Solar photovoltaic panels significantly promote vegetation recovery by modifying the soil surface microhabitats in an arid sandy ecosystem

Abstract The arid sandy areas have great potential for producing solar power, and a large number of solar photovoltaic (PV) power (SPP) stations have been set‐up in these regions across the world. Construction of SPP at large scale certainly changes the land surface with consequences on the local ecosystem. However, few studies have focused on these impacts. This study explored the influence of SPP on vegetation by modifying microhabitats. The soil water content (SWC), evaporation, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), soil and air temperature (AT), vegetation coverage, biomass, and species richness were measured under different positions of the SPP and outside. The results showed that SWC in the station was much higher than that observed outside the SPP, and the evaporation in the SPP was lower than outside ( P < .05). The PAR below the PV panel line zone is much lower than the interval (IT) zone. The surface coverage, biomass, and species richness were significantly higher in the SPP than outside the IT zone and outside the SPP ( P < .05). The AT under the panel was 1.67 times lower than above during the plant growing season. The microhabitat index has a high correlation with biomass, coverage, and species richness. PV panels could impact microhabitat in arid sandy areas and accelerate vegetation recovery progress and quality. The SPP construction would not only supply clean energy but also bring unintended ecological benefits in the future.