DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qrfj6q5pf
title: Data from: On-site floral resources and surrounding landscape characteristics impact pollinator biodiversity at solar parks

description: There is increasing land use change for solar parks and growing
 recognition that they could be used to support insect pollinators.
 However, understanding of pollinator response to solar park developments
 is limited and empirical data are lacking. We combine field observations
 with landcover data to quantify the impact of on-site floral resources and
 surrounding landscape characteristics on solar park pollinator abundance
 and species richness. We surveyed pollinators and flowering plants at 15
 solar parks across England in 2021, used a landcover map to assess the
 surrounding high-quality habitat and aerial imagery to measure woody
 linear features (hedgerows, woodland edges and lines of trees). In total,
 1,397 pollinators were recorded, including 899 butterflies (64%), 171
 hoverflies (12%), 161 bumble bees (12%), 157 moths (11%) and nine
 honeybees (&lt; 1%). At least 30 pollinator species were observed, the
 majority of which were common, generalist species. Pollinator biodiversity
 varied between solar parks and was explained by a combination of on-site
 floral resources and surrounding landscape characteristics. Floral species
 richness was the most influential on-site characteristic and woody linear
 feature density generally had a greater impact than the cover of
 surrounding high-quality habitats, although drivers differed by pollinator
 group. Our findings suggest that a range of factors affect pollinator
 biodiversity at solar parks, but maximising floral resources within a park
 through appropriate management actions may be the most achievable way to
 support most pollinator groups, especially where solar parks are located
 in resource-poor, disconnected landscapes.
description: # On-site floral resources and surrounding landscape characteristics
 impact pollinator biodiversity at solar parks
 This dataset contains
 primary field and secondary landcover data relating to 15 anonymised solar
 parks across England. Solar parks were visited in the summer of 2021 and
 on each visit, vegetation and pollinator surveys were undertaken at ten
 locations within the park. The cover of high quality habitat and density
 of woody linear features in 0 - 500 m and 500 - 1000 m buffer zones
 surrounding each solar park were determined using a GIS. # Description of
 the data and file structure Below, detail about each column in the Excel
 spreadsheet is provided: **month** - the month of the survey. **site** -
 the solar park (represented by a random letter to ensure anonymisation).
 **management** - general observations of how the solar park was being
 managed at the time of the survey. **survey_point** - the location of the
 quadrat/transect within the solar park (10 per park, per visit).
 **vegetation_height** - the height of the vegetation inside a 1m2 quadrat.
 **floral_species_richness** - the number of flowering plant species
 recorded inside a 1m2 quadrat. **floral_percentage_cover** - the cover (%)
 of flowering plant species inside a 1m2 quadrat. **air_temperature** - air
 temperature before each transect was walked (degrees C). **wind_speed** -
 wind speed before each transect was walked (mph).
 **bumblebee_species_richness** - the number of bumblebee species recorded
 along the transect. **bumblebee_abundance** - the number of individual
 bumblebees recorded along the transect. **butterfly_species_richness** -
 the number of butterfly species recorded along the transect.
 **butterfly_abundance** - the number of individual butterflies recorded
 along the transect. **hoverfly_abundance** - the number of individual
 hoverflies recorded along the transect. **moth_abundance** - the number of
 individual moths recorded along the transect. **hq_habitat_1km** - the
 percentage cover of high quality habitat inside a 500 - 1000 m buffer zone
 surrounding the solar park. **hq_habitat_500m** - the percentage cover of
 high quality habitat inside a 0 - 500 m buffer zone surrounding the solar
 park. **wlf_density_1km** - the density of woody linear features inside a
 500 - 1000 m buffer zone surrounding the solar park. **wlf_density_500m**
 - the density of woody linear features inside a 0 - 500 m buffer zone
 surrounding the solar park. For more information please contact Hollie
 Blaydes: [h.blaydes@lancaster.ac.uk](mailto:h.blaydes@lancaster.a)