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.
Highlights
Drought is related to massive deforestation in many parts of the world [1]
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 values
What are the effects on vegetation cover and biodiversity? The summarized conclusions of these couple of years:
Summary
Drought is related to massive deforestation in many parts of the world [1]. The daily new ground sealing around the world has not stopped, but new tree plantation initiatives work against this trend to stop further drying out of our planet. Drought in cities is connected with the low amount of evaporative green areas in cities [7,8]. According to Kravcik et al [9], evaporative surfaces are key instruments to combat global warming in cities. Wherever it is possible, urban forestry should be the first choice to enhance ecosystem services by planting trees, like the “trillion tree initiative” [10]. The second best choice is to green building surfaces, which are normally un-vegetated
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