Abstract
In recent years, the wind farm has developed rapidly in northern China. However, the construction and operation of wind farm directly or indirectly result in the change of soil structure, thus affecting the regional ecological environment. According to the characteristics of wind turbine engineering, the disturbance area of wind farm can be divided into the core disturbed zone, the secondary disturbed zone and the indirect disturbed zone. A field study was conducted to investigate the physical and chemical properties of surface soil in different disturbed zones. The results show that: (1) soil compaction, soil bulk density and soil salinity of the surface soil are sensitive to wind farm disturbance; compared with the undisturbed zone, there are still significant differences between the core disturbed zone and the secondary disturbed zone; (2) after nearly 10 years of natural recovery, apart from the phosphorus element, there are little differences of surface soil nutrients in different disturbed zones; (3) the impact of wind farm on surface soil will be gradually eliminated over time, but continuous and frequent disturbances caused by engineering maintenance during its operation should be avoided if possible.
Highlights
Wind energy, with its clean and renewable features, has developed rapidly in recent years [1]
Several meters of soil excavation area will be formed at the base of each wind turbine tower and the power transmission & transformation device, making the deep soil turn outwards, which completely destroys the original structure of surface soil and changes its physical and chemical properties
As the study area is in the transition zone from grassland to desert, the zonal vegetation includes deserts such as Salsola passerine desert and Reaumuria soongorica desert, and desert steppe dominated by Stipa breviflora
Summary
With its clean and renewable features, has developed rapidly in recent years [1]. Several meters of soil excavation area will be formed at the base of each wind turbine tower and the power transmission & transformation device, making the deep soil turn outwards, which completely destroys the original structure of surface soil and changes its physical and chemical properties. The study, through the method of space instead of time, taking soil samples in wind farm’s different disturbed zones as the research object, from the aspect of physical and chemical properties, investigates and analyzes the effects of wind farm construction and operation on surface soil after its nearly 10 years of natural recovery, so as to provide basic data and theoretical basis for soil restoration, utilization and management under wind farm disturbance in China’s northwest arid region
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