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Wildlife conservation and solar energy development in the Desert Southwest, United States

BioScience
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2011.61.12.8

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Abstract

Large areas of public land are currently being permitted or evaluated for utility-scale solar energy development (USSED) in the southwestern United States, including areas with high biodiversity and protected species. However, peer-reviewed studies of the effects of USSED on wildlife are lacking. The potential effects of the construction and the eventual decommissioning of solar energy facilities include the direct mortality of wildlife; environmental impacts of fugitive dust and dust suppressants; destruction and modification of habitat, including the impacts of roads; and off-site impacts related to construction material acquisition, processing, and transportation. The potential effects of the operation and maintenance of the facilities include habitat fragmentation and barriers to gene flow, increased noise, electromagnetic field generation, microclimate alteration, pollution, water consumption, and fire. Facility design effects, the efficacy of site-selection criteria, and the cumulative effects of USSED on regional wildlife populations are unknown. Currently available peer-reviewed data are insufficient to allow a rigorous assessment of the impact of USSED on wildlife.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Wildlife conservation and solar energy development in the Desert Southwest, United States
Series title BioScience
DOI 10.1525/bio.2011.61.12.8
Volume 61
Issue 12
Year Published 2011
Language English
Publisher American Institute of Biological Sciences
Publisher location Washington, D.C.
Contributing office(s) Southwest Biological Science Center
Description 11 p.
First page 982
Last page 992
Country United States
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