Publications
Prof. Hernandez’s research has been published in over 50 peer-reviewed journals, including lead author articles in Nature Climate Change, Nature Sustainability, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. All publications are available here and are also hosted on Google Scholar and ResearchGate.
*denotes an undergraduate, graduate student, or postdoctoral scholar’s work under Prof. Hernandez
Featured Publications
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Ground-mounted photovoltaic solar parks promote land surface cool islands in arid ecosystems.
Li G, Hernandez RR, Blackburn G, Davies G, Hunt M, Whyatt J, Armstrong A (2021) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition 1: 100008 | PDF
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Aligning renewable energy expansion with climate-driven range shifts.
Ashraf U*, Morelli TL, Smith AB, Hernandez RR (2024) Nature Climate Change. Accepted - Coming Soon!
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Scientific and stakeholder evidence-based assessment: ecosystem response to floating solar photovoltaics and implications for sustainability.
Exley G, Hernandez RR, Page T, Chipps M, Gambro S, Hersey M; Lake R, Zoannou KS, Armstrong A (2021) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 152: 111639 | PDF
Peer-reviewed journal articles
IN REVIEW
63. Levin MO, Condon D, Krasner NZ, Forester E, Holmes CC, Bateman BL, Delach A, Ennen JR, Kalies EL, Kays R, Lovich JE, Smith AB, Wu G, Hernandez RR (in review) Systematic review of biodiversity-relevant criteria for solar energy siting.
62. Forester E*, Levin MO, Thorne JH, Armstrong A, Pasquale G, Di Blasi MLV, Scott TA, Hernandez RR (in review) Siting considerations for floating solar photovoltaic energy: A systematic review.
61. Hernandez RR, Forester E, Cagle AE, Rodriguez JT, Conkling TJ, Kelly SL, Exley G, Armstrong A, Katzner TE, Pasquale G, Vincenza Di Blasi ML, Steele E (in review) Aligning floating solar energy expansion with waterbird conservation.
60. Cagle AE, Narwold B*, Sadro S, Armstrong A, Pasquale G, Vincenza Di Blasi ML, Hernandez RR (in review) Floating photovoltaic solar energy PV photovoltaics decreases water temperature and near-surface dissolved oxygen.
59. Condon D*, Scott T, Smith AB, Morelli TL, Ashraf U*, Mojica A, Chittanuru H, Lou R, Bear R, Hernandez RR (in review) Practitioners perceive risks to biodiversity from renewable energy expansion through 2050.
PREPRINTS & JUST ACCEPTED ARTICLES
58. Li Y, Armstrong A, Simmons C, Krasner NZ, Hernandez RR (preprint, in review) Ecological Impacts of Single-Axis Photovoltaic Solar Energy with Periodic Mowing on Microclimate and Vegetation. 10.22541/au.172115175.55518024/v1.
PUBLISHED
57. Tew NE, Levin MO, and Hernandez RR (2024) Solar Panels as Novel Nest Sites for the European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula. Ecology and Evolution, 14(11), p.e70608.
Congratulations Nick!
56. Maltz MR, Allen MF, Phillips ML, Hernandez RR, Shulman HB, Freund L, Andrews LV, Botthoff JK, and Aronson EL. Microbial community structure in recovering forests of Mount St. Helens. Frontiers in Microbiomes. https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2024.1399416
55. Rocha AMG, Armstrong A, Thackeray SJ, Hernandez RR, Folkard A (2024) Environmental impacts of floating solar panels on freshwater systems and their techno-ecological synergies. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2634-4505/ad8e81.
54. Krasner NZ*, Fox J, Armstrong A, Ave K, Carvalho F, Li Y*, Walston LJ, Ricketts MP, Jordaan SM, Najm MA, Hartmann HM, Lybrand R, Hernandez RR. 2024. Impacts of photovoltaic solar energy on soil carbon: A global systematic review and framework. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032124007585.
Congratulations Noah!
53. Ashraf U*, Morelli TL, Smith AB, Hernandez RR (2024) Climate-Smart Siting for renewable energy expansion. iScience, doi: https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(24)01891-1.
Congratulations Uzma!
52. Yang Y, Tilman D, Smith P, Barrett CB, et al. (2024) Climate change exacerbates the environmental threats of agriculture. Science 385: 6713, doi: 10.1126/science.adn3747.
