Abstract: To investigate the long-term ecological impacts of photovoltaic （PV） power stations in desert steppe ecosystems， this study was conducted at the Lingwu PV facility in Ningxia， China. We compared plant communities and soil characteristics across different microhabitats within the solar array over restoration periods of 1 and 5 years. The results indicated that the PV array created highly heterogeneous microhabitats by altering the distribution of light and heat， which significantly influenced the vegetation restoration process. A clear spatiotemporal differentiation in community succession was observed. In the initial restoration stage， pioneer species such as Salsola ruthenica were dominant. After five years， the community gradually transitioned to a stable state dominated by perennial herbs， including Ceratoides latens. Notably， in the shaded areas under the PV panels， strong environmental filtering intensified competition among shade- and drought-tolerant species. This led to a significant decrease in plant diversity indices after five years， although species richness remained high. Structural equation modeling （SEM） revealed that the restoration period is the primary driver of community succession. Microhabitat heterogeneity guides the direction of this succession by regulating soil resources， such as the availability of nitrogen and potassium. This study proposes an ecological restoration pathway for PV sites defined by “environmental filtering-resource competition-stability maintenance”， providing a scientific basis for the ecological restoration and sustainable management of PV power stations in arid regions.

Key words: Photovoltaic power plants, Plant diversity, Community succession, Microhabitat heterogeneity, Desert grassland

摘要： 为探究荒漠草原区光伏电站对生态系统的长期影响，本研究以宁夏灵武光伏电站为对象，比较了恢复1年与5年，光伏阵列不同微生境的植物群落与土壤特征。结果表明，光伏阵列通过改变光热分布，形成了高度异质的微生境，显著影响植被恢复进程。群落演替呈现清晰的时空分异，恢复初期以刺沙蓬（Salsola ruthenica）等先锋种为主，5年后逐渐演替为以驼绒藜（Ceratoides latens）等多年生草本为主导的稳定群落。其中，板下遮阴区因强烈的环境筛选作用，耐阴、耐旱物种的竞争加剧，导致其植物多样性指数在恢复5年后显著下降，但物种丰富度依然维持在较高水平。结构方程模型揭示，恢复年限是群落演替的核心驱动力，而微生境通过调控土壤资源（如氮、钾有效性）来引导恢复方向。本研究构建了光伏场区“环境筛选-资源竞争-稳态维持”的生态恢复路径，为干旱区光伏电站的生态修复与可持续管理提供了科学依据。

关键词: 光伏电站, 植物多样性, 群落演替, 微生境异质性, 荒漠草原