Combined Effects of Vertical Agriphotovoltaics and Sown Vegetation Strips: A Simulation Study
Keywords:
agrivoltaics, flowering strips, seminatural habitats, multitaxonomic approach, communitiesAbstract
Agriphotovoltaics (APV) represents a promising option for combining food and electricity production. Furthermore, flowering strips can be additionally implemented along with APV to support farmland biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. However, these two concepts have never been investigated in one study. In this work, we investigated a combination of two types of sown strips (“Fodder strip” and “Nectareous strip” as defined in Czech legislation) and simulations of vertical APVs affect invertebrate and plant communities in strips and in winter wheat crop. Following a multitaxonomic approach, sampling was conducted in 2023 and 2024 using pitfall traps, pan traps, sweep netting and phytocoenological relevés. In most cases, the catches of the studied taxonomic groups were positively affected by the sown strips, nonetheless some of the more mobile groups were unaffected or negatively affected. The strip type affected aphid catch only, and the presence of APV simulation affected the abundance of aphids and sap beetles. The plant communities differed between modalities, but the effect of the simulation was rather weak. We also discuss the relevance of using simulations instead of real solar panels. Our study suggests that vertical APVs in combination with sown strips of flowering vegetation can be a viable option for sustainable agroecosystem management.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Jan Štrobach, Hana Vašková, David Hájek, Ladislav Jílek, Petr Novák, Přemysl Štranc, Daniel Štranc, Jiří Skuhrovec, Pavel Saska
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