Eco-valorization of solar farms as biotic resource hubs for ecosystem restoration under global change

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as key strategies for restoring land, water, and biodiversity in arid and semi-arid landscapes under climate change. Cryptogamic–microbial communities, particularly biological soil crusts (biocrusts), together with native plants, play a central role in dryland ecosystem functioning through their influence on biogeochemical cycling, soil stabilization, water regulation, and biodiversity maintenance. However, their contributions to restoration remain insufficiently explored under rapidly expanding land-use changes, including renewable energy infrastructures.

Ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar farms are rapidly expanding across global drylands. While often associated with strong ecological disturbance, they also create novel microclimatic conditions that may be harnessed as nature-based solutions for ecosystem restoration. Here, we present the conceptual framework and research approach of ECOSOLARID, a coordinated project  (PID2024-161692OB-C31, PID2024-161692OB-C32, PID2024-161692OB-C33, funded by MICIU/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union) that explores the eco-valorization of solar farms as sources of biotic resources—native plants and biocrusts—for dryland restoration. ECOSOLARID is based on the hypothesis that PV-induced microsites, characterized by altered radiation, temperature, wind exposure, and water redistribution, can facilitate the establishment, activity, and functional performance of biocrust-forming organisms (e.g. cyanobacteria and bryophytes) and native plant species. These conditions may allow solar farms to function as large-scale nurseries producing restoration-ready biotic resources, while simultaneously enhancing ecosystem functioning within the farms themselves. The project integrates ecohydrological, biogeochemical, and microbial perspectives across three PV farms spanning an aridity gradient in southern Spain. The approach includes: (i) assessing PV-driven changes in plant and biocrust diversity, microbial community composition, and key ecosystem functions (carbon and nitrogen cycling, soil stability, and water regulation); (ii) experimentally developing plant and biocrust nurseries under contrasting PV-generated microsites; (iii) applying microbial-based enhancement technologies to improve biocrust establishment, plant performance, and nutrient cycling; and (iv) evaluating the effectiveness of PV-generated biotic resources for restoring degraded dryland ecosystems both within and beyond solar farm boundaries.

By reframing solar farms as restoration resource hubs rather than solely energy-producing infrastructures, ECOSOLARID advances an innovative nature-based solution that reconciles renewable energy production with dryland restoration, ecosystem service enhancement, and biogeochemical sustainability under a changing climate.