precipitation ranging from 70 to 500 mm yr-1). The results show that relative to pristine vegetation background, CSC was non-linearly increased by averages of 3.49-6.68%, 4.43-10.25%, 5.07-9.71% and 5.6% each year after the installation of LSFs in hyper-arid climates (with aridity index or AI = 0.04-0.05), arid climates (AI = 0.14-0.16), semi-arid climates (AI = 0.21-0.3) and semi-humid climates (AI = 0.55), respectively. The increase in available water for plants growing under the drip lines of photovoltaic panels (PVs) in LSFs is confirmed to be the overwhelming factor responsible for CSC enhancement. Although biases remain in the estimation of increased CSC in hyper- and semi-humid regions due to the high variability of climate (e.g., extreme drought events) and serious radiation reduction beneath PVs, it is certain that solar farms facilitate CSC without increasing external land use. These results will deepen our understanding of the feedback between solar farms and ambient environments and be meaningful for vegetation management in solar farms, especially in the context of climate change and carbon neutrality aims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuandong Wu
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Hu Liu
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Yang Yu
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Wenzhi Zhao
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Li Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Jintao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources & Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Omer Yetemen
- Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, 34469, Turkey
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Xia Z, Li Y, Zhang W, Chen R, Guo S, Zhang P, Du P. Solar photovoltaic program helps turn deserts green in China: Evidence from satellite monitoring. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 324:116338. [PMID: 36208517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Solar energy is considered one of the key solutions to the growing demand for energy and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to the relatively low cost of land use for solar energy and high power generation potential, a large number of photovoltaic (PV) power stations have been established in desert areas around the world. Despite the contribution to easing the energy crisis and combating climate change, large-scale construction and operation of PV power stations can change the land cover and affect the environment. However, few studies have focused on these special land cover changes, especially vegetation cover changes, which hinders understanding the effects of the extensive development of solar energy. Here, we used Continuous Change Detection and Classification - Spectral Mixture Analysis (CCDC-SMA) based on Landsat images to monitor changes in vegetation abundance before and after the PV power stations deployment. To reduce the interference of PV shading on vegetation abundance estimation, we improved the vegetation (VG) fraction from SMA and developed the Photovoltaics-Adjusted Vegetation (PAVG) fraction for vegetation abundance measurements in PV power stations. Results show that PV power stations in China's 12 biggest deserts expanded from 0 to 102.56 km2 from 2011 to 2018, mainly distributed in the central part of north China. The desert vegetation in the deployment area of PV power stations presented a significant greening trend. Compared to 2010, the greening area reached 30.80 km2, accounting for 30% of the total area of PV power stations. Overall, the large-scale deployment of PV power stations has promoted desert greening, primarily due to government-led Photovoltaic Desert Control Projects and favorable climatic change. This study shows the great benefits of PV power stations in combating desertification and improving people's welfare, which bring sustainable economic, ecological and social prosperity in sandy ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Xia
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yingjie Li
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Ruishan Chen
- School of Design, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shanchuan Guo
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Peijun Du
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Land Satellite Remote Sensing Applications of Ministry of Natural Resources, School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China; Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
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Wu C, Liu H, Yu Y, Zhao W, Liu J, Yu H, Yetemen O. Ecohydrological effects of photovoltaic solar farms on soil microclimates and moisture regimes in arid Northwest China: A modeling study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 802:149946. [PMID: 34525759 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Photovoltaic technology plays an important role in the sustainable development of clean energy, and arid areas are particularly ideal locations to build large-scale solar farms, all over the world. Modifications to the energy balance and water availability through the installation of large-scale solar farms, however, fundamentally affect the energy budget, water, and biogeochemical cycles. In-situ field observations, though, fail to draw definitive conclusions on how photovoltaic panels (PVs) affect the ambient environment, or how microclimates and soil moisture evolve under the long-term, continuous, cumulative influence of PVs. Here, we designed a synthetic model, integrating processes of energy budget and water cycle, to quantify the ecohydrological effects of PVs on soil microclimate and moisture regimes at different locations (zones) near individual PVs. Simulations run with a stochastically generated 100-year climate time series were examined to capture the evolutionary trends of soil microclimate and soil moisture. The results indicate that soil moisture content was increased by 59.8% to 113.6% in the Middle and Front zones, and soil temperature was decreased by 1.47 to 1.66 °C in all the sheltered zones, mainly because there was 5- 7 times more available water and ~27% less available radiation there, compared with the control zone. On the other hand, if the ground clearance of the PVs is too low, turbulence beneath hot PVs will have a significant influence on not only soil temperature but also soil moisture content. The innovative contribution of this study lies in reinforcing existing theoretical patterns for the development of soil microclimate and moisture dynamics influenced by PVs, and can be used to provide reliable insights into the hydrological and biogeochemical processes on Earth and the sustainable management of large-scale solar farms in arid ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuandong Wu
