Microenvironmental changes and plant responses due to shading and wind deflectio by solar collectors: a simulation study
The potential microenvironmental changes at the ground surface beneath arrays of solar mirrors or collectors were investigated in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem, utilizing a simulated array of plywood panels. The simulated array consisted of twelve panels designed to exhibit a similar shape, tilt, and spacing as is expected to occur in heliostat fields of solar thermal facilities or in arrays of photovoltaic collectors. The experimental design in the study was based on comparing two microsites in the simulated array versus the open desert. Presence of the panels results in up to a 90% reduction in solar radiance during the midday period, with microsites beneath each panel receiving about 14% of the open desert irradiance over the whole day. The array of panels also effected a 14% to 60% reduction in monthly accumulated wind flow in the center of the array. The combination of reduced radiant energy input and wind deflection resulted in significantly reduced surface and soil temperatures in the heavily shaded sites, and moderately reduced surface and soil temperatures in the sunny microsites. Plant responses to a cooler, moister environment were: (1) higher diversity and survival of winter spring annuals; (2) proliferation of C/sub 3/ annuals in the summer flora versus the more typical C/sub 4/ annuals in the open; (3) greater new shoot production of shrubs; (4) greater gross photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of the two shrub species in the warm dry season, but not in the cool wet season; (5) increased leaf retention and reduction in the typical leaf polymorphic character into the dry season of the drought deciduous Ambrosia deltoidea; and, (6) invasion of the heavily shaded areas of the array by a pseudo-riparian species, Baccharis sarothroides. (WHK)
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Lab. of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00012
- OSTI ID:
- 6774912
- Report Number(s):
- UCLA-12/1268
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SOLAR COLLECTORS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESERTS
HELIOSTATS
MOISTURE
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PLANTS
SHADING
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
WIND
ARID LANDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
ECOSYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
POWER PLANTS
SIMULATION
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SYNTHESIS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
140400* - Solar Energy- Environmental Aspects
140700 - Solar Thermal Power Systems
510302 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
510100 - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)