Solar parks prove to be a rich breeding ground for biodiversity. This is the conclusion of researchers from the University of Groningen (RUG) led by Dr. Ir. Raymond Klaassen, who heads the multi-year research into the ecological effects of solar parks within the Faculty of Science & Engineering. Their latest findings show that solar parks not only attract different species than agricultural areas, but that they develop into a completely new type of ecosystem.
Ground beetles as indicators
In the new interim report, the research team focuses on ground beetles. These insects are important indicators of ecosystem quality. Because they are sensitive to changes in soil structure, moisture, shade, and vegetation, they quickly provide insight into the ecological conditions of an area. When the composition of ground beetles changes, it tells a lot about how a landscape functions ecologically.
A new type of habitat
Inventories in solar parks in Groningen and Drenthe show that ground beetles occur in greater numbers than in surrounding fields. Especially the zones with rougher vegetation, which have been established as ecological compensation, play an important role. Not only are more insects found there, but also different species than the typical field species characteristic of agricultural lands.
According to Klaassen, this is because solar parks create unique conditions: more shade and moisture under the panels, less disturbance from agricultural machinery, and greater variation in vegetation structures. This leads to a species combination that hardly occurs in the Dutch landscape. The researchers therefore speak of a new type of ecosystem, not comparable to fields, nature reserves, or forests.
Part of a larger study
The ground beetle research is part of a five-year program in which RUG studies the development of biodiversity in solar parks, from construction to years after. Besides insects, birds, vegetation, small mammals, and soil quality are also monitored. Earlier reports have already shown that certain bird species benefit from solar parks, while others are found less frequently. By following different species groups, a nuanced picture emerges of how solar parks function as habitats.
Cautious optimism
The researchers emphasize that solar parks are not a replacement for open agricultural landscapes: species dependent on extensive fields largely remain absent. Yet the total species richness in the area seems to increase, as solar parks provide space for other species that hardly occur in intensive agricultural areas. This contributes to greater ecological diversity at the landscape level.
Dr. Ir. Raymond Klaassen calls the results promising, but still developing. According to him, the research mainly shows that solar parks can become ecologically meaningful when carefully designed. We see that design and management greatly influence which species benefit. It is not an automatic process; it requires conscious choices to make solar parks nature-friendly.
More information about the research on natural design of solar parks