Ecological baseline studies at the site of the Barstow 10 MWe pilot solar thermal power system
- ed.
Baseline ecological measurements and observations were made in 1978 and 1979 at the site of the Barstow pilot 10 MWe solar thermal power system. The station will be constructed on Southern California Edison's Coolwater property. The climate of the area is typical of the Mojave Desert, with high summer temperatures (monthly means of up to 31/sup 0/C), and low rainfall (annual mean of 94 mm). About 66% of the rain falls in winter and spring. About 75% of winds are from the west-southwest to northwest, and mean monthly wind velocities during spring and summer are around 15 to 20 km hr/sup -1/. Surface soils of the site are sandy, but soils below 3 m are generally well graded sand with some silt and gravel. Some of the soils are highly saline, to an extent precluding plant growth. All soils are alkaline, with pH values as high as 9. Over 130 species of plants have been identified on the site, 18 of which are non-native. Estimated aggregate densities of annual plants range from around 600 to almost 9000 m/sup -2/, depending on sampling locale. Aggregate densities of perennials (including herbaceous species) range from as low as 0.2 to 4.4 m/sup -2/. Creosotebush supports a varied assemblage of sap-feeding and defoliating insects, principally homopterans and orthopterans. Other shrubs are populated with hemipterans, mealybugs, thrips, phytophagous beetles and moth larvae. Common ground-dwelling species are ants, tenebrionid beetles, weevils, various orthopterans, and predatory arachnids. Some 300 different kinds of arthropods were distinguished in samples from the site. The most commonly trapped rodents were kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami, D. deserti), pocket mice (Perognathus formosus) and ground squirrels (Spermophilus tereticaudus). Over 60 kinds of birds were observed around the site, many associated with evaporating ponds adjoining the Coolwater Generating Station.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Lab. of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology
- DOE Contract Number:
- AM03-76SF00012
- OSTI ID:
- 5516199
- Report Number(s):
- UCLA-12-1223
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BARSTOW SOLAR PILOT PLANT
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CALIFORNIA
CLIMATES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
PH VALUE
SITE SELECTION
SOILS
ECOLOGY
NORTH AMERICA
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS
USA
WESTERN REGION
140702* - Solar Thermal Power Systems- Central Receiver
520100 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)