Monitoring on the Soils and Plant Growth in Modular Sloped Rooftop Greening System

Abstract

The major objective of this study was to quantify the effects of substrate depth and substrate composition on the development of sedum etc., in a sloped rooftop (6 : 12 pitch) environment during a 4-year period. The experiment was conducted from 2006 October to 2010 December under several conditions without soil erosion control : two substrate depth (5cm, 10cm), four substrate composition (A5N3C2, A3N3C4, A6C4, G5L3C2: A: artificial lightweight soil, N : natural soil, G : granite decomposed soil, C : leave composite, L : loess), four sloped roof direction (, , , ). In this experiment 4 sedum etc., were used: Sedum sarmentosum, Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum rupestre, Sedum telephium, flowering herbs (mixed seed : Taraxacum platycarpum, Lotus corniculatus, Aster yomena, Aster koraiensis), western grasses (mixed seed : Tall fescue, Creeping redfescue, Bermuda grass, Perennial ryegrass). The establishment factor had two levels : succulent shoot establishment (sedum), seeding (flowering herbs, western grasses). 1. Enkamat, as it bring about top soil exfoliation, was unsuitable material for soil erosion control. 2. Sedum species exhibited greater growth at a substrate depth of 10cm relative to 5cm. All flowering herbs and western grasses established only at a substrate depth of 5cm were died. A substrate depth of 5cm was not suited in sloped rooftop greening without maintenance. If additional soil erosion control will be supplemented, a substrate depth of 10cm in sloped rooftop greening without maintenance was considered suitable. 3. For all substrate depth and composition, the most abundant species was Sedum kamtschaticum. The percentage of surviving Sedum kamtschaticum was 73.4% at a substrate depth of 10cm in autumn 2007 one year after the roof vegetation had been established. But the percentage of surviving other sedum were 33.3%~51.9%, therefor mulching for soil erosion control was essential after rooftop establishment in extensive sloped roof greening was proved. To raise the ratio of plant survival, complete establishment of plant root at substrate was considered essential before rooftop establishment. 4. There was a significant interaction between biomass and substrate moisture content. There were also a significant difference of substrate moisture and erosion among substrate composition. The moisture content of A6C4 was highest, the resistance to erosion of A5N3C2 was highest among substrate composition. The biomass of plants were not significantly higher in A5N3C2 and A6C4 relative to A3N3C4 and G5L3C2, For substrate moisture and erosion resistance, A5N3C2 and A6C4 were considered suitable in sloped rooftop greening without maintenance. 5. There were significant difference among roof slope direction on the substrate moisture. Especially, the substrate moisture content of was lower relative to that of , that guessed by solar radiation and erosion.