Impacts of punctual solar trackers on soil biodiversity in agricultural lands

The development of renewable energy technologies is growing rapidly, with solar energy being the most promising source. Agrivoltaics in particular offers the advantage to combine crop and energy production on the same land. While many studies have looked at the impact of ground-mounted solar power panels on uncultivated grassland, very few have focused on agrivoltaic structures, and none on dual axis trackers with bi-dimensional turning mount-holding panels and limited ground anchorage. Our study focused on the relative impact of such trackers (via anchorage constraint to farming practices, and mobile shading) on the physical, chemical and biological soil features in both wheat croplands and meadows relative to farming practices known for impacting these features. Using a PLS-PM analysis, we show that despite altered chemicals conditions near the tracker and the higher specific plant richness brought by the PV structure, thereby changing environmental conditions, there are no significant effects on organisms compared to agricultural practices. Comparing hay meadows and wheat fields suggests varied impacts, prompting the need for further comparative studies across different agricultural contexts.