The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales

Utility-scale solar energy development is a novel and rapidly expanding land-use with largely unknown consequences for plant diversity. Construction disturbance and associated increases in environmental heterogeneity in solar facilities relative to undisturbed ecosystems can affect plant diversity at multiple spatial scales. We assessed the effects of modified construction methods, designed to reduce impacts of a utility-scale solar facility, on plant diversity across spatial scales (1–4000 m²) in the Mojave Desert, USA one year after construction. Vegetation surveys across three soil–vegetation types revealed that species richness and evenness were largely unaffected by solar infrastructure at local scales in two of the three soil–vegetation types, but in creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)-white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) communities with deep soils, both metrics increased. Beta diversity remained unchanged by solar infrastructure while gamma diversity (4000 m²) increased or had a small reduction depending on the soil–vegetation type. These results suggest that low-impact construction can have neutral to positive effects on plant diversity.