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hu Liu
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Yang Yu
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Wenzhi Zhao
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jintao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Hailong Yu
- School of Geography and Planning, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Omer Yetemen
- Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul 34469, Turkey
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Tanner KE, Moore‐O’Leary KA, Parker IM, Pavlik BM, Haji S, Hernandez RR. Microhabitats associated with solar energy development alter demography of two desert annuals. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02349. [PMID: 33817888 PMCID: PMC8459290 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Political and economic initiatives intended to increase energy production while reducing carbon emissions are driving demand for solar energy. Consequently, desert regions are now targeted for development of large-scale photovoltaic solar energy facilities. Where vegetation communities are left intact or restored within facilities, ground-mounted infrastructure may have negative impacts on desert-adapted plants because it creates novel rainfall runoff and shade conditions. We used experimental solar arrays in the Mojave Desert to test how these altered conditions affect population dynamics for a closely related pair of native annual plants: rare Eriophyllum mohavense and common E. wallacei. We estimated aboveground demographic rates (seedling emergence, survivorship, and fecundity) over 7 yr and used seed bank survival rates from a concurrent study to build matrix models of population growth in three experimental microhabitats. In drier years, shade tended to reduce survival of the common species, but increase survival of the rare species. In a wet year, runoff from panels tended to increase seed output for both species. Population growth projections from microhabitat-specific matrix models showed stronger effects of microhabitat under wetter conditions, and relatively little effect under dry conditions (lack of rainfall was an overwhelming constraint). Performance patterns across microhabitats in the wettest year differed between rare and common species. Projected growth of E. mohavense was substantially reduced in shade, mediated by negative effects on aboveground demographic rates. Hence, the rare species were more susceptible to negative effects of panel infrastructure in wet years that are critical to seed bank replenishment. Our results suggest that altered shade and water runoff regimes associated with energy infrastructure will have differential effects on demographic transitions across annual species and drive population-level processes that determine local abundance, resilience, and persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E. Tanner
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology DepartmentUniversity of California1156 High StreetSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Kara A. Moore‐O’Leary
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of CaliforniaOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
- Present address:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicePacific Southwest Region3020 State University Drive EastSacramentoCalifornia95819USA
| | - Ingrid M. Parker
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology DepartmentUniversity of California1156 High StreetSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Bruce M. Pavlik
- Conservation DepartmentRed Butte Garden and ArboretumUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah84108USA
| | - Sophia Haji
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology DepartmentUniversity of California1156 High StreetSanta CruzCalifornia95064USA
| | - Rebecca R. Hernandez
- Department of Land, Air & Water ResourcesUniversity of CaliforniaOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
- Wild Energy InitiativeJohn Muir Institute of the EnvironmentUniversity of CaliforniaOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
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Graham M, Ates S, Melathopoulos AP, Moldenke AR, DeBano SJ, Best LR, Higgins CW. Partial shading by solar panels delays bloom, increases floral abundance during the late-season for pollinators in a dryland, agrivoltaic ecosystem. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7452. [PMID: 33811234 PMCID: PMC8018959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86756-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat for pollinators is declining worldwide, threatening the health of both wild and agricultural ecosystems. Photovoltaic solar energy installation is booming, frequently near agricultural lands, where the land underneath ground-mounted photovoltaic panels is traditionally unused. Some solar developers and agriculturalists in the United States are filling the solar understory with habitat for pollinating insects in efforts to maximize land-use efficiency in agricultural lands. However, the impact of the solar panel canopy on the understory pollinator-plant community is unknown. Here we investigated the effects of solar arrays on plant composition, bloom timing and foraging behavior of pollinators from June to September (after peak bloom) in full shade plots and partial shade plots under solar panels as well as in full sun plots (controls) outside of the solar panels. We found that floral abundance increased and bloom timing was delayed in the partial shade plots, which has the potential to benefit late-season foragers in water-limited ecosystems. Pollinator abundance, diversity, and richness were similar in full sun and partial shade plots, both greater than in full shade. Pollinator-flower visitation rates did not differ among treatments at this scale. This demonstrates that pollinators will use habitat under solar arrays, despite variations in community structure across shade gradients. We anticipate that these findings will inform local farmers and solar developers who manage solar understories, as well as agriculture and pollinator health advocates as they seek land for pollinator habitat restoration in target areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Graham
- Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA.
