Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process

In addition to the aspects of power generation, land use, aesthetics, nature conservation, and multifunctionality considered so far, there are still overlooked issues in the relatively new topic of solar landscapes. I reveal a connection with a supposedly not equally contemporary theme: ecological s...

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Main Author: Markus Zaplata
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2025-02-01
Series:One Ecosystem
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Online Access:https://oneecosystem.pensoft.net/article/141583/download/pdf/
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author Markus Zaplata
author_facet Markus Zaplata
author_sort Markus Zaplata
collection DOAJ
description In addition to the aspects of power generation, land use, aesthetics, nature conservation, and multifunctionality considered so far, there are still overlooked issues in the relatively new topic of solar landscapes. I reveal a connection with a supposedly not equally contemporary theme: ecological succession. Understanding succession provides the background for interrelationships, and explains why, in large solar parks, the occurrence of large operational disruptors, such as trees, cannot be sustainably countered with the usual maintenance measures. Woody plants benefit from the thousands of safe sites amongst the modular panel constructions, and softwoods often avoid being cut due to their flexibility, or grow back from their stumps. Stronger and stronger over time. Instead of relying exclusively on labour-intensive and costly mowing, managers can make use of grazing animals. In this way, simply anticipating the ecological succession process and taking it into account when planning and managing a solar park can boost overall sustainability. The recommendation makes connections with social dimensions and can result in ethically produced meat.
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spelling doaj-art-96c341ab3c1246f9a6c25d66df37bbe82025-02-12T08:31:47ZengPensoft PublishersOne Ecosystem2367-81942025-02-011011010.3897/oneeco.10.e141583141583Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent processMarkus Zaplata0Anhalt University of Applied SciencesIn addition to the aspects of power generation, land use, aesthetics, nature conservation, and multifunctionality considered so far, there are still overlooked issues in the relatively new topic of solar landscapes. I reveal a connection with a supposedly not equally contemporary theme: ecological succession. Understanding succession provides the background for interrelationships, and explains why, in large solar parks, the occurrence of large operational disruptors, such as trees, cannot be sustainably countered with the usual maintenance measures. Woody plants benefit from the thousands of safe sites amongst the modular panel constructions, and softwoods often avoid being cut due to their flexibility, or grow back from their stumps. Stronger and stronger over time. Instead of relying exclusively on labour-intensive and costly mowing, managers can make use of grazing animals. In this way, simply anticipating the ecological succession process and taking it into account when planning and managing a solar park can boost overall sustainability. The recommendation makes connections with social dimensions and can result in ethically produced meat.https://oneecosystem.pensoft.net/article/141583/download/pdf/food-energy-water nexusland usemultifunctional
spellingShingle Markus Zaplata
Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
One Ecosystem
food-energy-water nexus
land use
multifunctional
title Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
title_full Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
title_fullStr Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
title_full_unstemmed Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
title_short Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
title_sort management and sustainability of ground mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process
topic food-energy-water nexus
land use
multifunctional
url https://oneecosystem.pensoft.net/article/141583/download/pdf/
work_keys_str_mv AT markuszaplata managementandsustainabilityofgroundmountedsolarparksrequiresconsiderationofvegetationsuccessionasanomnipresentprocess