Coupled effects of soil texture and hydrothermal regimes on soil nutrient Spatial patterns: superimposed impact of photovoltaic installations in desert ecosystems

Abstract

The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) installations is accelerating China’s low-carbon transition, yet large-scale deployment in arid ecosystems alters soil processes and biogeochemical balance. However, how different PV configurations influence soil nutrient dynamics and ecological stoichiometry remains poorly understood. We compared three PV configurations—under-module fixed-axis (UFPV), inter-module fixed-axis (IFPV), and single-axis tracking (ITPV)—with natural controls in the Talatan desert PV park on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Fixed-axis systems caused pronounced soil nutrient depletion, whereas the single-axis tracking system maintained nutrient levels comparable to natural controls. Baseline nutrient heterogeneity was primarily governed by abiotic factors such as soil texture and moisture, while PV systems indirectly modulated these drivers through microclimatic and vegetative feedbacks. Structural modeling revealed that fixed-axis systems induced a degradation cascade by impairing soil physical integrity, whereas the tracking system maintained soil–vegetation stability and mitigated negative feedbacks. Available nutrients and their stoichiometric ratios were more sensitive to these modulations than total stocks, suggesting their value as early-warning indicators of ecosystem stress. These findings demonstrate that the energy–ecosystem trade-off is not inevitable but largely determined by engineering design. Prioritizing single-axis tracking systems and integrating ecological restoration can enhance the co-benefits of renewable energy production and ecosystem resilience in arid lands.

Keywords

Photovoltaic deployment / Carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus stoichiometry / Desert ecosystems / Environmental drivers

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Funding

2022 Kunlun Talents Program for High-End Innovation and Entrepreneurship(Qinghai Province Qing Talent No. 1 (2023))

State Power Investment Corporation Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. Science and Technology Projects(KY-C-2024-GF04, KY-C-2025-HB05)

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The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Society of Energy and Environmental Science

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