2026/04/01 by Hanna Rae Martens, Jüergen Kreyling, Franziska Tanneberger · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Engineering · Social Sciences · #Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology #Wind Energy Research and Development #Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy
paper · doi:10.1002/2688-8319.70259
Abstract Photovoltaics (PV) on rewetted peatlands have been proposed as a way to generate renewable energy while curbing greenhouse gas emissions through peatland rewetting. Until now, no studies have examined how biodiversity responds to this novel land use. We used audio recorders, the BirdNet algorithm and species‐specific thresholds to compile a dataset on bird activity throughout one season of migration and breeding at one study site in northern Germany. Species diversity was compared with the former land use—drained, intensively used grassland—to understand the effect the change in land use was having on wetland species and species of conservation concern. Using the iNext package and Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS), we assessed bird diversity. Community composition differed significantly between land use types, indicating that this rewetted peatland PV site is contributing to landscape‐level bird diversity. Additionally, this site is hosting wetland specialists and species of conservation concern. Practical Implication . Rewetted peatland PV, when built on degraded peatland and managed with biodiversity in mind, has the potential to benefit bird diversity. However, a lack of replicates in this study means that the effects of rewetting and the addition of solar panels cannot be isolated, and further research will be required as more rewetted peatland PV sites are established.