factors such as temperature, precipitation, soil, etc. establish the environment within which the organisms function. Interrelationships between organisms and abiotic factors generate flows of nutrients and other ecosystem constituents through biogeochemical cycles. It is these interacting processes and cycles that may be altered by solar conversion facilities. Based on the ecosystem concept, theoretical ecological impacts of solar conversion systems have been developed. These are discussed under the impact categories of shading, wind deflection and physical disturbance. Ecosystem factors that are considered to have significant changes resulting from shading are solar radiation, soil and air temperatures and soil moisture. These factors greatly influence the functional processes of plants and animals and these changes are expected to cause changes in growth diversity and density of plants and animals and behavioral patterns of animals. Wind deflection by solar conversion facilities is expected to cause changes in air velocity and turbulance, air temperature profiles, heat flux patterns, soil moisture and evaporation and humidity. Organism response will relate directly to development of stress or optimal conditions as these factors change. Construction and maintenance of solar conversion facilities will cause physical disturbances which may change soil structure, runoff and soil erosion patterns, moisture holding capabilities of the soil and energy flux patterns due to surface albedo changes. Plant and animal changes in density diversity, growth, reproduction and behavior can be expected as a result of disturbance alterations within the solar collector array. 4. Research needs to study the impacts of solar energy conversion systems are based on the research required to test hypotheses developed from an analysis of the theoretical ecological impacts of solar collector systems. Hypotheses on biotic changes in solar collector arrays are based primarily on the concept that abiotic changes are the driving variables governing biotic changes. General biotic changes will be in plant productivity, plant species diversity and animal species composition.
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