Wings and Watts: Butterfly Communities in Microhabitats of Solar Prairies

Wings and Watts: Butterfly Communities in Microhabitats of Solar Prairies

Presenter(s)

Darcy Beazley, Elizabeth Miles-Flynn, Matthew Noble, Claire Qua, Leen Sawas

Comments

10:45-12:00, Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

Solar energy is becoming an increasingly popular alternative energy source for residential and commercial entities. Butterflies are valuable bioindicators of habitat health and are sensitive to disturbance. This study assessed butterfly abundance and species richness at two solar prairie sites: Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) and Curran Place. MEEC features grass-dominated plant communities under stationary solar panels, while Curran Place has forb-dominated communities under moving panels. At each site, we established six 60-meter transects across two microhabitats: buffer zones (areas around the solar arrays) and array aisles (spaces between the panels), totaling 12 transects per site. We predicted higher total abundance in buffer zones and greater species richness at Curran Place, where nectar-bearing plants are more diverse. Our results showed a marginally significant difference (p = 0.0972), with greater overall abundance at Curran Place, supporting our hypothesis. While ANOVA tests did not confirm statistical significance, trends suggest higher species richness at Curran Place. At MEEC, buffer zones had higher abundance and species richness, while no butterflies were recorded in the array aisles. Both sites primarily hosted generalist species, which are more likely to adapt and spread to altered environments. To mitigate the ecological impact of solar arrays, managing solar prairie sites with plants that support specialists and threatened butterflies can enhance biodiversity. Overall, our study provides a framework for future butterfly population research in solar prairies and highlights the importance of buffer zones, combining flowering plants and native grasses, for habitat conservation.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Course Project - BIO 479L M1

Primary Advisor

Chelse M. Prather

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship

Wings and Watts: Butterfly Communities in Microhabitats of Solar Prairies

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