Weeds and gaps on extensive green roofs: Ecological insights and recommendations for design and maintenance

Vanstockem, Jan; Somers, Ben; Hermy, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126484

Cited by 23 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…with purposeful plant selection and services goals) but expected to be dynamic and self‐sustaining, acknowledging that plants and their services may change over time (Dunnett, 2015). Ruderals are expected to play an important role in designed, novel ecosystems, given their ability to colonize and re‐colonize space, providing a means for green infrastructure to self‐repair; cast in this light, ruderals become a way to preserve plant cover when competitive or stress tolerant plants die, providing a gap filling service with tangible benefits that makes them more than just ‘weeds’ (Dunnett, 2015; Vanstockem et al, 2019). This is not to say that we want to turn a blind eye to gap dynamics and let all pioneer species (invasive or otherwise) take root in biofilters, rather that there may be value in anticipating and planning for such dynamics, perhaps by populating biofilter seed banks with desirable ruderals (including annuals; see Vanstockem et al, 2018) that self‐seed once established (Dunnett, 2015; Koppler et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive strategy biases in engineered ecosystems: Implications for plant community dynamics and the provisioning of ecosystem services to people

Krauss

Rippy

2022

People and Nature

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive strategy biases in engineered ecosystems: Implications for plant community dynamics and the provisioning of ecosystem services to people

Krauss

Rippy

2022

People and Nature

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“…Under the conditions of drought and climate change, prairie plants from North America become an alternative to be established in extensive green roofs under drought conditions for Central Europe [53]. Finally, the acceptance of successful growing weeds has to be accepted in natural concepts, and in many cases they can survive under extreme climatic conditions [54]. The need for local and regional biodiversity green roofs should be anchored in the related norms or guidelines in future [55].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Köhler¹,

Kaiser²

2021

Atmosphere

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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.

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“…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. Capturing morning dew, which works better on horizontal surfaces (pavements, green roofs), can also help ensure water resilience (Heusinger & Weber, 2015;Köhler & Kaiser, 2021).…”

Section: Discussion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Hanzl

Tofiluk

Zinowiec-Cieplik

et al. 2021

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<p>The threats that arise from climate change and their associated economic, social, and environmental impacts are leading to the transformation of the spatial structures of cities. The growing demand for climate adaptability calls for the development of normative criteria for the design of forms of urban settings that integrate vegetation. Climate-responsive urban design reacts to the challenges of urban physics, which depend heavily on the forms of urban structures and the role of greenery. This method includes research on vegetation indexes and their impact on urban regulatory functions. The goal is to propose a comprehensive framework for assessing the functioning of urban public space, which considers the role and maintenance of green infrastructure. The intersection with the subject matter of analytical urban morphology is evident, in terms of the resolution of the urban fabric and its transformations over time. The framework of climate-responsive urban design also covers examining the parameters of surrounding built structures, such as the floor area ratio, the building coverage ratio, and building heights. In particular, the requirements of climate adaptation have an impact on the design of outdoor spaces in cities. In this article, we apply the selected methods that contribute to the climate-responsive urban design model to recommend the transformations of two urban nodes, in Lodz and Warsaw (Poland). Our goal is to indicate the future form of nodal public spaces with a focus on the needs of urban greenery, and to determine indicators for the local climate zone. After an initial literature review, we discuss a number of available indicators from the perspective of how they might contribute to determine the environmental conditions. We focus on urban water cycle, the requirement of trees for water, and insolation conditions.</p>

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Weeds and gaps on extensive green roofs: Ecological insights and recommendations for design and maintenance

Cited by 23 publications

References 56 publications

Adaptive strategy biases in engineered ecosystems: Implications for plant community dynamics and the provisioning of ecosystem services to people

Adaptive strategy biases in engineered ecosystems: Implications for plant community dynamics and the provisioning of ecosystem services to people

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

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

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