51. Harrison S, Franklin J, Hernandez RR, Ikegami M, Safford HD, Thorne J (2024) Climate change and California’s terrestrial biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121 (32): e2310074121, doi: 10.1073/pnas.231007412.
50. Ashraf U*, Morelli TL, Smith AB, Hernandez RR (2024) Aligning renewable energy expansion with climate-driven range shifts. Nature Climate Change 14: 242-246, doi: 10.1038/s41558-024-01941-3.
Congratulations Uzma!
49. Jafarinejad S, Hernandez RR, Bigham S, Beckingham B (2023) The intertwined renewable energy-water-environment (REWE) nexus challenges and opportunities: Case study of California. Sustainability 15(13), https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310672.
48. Yang Y, Mueller ND, Driscoll AW, Hernandez RR, Grodsky SM, Sloat SL, Chester MV, Zhu Y, Lobell D (2023) Sustainable irrigation and climate feedbacks. Nature Food 4: 654-663, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00821-x.
47. Levin MO, Kalies EL, Forester E*, Jackson ELA, Levin AH, Markus C, McKenzie P, Meek J, Hernandez RR (2023) Solar energy-driven land cover change and alteration of landscapes critical to animal movement in the continental United States. Environmental Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c00578.
Congratulations Michael!
46. Wade M, Moore-O’Leary K, Grodsky SM*, Hernandez RR, Meeks M (2023). Of Mojave milkweed and mirrors: the population genomic structure of a species impacted by solar energy development. Conservation Science and Practice 5(8), https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12987.
45. Cagle AE*, Shepard M*, Jordaan SM, Armstrong A, Grodsky SM*, Hernandez RR (2023) Standardized metrics to quantify solar energy-land relationships: a global systematic review. Frontiers in Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.1035705.
Congratulations Alex!
44. Exley G, Page T, Thackeray SJ, Folkard AM, Couture RM, Hernandez RR, Cagle AE, Salk KR, Clous L, Peet Whittaker P, Michael Chipps M, Armstrong A (2022) Floating solar panels on reservoirs impact phytoplankton populations: a modelling experiment. Journal of Environmental Management 324, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116410.
43. Rangarajan S, Hernandez RR, Jordaan SM (2022) Life cycle impacts of concentrated solar power generation on land resources and soil carbon losses in the United States. Frontiers in Sustainability 3, https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.1021971.
42. Lovering J, Swain M, Blomqvist L, Hernandez RR (2022) Land-use intensity of electricity production and tomorrow’s energy landscape. PLOS ONE 17(7), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270155.
41. Hernandez RR, Cagle AE*, Grodsky SM*, Exley G, Jordaan SM (2022) Comments on: Land use for United States power generation: A critical review of existing metrics with suggestions for going forward (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2021; 143: 110911). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112526.
40. Torhan S, Grady C, Ajibade I, Galappaththi E, Hernandez RR, Musah-Surugu J, Nunbogu A, Segnon A, Shang Y, Ulibarri N, Campbell D, Joe ET, Peñuelas J, Sardans J (2022) Tradeoffs and Synergies Across Global Climate Change Adaptations in the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. Earth’s Future 10(4), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002201.
39. Conkling TJ, Vander Zanden HB, Allison TD, Diffendorfer JE, Dietsch TV, Duerr AE, Fesnock AL, Hernandez RR, Loss SR, Nelson DM, Sanzenbacher PM, Yee JL, Todd E. Katzner TE (2022) Vulnerability of avian populations to renewable energy production. Royal Society Open Science 9(3), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211558.
38. Li G, Hernandez RR, Blackburn G, Davies G, Hunt M, Whyatt J, Armstrong A (2021) Ground-mounted photovoltaic solar parks promote land surface cool islands in arid ecosystems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition 1, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rset.2021.100008.
37. Grodsky SM*, Campbell J, Hernandez RR (2021) Solar energy development impacts non-bee insect flower-visitors in the Mojave Desert. Biological Conservation 263, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109336.
36. Exley G, Hernandez RR, Page T, Chipps M, Gambro S, Hersey M; Lake R, Zoannou KS, Armstrong A (2021) Scientific and stakeholder evidence-based assessment: ecosystem response to floating solar photovoltaics and implications for sustainability. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 152, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111639.
