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Integrating Remote Sensing with Species Distribution Models; Mapping Tamarisk Invasions Using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM)
Published on: October 11, 2016
Practitioner perceptions of biodiversity criteria for solar suitability analyses in the United States
Daphne Condon1,2, Michael O Levin3,4,5, Adam B Smith6
1Global Ecology and Sustainability Lab, Land, Air & Water Resources Department, University of California, Davis, CA, USA. dcondon@ucdavis.edu.
Abstract:
Acceleration of large-scale solar energy deployment can pose competition for land with biodiversity conservation areas. Solar suitability analyses (SSAs) help identify low-conflict zones for solar development, yet limited work defines which biodiversity-relevant criteria (BRCs) are essential for SSAs or whether supporting data are available. We convened a United States-based Delphi panel of practitioners with expertise in biodiversity and renewable energy to identify BRCs that are essential across SSAs ('core') and data- or scale-limited ('peripheral'). Practitioners identified 16 core and 13 peripheral BRCs. Core criteria primarily aligned with regulatory frameworks, while peripheral BRCs reflected context-dependent ecological attributes lacking consistent and scalable data. Open-access data were available for 14 core criteria across 10 databases. Our assessment of US-based SSAs revealed that 10 included core BRCs. Our findings indicate a need for improved access to fine-scale biodiversity data and coordination with agencies to improve SSAs.
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