Wildlife Communities at Solar Arrays

Brandi L. Van Roo*

*Framingham State University, Biology Department, 100 State Street, Framingham MA 01701.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 33, Issue 2 (2026): 217–229

First published early online: 31 May 2026

Abstract
Despite the rate at which small solar photovoltaic panel arrays are being constructed, I have found very few studies of impacts to broad-taxonomic wildlife community composition. Studies to date have focused on target species or, in some cases, a single taxon. I conducted a small pilot survey of birds, mammals, and arthropods at 4 solar arrays. At the same time, I surveyed nearby wildlife management properties maintained by the state as open field habitat. Where possible, I also surveyed a nearby agricultural hay field as an additional comparison. My small sample size did not provide sufficient power for most statistical comparisons across replicates, with the exception of finding fewer arthropod taxa in agricultural fields. Similarity indices between solar arrays and wildlife management fields did not differ from similarity levels between solar arrays and agricultural fields. Though merely descriptive, I compare the cumulative detections across land use for each taxon and suggest possible research questions for future full-scale comparisons of this kind. Overall, solar arrays were used by many vertebrate species, even large mammals, despite being enclosed by fencing.

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