35. Berrang Ford et al. (2021, in press) A systematic global stocktake of evidence on human adaptation to climate change. Nature Climate Change 11: 989-1000, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01170-y.
34. Tanner KE*, Moore-O'Leary KA, Parker IM, Pavlik BM, Haji S, Hernandez RR (2021) Microhabitats associated with solar energy development alter demography of two desert annuals. Ecological Applications 31(6), https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2349.
33. Palmer B, Hernandez RR, Lipson D (2020) The fate of biological soil crusts and their plant communities after fire: a meta-analysis. Global Ecology and Conservation 24: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01380.
32. Hernandez RR^, Jordaan SM^, Kaldunski B, Kumar K (2020) Aligning climate change and Sustainable Development Goals with an innovation systems roadmap for renewable power. Frontiers in Sustainability 1, https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.583090.
^joint first authorship
31. Cagle A*, Armstrong A, Exley G, Grodsky SM*, Macknick J, Sherwin J, Hernandez RR (2020) The land sparing, water surface use efficiency, and water surface transformation of floating photovoltaic solar energy. Sustainability 12(19), https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198154.
Congratulations Alex!
30. Hoffacker MK*, Hernandez RR (2020) Local energy: Spatial proximity of energy providers to their power resources. Frontiers in Sustainability 1, https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2020.585110.
Congratulations Madison!
29. Armstrong A, Page T, Thackeray S, Hernandez RR, Jones I (2020) Integrating environmental understanding into floatovoltaic deployment using an effects hierarchy and decision trees. Environmental Research Letters 15(11): 114055, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abbf7b.
28. Hernandez RR, Tanner KE*, Haji S, Parker IM, Pavlik BM, Moore-O’Leary KM (2020) Simulated photovoltaic solar panels alter the seed bank survival of two desert annual plant species. Plants 9(9), https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091125.
27. Yang Yi, Hobbie SE, Hernandez RR, Fargione J, Grodsky SM*, Tilman D, Zhu Y, Luo Y, Smith TM, Jungers JM, Yang M, Chen W (2020) Restoring Abandoned Farmland to Mitigate Climate Change on a Full Earth. One Earth 3(2): 176-186, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.07.019.
26. Grodsky SM* and Hernandez RR (2020) Solar energy development decisions regulate desert ecosystem services and socioecological resources of indigenous people. Nature Sustainability 3(12): 1036-1043, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0574-x .
25. Saul-Gerschenz LS, Grodsky SM*, and Hernandez RR. (2020) Ecology of the western queen butterfly Danaus gilippus thersippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Insects 11: 315, https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11050315.
24. Grodsky SM*, Saul-Gerschenz LS, Moore-O’Leary K, and Hernandez RR. (2020) Her Majesty’s desert throne: The ecology of queen butterfly oviposition on Mojave milkweed host plants. Insects 11: 257, https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040257.
23. Tanner KE*, Moore-O’Leary KA, Parker IM, Pavlik BM, and RR Hernandez (2020) Simulated solar panels create altered microhabitats in desert landforms. Ecosphere 11, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3089.
22. Grodsky SM*, Hernandez RR, Campbell JW, Hinson KR, Keller O, Fritts SR, Homyack JA, and Moorman CE. (2019) Ground beetle (Carabidae: Coleoptera) response to harvest residue removal: Implications for sustainable forest bioenergy production. Forests (Special Issue: Ecological Insights into the Sustainable Development of Bioenergy from Forests) 11: 48, https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010048.
21. Hernandez RR, Armstrong A, Burney J, Ryan G, Moore-O'Leary K, Diédhiou I, Grodsky SM*, Saul-Gershenz L, Davis R, Macknick J, Mulvaney D, Heath GA, Easter SB, Hoffacker MK, Allen MF, Kammen DM. (2019) Techno-ecological synergies of solar energy for global sustainability. Nature Sustainability 2: 560-568, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0309-z.
Additional Files: Summary for Policy Makers: 📥, Supplemental Files: 📥
20. Grodsky SM*, Saul-Gerschenz LS, Moore-O’Leary K, Whitney J*, Hernandez RR (2019) Hare just don’t care! Consumption of a rare, desert milkweed containing cardenolides by the black-tailed jackrabbit. Journal of Arid Environments 174, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2019.103991.
