Effects of Revegetation on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Solar Photovoltaic Infrastructure
Genre
Journal articleDate
2020-08-11Author
Choi, Chong Seok
Cagle, Alexander E.
Macknick, Jordan
Bloom, Dellena E.
Caplan, Joshua

Ravi, Sujith

Department
Earth and Environmental ScienceArchitecture and Environmental Design
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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/1128
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https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2020.00140Abstract
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is being deployed at an unprecedented rate. However, utility-scale solar energy development is land intensive and its large-scale installation can have negative impacts on the environment. In particular, solar energy infrastructure can require extensive landscape modification that transforms soil ecological functions, thereby impacting hydrologic, vegetative, and carbon dynamics. However, reintroducing native vegetation to solar PV sites may be a means of restoring their soils. To this end, we investigated critical soil physical and chemical parameters at a revegetated photovoltaic array and an adjacent reference grassland in Colorado, United States. Seven years after revegetation, we found that carbon and nitrogen remained lower in the PV soil than in the reference soil and contained a greater fraction of coarse particles. We also found that the PV modules introduced heterogeneity in the soil moisture distribution, with precipitation accumulating along the lower edges of panels. The redistribution of soil moisture by panel arrays could potentially be used in concert with planting strategies to maximize plant growth or minimize soil erosion, and should be considered when evaluating the potential to co-locate vegetation with solar infrastructure.Citation
Choi CS, Cagle AE, Macknick J, Bloom DE, Caplan JS and Ravi S (2020) Effects of Revegetation on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Solar Photovoltaic Infrastructure. Front. Environ. Sci. 8:140. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2020.00140Citation to related work
Frontiers MediaChoi, Chong Seok; Cagle, Alexander E.; Macknick, Jordan; Bloom, Dellena E.; Caplan, Joshua S.; Ravi, Sujith (2020): Effects of Revegetation on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Solar Photovoltaic Infrastructure. Frontiers. Collection. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2020.00140
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Frontiers in Environmental Science, August 2020, Vol. 8ADA compliance
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http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/1110