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References

Relevant References Relating Sheep Grazing on Solar Sites to Related Fields in Entomology, Soil and Crop Science, Biogeochemistry, and Rural Sociology

The following list is an accumulation of relevant research findings for the investigation of synergies between grazing and eco-systems in agrivoltaic (renewable energy and agricultural) systems.

 

Cornell University research on solar energy

 

Land-use change, biodiversity, habitat change, and ecosystem services

  • Bazzaz, F. A. 1975. Plant species-diversity in old-field successional ecosystems in southern Illinois. Ecology 56(2):485-488. (Article) doi: 10.2307/1934981
  • Hernandez, R. R., S. B. Easter, M. L. Murphy-Mariscal, F. T. Maestre, M. Tavassoli, E. B. Allen, C. W. Barrows, J. Belnap, R. Ochoa-Hueso, S. Ravi, and M. F. Allen. 2014. Environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 29:766-779.
  • Montag, H. P., G.; Clarkson, T. 2016. The Effects of Solar Farms on Local Biodiversity; A Comparative Study. Clarkson and Woods and Wychwood Biodiversity.
  • Moore-O’Leary, K. A., R. R. Hernandez, D. S. Johnston, S. R. Abella, K. E. Tanner, A. C. Swanson, J. Kreitler, and J. E. Lovich. 2017. Sustainability of utility-scale solar energy – critical ecological concepts. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 15:385-394.
  • Sinha, P., B. Hoffman, J. Sakers, and L. Althouse. 2018. Best Practices in Responsible Land Use for Improving Biodiversity at a Utility-Scale Solar Facility. Case Studies in the Environment 2:1-12.
  • Tälle, M., B. Deák, P. Poschlod, O. Valkó, L. Westerberg, and P. Milberg. 2016. Grazing vs. mowing: A meta-analysis of biodiversity benefits for grassland management. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 222:200-212.

 

Bee pollinator species richness, abundance, and habitat

  • Goulson, D., E. Nicholls, C. Botías, and E. L. Rotheray. 2015. Bee declines driven by combined stress from parasites, pesticides, and lack of flowers. Science 347:1255957.
  • McArt, S. H., Fersch, A.A., Milano, N.J., Truitt, L.L., Boroczky, K., . 2017. High pesticide risk to honey-bees despite low focal crop pollen collection during pollination of a mass blooming crop. Scientific Reports 7:46554.
  • Sjödin, N. E. 2007. Pollinator behavioral responses to grazing intensity. Biodiversity and Conservation 16:2103-2121.
  • Vaidya, C. F., K.; Vandermeer, J. . 2018. Colony Development and Reproductive Success of Bumblebees in an Urban Gradient. Sustainability 10:1936.
  • Walston, L. J., S. K. Mishra, H. M. Hartmann, I. Hlohowskyj, J. McCall, and J. Macknick. 2018. Examining the Potential for Agricultural Benefits from Pollinator Habitat at Solar Facilities in the United States. Environmental Science & Technology 52:7566-7576.
  • Williams, N. M., Regetz, J., Kremen, C. 2012. Landscape-scale resources promote colony growth but not reproductive performance of bumble bees. Ecology 93:1049-1058.

 

Soil Carbon in grazing systems

  • Conant, R. T., C. E. P. Cerri, B. B. Osborne, and K. Paustian. 2017. Grassland management impacts on soil carbon stocks: a new synthesis. Ecological Applications 27:662-668.
  • Coonan, E. C., A. E. Richardson, C. A. Kirkby, J. A. Kirkegaard, M. R. Amidy, R. J. Simpson, and C. L. Strong. 2019. Soil carbon sequestration to depth in response to long-term phosphorus fertilization of grazed pasture. Geoderma 338:226-235.
  • Hebb, C., D. Schoderbek, G. Hernandez-Ramirez, D. Hewins, C. N. Carlyle, and E. Bork. 2017. Soil physical quality varies among contrasting land uses in Northern Prairie regions. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 240:14-23.
  • Hewins, D. B., M. P. Lyseng, D. F. Schoderbek, M. Alexander, W. D. Willms, C. N. Carlyle, S. X. Chang, and E. W. Bork. 2018. Grazing and climate effects on soil organic carbon concentration and particle-size association in northern grasslands. Scientific Reports 8:1336.
  • McSherry, M. E., and M. E. Ritchie. 2013. Effects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: a global review. Global Change Biology 19:1347-1357.
  • Pineiro, G., J. M. Paruelo, M. Oesterheld, and E. G. Jobbagy. 2010. Pathways of Grazing Effects on Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen. Rangeland Ecology & Management 63:109-119.
  • Stanley, P. L., J. E. Rowntree, D. K. Beede, M. S. DeLonge, and M. W. Hamm. 2018. Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems. Agricultural Systems 162:249-258.

 

Access to locally produced meat

 

Ecosystem services from solar parks

  • Randle-Boggis, R. J., et al. “Realising Co-Benefits for Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services from Solar Parks: A Co-Developed, Evidence-Based Approach.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 125, June 2020, p. 109775. DOI.org (Crossref), doi:10.1016/j.rser.2020.109775.
  • SPIES Reference Tool. University of Lancaster, GB. spies.simomics.com

“The SPIES decision-support tool informs the management of solar parks for natural capital and ecosystem service benefits. It uses an evidence-based approach, drawing on peer-reviewed scientific literature, to identify specific natural capital and ecosystem service benefits arising from different management interventions. The SPIES DST offers practical guidance to all those involved with planning, development and management of solar parks, including those with no previous expert knowledge.”