Environmental impacts of pastoral-integrated photovoltaic power plant in an alpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. Rising global energy demand and the transition toward low-carbon energy sources have driven a rapid expansion of ground-mounted solar parks worldwide. This expansion constitutes a substantial land use change with largely unexplored implications for the ecosystems they occupy, particularly in the ecologically fragile and sensitive region of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). To assess the impacts of a typical photovoltaic (PV) power station on the alpine meadow ecosystem, this study conducted year-round observations of local microclimate and soil hydrothermal regimes within and adjacent to a pastoral-integrated PV plant on the eastern TP. The results show that PV installations significantly increase annual net radiation while reducing albedo and wind speeds. The influence of PV panels on air temperature is highly asymmetrical, with daytime heating, nighttime cooling, summer heating, and winter cooling. The PV arrays introduce notable spatial heterogeneity in soil hydrothermal regimes, show a cold-moist pattern in the array gaps and a cold-dry distribution beneath the panels. Such changes extend the frozen period and reduces soil moisture depletion rates. Our findings suggest that PV arrays could, in fact, enhance ecosystem resilience to climate warming; however, further research is needed to assess their impacts on hydrological processes, carbon balance, and biodiversity.