19. Hernandez RR, Sandquist DR (2019) A dam in the drylands: Legacy-based soil geomorphic actions facilitate recruitment of the endangered Santa Ana woolly star (Eriastrum densifolium spp. sanctorum) and reduce exotic plant cover. Ecosphere 10(3), https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2621.
18. Hoffacker MK*, Allen MF, Hernandez RR (2017) Land sparing opportunities for solar energy development in agricultural landscapes: A case study of the Great Central Valley, CA, USA. Environmental Science and Technology. 51: 14472-14482, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05110.
17. Moore KA, Hernandez RR, Abella S, Johnston D, Kreitler J, Swanson A, Lovich J (2017) Sustainability of utility-scale solar energy - critical ecological concepts. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 15: 385-394, https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1517.
Awarded: F1000Prime for being of special significance to its field.
16. Hampton SE, Jones MB, Wasser LA, Supp S, Brun J, Hernandez RR, Boettiger C, Collins SL, Gross LJ, Fernández DS, Buden A, White EP, Teal TK, Labou S, Aukema JE, Regetz J (2017) Skills and knowledge for data-intensive environmental research. Bioscience 67(6): 546-557, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix025.
15. Grodsky SM*, Moore KA, and Hernandez RR (2017) From butterflies to bighorns: Multi-dimensional, species-species, and species process interactions may inform sustainable solar energy development in desert ecosystems. Proceedings of the 31st Annual Desert Symposium (R. L. Reynolds, Ed.). California State University Desert Studies Center. Zzyzx, CA. April 14-15, 2017.
14. Ibrahima Diedhou, Diallo D, Mbengue AA, Bayala R, Dieme R, Hernandez RR, Diedhiou PM, Sene A (2017) Allometric equations and carbon stocks in tree biomass of Jatropha curcas L. in Senegal’s Peanut Basin. Global Ecology and Conservation 9: 61-69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2016.11.007.
13. Hernandez RR, D'Antonio C (2016) California: Where Two Worlds Collided. Bulletin of the Ecological Society 97: 368-369, https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1277.
12. Diakhaté, S, Badiane-Ndour NY, Founoune-Mboup H, Diatta S, Fall AF, Hernandez RR, Laurent C, Dick R, Chapuis-Lardy L (2016) Impact of simulated drought stress on soil microbiology and nematofauna in a native shrub + millet intercropping system in Senegal. Open Journal of Soil Science 6: 189-203, http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojss.2016.612018.
11. Barrows CW, Murphy-Mariscal ML, Hernandez RR (2016) At a crossroads: The nature of natural history in 21st century ecological science. Bioscience 66: 592-599, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw043.
10. Hernandez RR, Hoffacker MK*, Murphy-Mariscal M, Wu G, Allen MF (2015) Solar energy development impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112: 13579-13584, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1517656112.
9. Hernandez RR, Hoffacker MK*, Field CB (2015) Efficient use of land to meet sustainable energy needs. Nature Climate Change 5: 353-358, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2556.
8. Hernandez RR, Debenport SJ, Ndoye F, Ines E, Nkenmogne K, Thuita M, Leewis MC, Soumare, A, Gueye M, Miambi E, Lardi L, Diedhioiu I, and Dick RP (2015) The native shrub, Pilostigma reticulatum, as an ecological "resource island" for mango trees in the Sahel. Agriculture, Ecosystems, & Environment 201: 51-61, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2015.02.009.
7. Hernandez RR, Hoffacker M*, Field CB (2014) The Land-Use Efficiency of Big Solar. Environmental Science and Technology 48(2): 1315-1323, https://doi.org/10.1021/es4043726.
6. Hernandez RR, Easter S, Murphy-Mariscal M, Maestre F, Allen E, Barrows C, Belnap J, Ochoa-Hueso R, Ravi S, Tavassoli M*, Allen M (2014) Environmental Impacts of Utility-Scale Solar Energy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 29: 766-779, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.08.041.
5. Hernandez RR, MF Allen (2013) Diurnal patterns of productivity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi revealed using the Soil Ecosystem Observatory. New Phytologist 200: 547-557, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12393.
4. Hernandez RR, Mayernik MS, Murphy ML, and M Allen (2012) Advanced technologies and data management practices in environmental science: lessons from academia. BioScience 62: 1067-1076, https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.12.8.