| | - Serkan Ates
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA
| | | | - Andrew R Moldenke
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA
| | - Sandra J DeBano
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Hermiston, OR, 97838, USA
| | - Lincoln R Best
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA
| | - Chad W Higgins
- Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA
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The Land Sparing, Water Surface Use Efficiency, and Water Surface Transformation of Floating Photovoltaic Solar Energy Installations. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12198154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Floating photovoltaic solar energy installations (FPVs) represent a new type of water surface use, potentially sparing land needed for agriculture and conservation. However, standardized metrics for the land sparing and resource use efficiencies of FPVs are absent. These metrics are critical to understanding the environmental and ecological impacts that FPVs may potentially exhibit. Here, we compared techno-hydrological and spatial attributes of four FPVs spanning different climatic regimes. Next, we defined and quantified the land sparing and water surface use efficiency (WSUE) of each FPV. Lastly, we coined and calculated the water surface transformation (WST) using generation data at the world’s first FPV (Far Niente Winery, California). The four FPVs spare 59,555 m2 of land and have a mean land sparing ratio of 2.7:1 m2 compared to ground-mounted PVs. Mean direct and total capacity-based WSUE is 94.5 ± 20.1 SD Wm−2 and 35.2 ± 27.4 SD Wm−2, respectively. Direct and total generation-based WST at Far Niente is 9.3 and 13.4 m2 MWh−1 yr−1, respectively; 2.3 times less area than ground-mounted utility-scale PVs. Our results reveal diverse techno-hydrological and spatial attributes of FPVs, the capacity of FPVs to spare land, and the utility of WSUE and WST metrics.
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Hernandez RR, Tanner KE, Haji S, Parker IM, Pavlik BM, Moore-O’Leary KA. Simulated Photovoltaic Solar Panels Alter the Seed Bank Survival of Two Desert Annual Plant Species. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E1125. [PMID: 32878043 PMCID: PMC7570262 DOI: 10.3390/plants9091125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Seed bank survival underpins plant population persistence but studies on seed bank trait-environment interactions are few. Changes in environmental conditions relevant to seed banks occur in desert ecosystems owing to solar energy development. We developed a conceptual model of seed bank survival to complement methodologies using in-situ seed bank packets. Using this framework, we quantified the seed bank survival of two closely related annual desert plant species, one rare (Eriophyllum mohavense) and one common (Eriophyllum wallacei), and the seed bank-environment interactions of these two species in the Mojave Desert within a system that emulates microhabitat variation associated with solar energy development. We tracked 4860 seeds buried across 540 seed packets and found, averaged across both species, that seed bank survival was 21% and 6% for the first and second growing seasons, respectively. After two growing seasons, the rare annual had a significantly greater seed bank survival (10%) than the common annual (2%). Seed bank survival across both species was significantly greater in shade (10%) microhabitats compared to runoff (5%) and control microhabitats (3%). Our study proffers insight into this early life-stage across rare and common congeners and their environmental interactions using a novel conceptual framework for seed bank survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R. Hernandez
- Department of Land, Air & Water Resources, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Wild Energy Initiative, John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Karen E. Tanner
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; (K.E.T.); (S.H.); (I.M.P.)
| | - Sophia Haji
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; (K.E.T.); (S.H.); (I.M.P.)
| | - Ingrid M. Parker
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; (K.E.T.); (S.H.); (I.M.P.)
| | - Bruce M. Pavlik
- Conservation Department, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
| | - Kara A. Moore-O’Leary
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region, 3020 State University Drive East, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA;
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