<
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/habitat-friendly-solar-energy-insect-population-boost/>
"A recent study conducted by scientists from the Department of Energy's Argonne
National Laboratory in Illinois and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in
Colorado found that solar farms don't have to
only harvest clean, renewable
energy from the sun — they can also be breeding grounds for pollinators and
native plants.
The study, conducted on two different solar installations in southern
Minnesota, involved seeding the land underneath the solar panels with 66
different species of native plants and flowers. The scientists then visited
periodically to see how many insects had returned to the land, which had
previously been fouled with herbicides and used for row crops.
They found that after five years, populations of native bees had risen to 20
times their initial levels, per a report from
Anthropocene.
"This research highlights the relatively rapid insect community responses to
habitat restoration at solar energy sites," Lee Walston, who led the study,
said.
Solar energy development has been expanding rapidly in recent years, as
companies and governments look for ways to provide power without the immense
pollution and environmental degradation that come with dirty energy sources
such as oil and gas.
One of the drawbacks of solar, however, is the amount of physical space that it
requires, with much of it sited on prime agricultural land. But studies like
the one conducted in Minnesota are showing that solar farms don't necessarily
have to be one thing or the other — they can, in some cases, generate clean
energy while also supporting local wildlife."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
