SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION: AN ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS ON DESERT ECOSYSTEMS I. INTRODUCTION The deserts of North America are considered to be prime areas for the development of solar energy conversion. The northern or cold deserts have limited potential; however, the deserts of the Southwest have an environment with most of the characteristics necessary for construction of economically feasible solar energy conversion facilities. The deserts of the Southwest, including southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas, have extensive periods of sunshine, little cloudiness and precipitation and very few days with any appreciable amount of snow. These typical characteristics of the Southwest deserts create an environment that is marginal for sustaining a high level of species density and productivity. Because of this marginal level of productivity, the desert ecosystem is extremely fragile to any types of disturbance. Disruption of the plant community will cause a shift in species dominance which requires an extremely long period for ecosystem recovery extending for decades or possibly centuries. The response of plants and animals to disturbance in the Southwest deserts is not the only slow process of this arid region. The soil, especially the soil surface, has taken an extensive period to develop and stabilize. The surface, through wind and water erosion, has become a stable layer of small rocks called desert pavement. This layer prevents accelerated erosion by water and development of dust through wind turbulence. Disruption of the surface layer through any form of perturbation will increase dust in the area, cause changes in the texture and microtopography of the soil surface and alter surface albedo. The generally clear, warm, dry climate of the Southwest which makes the deserts so fragile and slows down any biotic recovery following disturbance, also attracts many visitors and new residents. This increasing population has created a demand on the limited energy resources of the region. Solar energy has become a real potential for helping solve the predicted energy shortages of this rapidly developing area.
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