Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society
Abstract The expansion of renewable energy generation sites in the landscape is controversial, as is repopulation by large predators, particularly wolves. Both range extensions are recent phenomena, and both lead to harsh incompatibilities that arise from exclusions. Regarding solar parks, the probl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-10-01
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| Series: | People and Nature |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10522 |
| _version_ | 1797666381602226176 |
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| author | Markus K. Zaplata |
| author_facet | Markus K. Zaplata |
| author_sort | Markus K. Zaplata |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The expansion of renewable energy generation sites in the landscape is controversial, as is repopulation by large predators, particularly wolves. Both range extensions are recent phenomena, and both lead to harsh incompatibilities that arise from exclusions. Regarding solar parks, the problems would be solvable by a paradigm shift, namely towards inclusions. The required changes sound trivial: First, it would be more multifunctional to make use of the valuable plant growth in solar parks. Second, it would be more sustainable to rely on grazing rather than mowing for solar park maintenance. Grazing livestock would need to be protected from wolves by strong fencing. If these changes become the reality, this could locally remove large predators like the wolf from the line of fire of social resistance. In addition, implementation would bring benefits across sectors by bringing together previously divergent and hardened utilization concepts, which would ultimately have positive impacts for renewable energy generation, biodiversity and society. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:57:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b71bbe6132b74efa9e379df6f7908f1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2575-8314 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:57:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | People and Nature |
| spelling | doaj.art-b71bbe6132b74efa9e379df6f7908f1e2023-10-04T14:41:37ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142023-10-01551457146310.1002/pan3.10522Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and societyMarkus K. Zaplata0Department of Agriculture, Ecotrophology and Landscape Development Anhalt University of Applied Sciences Bernburg GermanyAbstract The expansion of renewable energy generation sites in the landscape is controversial, as is repopulation by large predators, particularly wolves. Both range extensions are recent phenomena, and both lead to harsh incompatibilities that arise from exclusions. Regarding solar parks, the problems would be solvable by a paradigm shift, namely towards inclusions. The required changes sound trivial: First, it would be more multifunctional to make use of the valuable plant growth in solar parks. Second, it would be more sustainable to rely on grazing rather than mowing for solar park maintenance. Grazing livestock would need to be protected from wolves by strong fencing. If these changes become the reality, this could locally remove large predators like the wolf from the line of fire of social resistance. In addition, implementation would bring benefits across sectors by bringing together previously divergent and hardened utilization concepts, which would ultimately have positive impacts for renewable energy generation, biodiversity and society. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10522best management practicesenergy landscapeshuman–wildlife conflictland sparingmultifunctionalityrenewable energy |
| spellingShingle | Markus K. Zaplata Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society People and Nature best management practices energy landscapes human–wildlife conflict land sparing multifunctionality renewable energy |
| title | Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society |
| title_full | Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society |
| title_fullStr | Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society |
| title_full_unstemmed | Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society |
| title_short | Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society |
| title_sort | solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy biodiversity and society |
| topic | best management practices energy landscapes human–wildlife conflict land sparing multifunctionality renewable energy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10522 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT markuskzaplata solarparksaslivestockenclosurescanbecomekeytolinkingenergybiodiversityandsociety |