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.

中文翻译：

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太阳能光伏基础设施中重新植被对土壤理化性质的影响

太阳能光伏 (PV) 技术正在以前所未有的速度部署。然而，公用事业规模的太阳能开发是土地密集型的，其大规模安装会对环境产生负面影响。特别是，太阳能基础设施可能需要广泛的景观改造，以改变土壤生态功能，从而影响水文、植物和碳动态。然而，将原生植被重新引入太阳能光伏站点可能是恢复土壤的一种手段。为此，我们调查了美国科罗拉多州重新植被光伏阵列和相邻参考草地的关键土壤物理和化学参数。重新植被七年后，我们发现 PV 土壤中的碳和氮仍然低于参考土壤中的碳和氮，并且包含更大比例的粗颗粒。我们还发现光伏组件在土壤水分分布中引入了异质性，降水沿着面板的下边缘累积。面板阵列对土壤水分的重新分配可能与种植策略协同使用，以最大限度地促进植物生长或最大限度地减少土壤侵蚀，并且在评估将植被与太阳能基础设施共处一地的可能性时应予以考虑。