Wind farm and solar park effects on plant-soil carbon cycling: uncertain impacts of changes in ground-level microclimate

Armstrong, Alona; Waldron, Susan; Whitaker, Jeanette ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8824-471X; Ostle, Nicholas J.. 2014 Wind farm and solar park effects on plant-soil carbon cycling: uncertain impacts of changes in ground-level microclimate. Global Change Biology, 20 (6). 1699-1706. 10.1111/gcb.12437

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Abstract/Summary

Global energy demand is increasing as greenhouse gas driven climate change progresses, making renewable energy sources critical to future sustainable power provision. Land-based wind and solar electricity generation technologies are rapidly expanding, yet our understanding of their operational effects on biological carbon cycling in hosting ecosystems is limited. Wind turbines and photovoltaic panels can significantly change local ground-level climate by a magnitude that could affect the fundamental plant-soil processes that govern carbon dynamics. We believe that understanding the possible effects of changes in ground-level microclimates on these phenomena is crucial to reducing uncertainty of the true renewable energy carbon cost and to maximise beneficial effects. In this Opinions article, we examine the potential for the microclimatic effects of these land-based renewable energy sources to alter plant-soil carbon cycling, hypothesise likely effects, and identify critical knowledge gaps for future carbon research.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1111/gcb.12437
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biodiversity > BD Topic 3 - Managing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Environment CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 1 - Monitoring and Interpretation of Biogeochemical and Climate Changes
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Shore
ISSN:	1354-1013
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - Official URL link provides full text
Additional Keywords:	greenhouse gases, land use change, microclimate, solar parks, wind farms
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	07 Jan 2014 15:48 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/503584

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