Green Roof Enhancement on Buildings of the University of Applied Sciences in Neubrandenburg (Germany) in Times of Climate Change

Abstract

The reduction in evaporative surfaces in cities is one driver for longer and hotter summers. Greening building surfaces can help to mitigate the loss of vegetated cover. Typical extensive green roof structures, such as sedum-based solutions, survive in dry periods, but how can green roofs be made to be more effective for the longer hot and dry periods to come? The research findings are based on continuous vegetation analytics of typical extensive green roofs over the past 20 years. -Survival of longer dry periods by fully adapted plants species with a focus on the fittest and best adapted species. -Additional technical and treatment solutions to support greater water storage in the media in dry periods and to support greater plant biomass/high biodiversity on the roofs by optimizing growing media with fertilizer to achieve higher evapotranspiration (short: ET) values. The main findings of this research: -The climate benefits of green roofs are associated with the quantity of phytomass. Selecting the right growing media is critical. -Typical extensive green roof substrates have poor nutrition levels. Fertilizer can significantly boost the ecological effects on CO2 fixation. -If the goal of the green roof is a highly biodiverse green roof, micro-structures are the right solution.

Climate justice in higher education: a proposed paradigm shift towards a transformative role for colleges and universities

“…Renewable energy and reduced impact consumption of all kinds is possible on campuses. Plants are not only beneficial to the aesthetic quality of universities and mental health of the community members; they mitigate climate change by moderating the heat island effects and air pollution at the local level and by sequestering carbon (Edmondson et al 2016 ; Willis and Petrokofsky 2017 ) Invest in renewable energy and retrofit projects that provide community-accessible good jobs and learning and/or research opportunities • utilize campus rooftops as green spaces and building “living buildings” (Alfieri et al, 2009 ; Whittinghill and Rowe 2012 ; Köhler and Kaiser 2021 ) • provide resources to transport people to natural spaces outside of campus to increase the benefits of student engagement with the natural environment (Hartig et al 1991 ; Benfield et al 2015 ) Health outcomes & healthcare Universities can prioritize health equity in student and employee healthcare, which addresses both health injustice and environmental health injustices more specifically (Poland and Dooris 2010 ; Braveman et al 2011 ). Community member health is also driven by access to sustainable and nutritious food.…”

The Role of Vegetation in Climate Adaptability: Case Studies of Lodz and Warsaw

“…The species and local biodiversity further depend on climate change and management processes. For instance, while fertilisers support plant growth and CO 2 sequestration, they do not contribute to plant biodiversity (Köhler & Kaiser, 2021). Under the changing climate conditions in Central European cities, drought-tolerant plants are required.…”

“…Plants need to be adjusted to future climatic conditions. Köhler and Kaiser (2021) and Liu et al (2019) recommend prairie plants from North America for Central Europe under drought conditions. Another recommendation is to permit weeds that can withstand extreme drought conditions (Vanstockem et al, 2019) to increase biodiversity and resilience.…”

“…Another recommendation is to permit weeds that can withstand extreme drought conditions (Vanstockem et al, 2019) to increase biodiversity and resilience. Capturing morning dew, which works better on horizontal surfaces (pavements, green roofs), can also help ensure water resilience (Heusinger & Weber, 2015;Köhler & Kaiser, 2021). Due to the high complexity of the involved phenomena and their interdependencies and local specificity, these topics require further exploration.…”

“…Other features include natural efficiency, i.e., how much oxygen vegetation gives off to the atmosphere and how much it sequesters and builds into carbon tissues (Nowak et al, 2013), and how the area evapotranspires, which translates into microclimatic conditions. It should be noted that increased biodiversity does not equal higher biomass production nor higher CO 2 sequestration (Köhler & Kaiser, 2021;Körner, 2000). Individual tree species, in various development stages and depending on the growing season (varying leaf sizes), have different effects in the form of coefficients.…”