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Wind farm and solar park effects on plant–soil carbon cycling: uncertain impacts of changes in ground‐level microclimate
Author(s) -
Armstrong Alona,
Waldron Susan,
Whitaker Jeanette,
Ostle Nicholas J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/gcb.12437
Subject(s) - microclimate , environmental science , renewable energy , greenhouse gas , climate change , soil carbon , climate change mitigation , global warming , atmospheric carbon cycle , carbon cycle , ecosystem , environmental resource management , natural resource economics , ecology , soil water , soil science , biology , economics
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 maximize 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, hypothesize likely effects and identify critical knowledge gaps for future carbon research.