3. Hernandez RR and K Knudsen (2012). Late successional biological soil crusts in a biodiversity hotspot: an example of congruency in species richness. Biodiversity and Conservation 21(4): 1015-1031, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-012-0236-z.
2. Hernandez RR and DR Sandquist (2011) Disturbance of biological soil crusts increases emergence of exotic vascular plants in California sage scrub. Plant Ecology 212: 1709-1721, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-011-9943-x.
1. Ochoa-Hueso CR, Hernandez RR, Pueyo JJ and EM Reol (2011) Spatial distribution and physiology of biological soil crusts from semi-arid central Spain are related to soil chemistry and shrub cover. Journal of Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43: 1894-1901, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.05.010.
FORTHCOMING
57. Swanson A, Hernandez RR, Santiago LS, Jenerette GD, Lliang L, De Guzman ME, Allen EB, Allen MF (forthcoming) Roots in cahoots: The role of plants in fine-scale soil carbonate dynamics in a California desert ecosystem.
56. Hernandez RR, Rodriguez JT*, Conkling TJ, Forester E*, Cagle AE*, Armstrong A, Exley G, Grodsky SM*, Katzner TE (forthcoming) Interactions between floating photovoltaic solar energy and waterbirds | 📥 Link Coming Soon
Book Chapters
3. Grodsky SM*, Fritts SR, Hernandez RR (2019) Renewable Energy Ecology: The Next Frontier in Wildlife Science. In: Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation, Eds. Grodsky SM and CE Moorman, Johns Hopkins University Press.
2. Murphy-Mariscal M, Grodsky SM*, Hernandez RR (2018) Solar Energy Development and the Biosphere, In: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems. (Eds Letcher T, Fthenakis VM), Elsevier Inc., pp 387-402.
1. Allen MF, Kitajima, K, Hernandez, RR (2014) Mycorrhizae and Global Change, In: Trees in a Changing Environment (Eds. Tausz M, Grulke, N) Springer, Netherlands, pp 37-59.
Reports, Letters, and other Limited Distributions
8. Cisneros M, et al. 2021. 2021. 30 x 30 Inland Desert Letter to California Natural Resources Agency - Implementation of Executive Order N-82-20 (30 x 30 Strategy). 3 September 2021
7. Meyer KA, MeLampy E, Siegal K, Wolf S et al. 2021. Letter to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Request to Revoke Memoranda and Regulations Regarding Consideration of Greenhouse Emissions under the Endangered Species Act. Harvard Law School, 11 February 2021. Petition here. Exhibits B and C here. Press Release here.
6. Tanner KA, Parker IM, Haji S, Moore-O’Leary KA, Hernandez RR. 2021. Do solar panels mean sunny times for Saharan mustard? Dispatch: Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council. Winter Issue 12-13.
5. Grodsky SM, Tanner KE, Hernandez RR. 2020. Desert plant response to solar energy development: Trophic interactions, rare and invasive species, and management implications. Energy Research and Development Division. California Energy Commission. Publication Number: CEC-500-2020-076.
4. Wei M, Raghavan S, Hidalgo-Gonzalez P, Auba RH, Millstein D, Hoffacker MK, Hernandez RR, Ruffini E, Brian Tarroja, Kouchak AA, Johnston J, Kammen DM, Szinai J, Shepard C, Gopal A, Sun K, Hong T, Florin-Langer J. 2017. Building a Healthier and More Robust Future: 2050 Low-Carbon Energy Scenarios for California. California Energy Commission. Publication Number: CEC-500-2019-033.
3. Allen MF, Morrell PL, Rice C, Vaux HJ, Dahm CN, Hernandez RR (2017) Food and Nutrition Security in the United States of America. In: Challenges and Opportunities for Food and Nutrition Security in the Americas: A View from the Academies of Sciences. Clegg MT (Coordinator) Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences. Mexican Academy of Sciences, Mexico City.
2. Wu GC, Murphy-Mariscal M, Hernandez RR (2015) Can we expand solar power dramatically without damaging protected lands? The Conversation. 20 October 2015.
1. Root T, Ackerly D, Cohen E, Davis S, Hamilton H, Hernandez RR, Levine J, Moyle P, Pairis A, Pittiglio S, Rundel P, Zavalata E (2012) Plants and Animals. In California Climate Extremes Workshop Report, Pierce DW (ed), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 32 pp.