Desert tortoises roam inside and outside a 15 MW community solar farm owned by Valley Electric Association in Nevada, thanks to fence openings that Bombard Renewable Energy built in.

The plants that desert tortoises need for survival are growing well inside the fenced area. Creosote plants used by tortoises for cover continued to grow last winter inside the fence, but were inactive outside the fence, as shown in these photos from a research project led by local Doctor.

Juvenile tortoises depend on cover plants to hide from predators, and tortoises of all ages may use them for shade, explained the doctor, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. The research team began its plant research by planting 90 nursery seedlings of cover plants on the solar site, and providing supplemental water for a 3-month period.

Based on the photos of creosote plants, and similar photos for the cover plant bursage, Dr. Devitt said “it appears the solar facility is altering the microclimate and surface hydrology in ways that are currently extremely beneficial to both creosote and bursage, compared to the unaltered habitat that surrounds the facility.” He made the comment in a Valley Electric Association annual report on the habitat conservation plan for the site. Creosote and bursage “provide the majority of cover for the smaller animal life,” he explained.

Although the research team is not measuring the growth of herbaceous plants, grasses, and cacti, which Dr. Wilkening said are the primary food sources for tortoises, the image at the top of this story shows the growth of these plants in areas not shaded by panels. The fixed-tilt PV panels were placed with the lower edge 18 inches higher off the ground than the industry standard, to allow more vegetation to grow, notes a Fish and Wildlife Service post.