China Confirms Solar Panel Projects Are Irreversibly Changing Desert Ecosystems - Slashdot by

A team studying one of the largest photovoltaic parks in China, the Gonghe project in the Talatan Desert, found a striking difference between what was happening under the panels and what lay just beyond. They used a detailed framework measuring dozens of indicators -- everything from soil chemistry to microbial life -- and discovered that the micro-environment beneath the panels was noticeably healthier.

Solar panels cause deserts to improve - cooler soil, extra moisture, green pockets.