Data from: On-site floral resources and surrounding landscape characteristics impact pollinator biodiversity at solar parks

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 (< 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.