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Green roofs:how do plants grow on different materials?
A research study summary investigating the effects of different growing media on plant growth for extensive green roofs
Year of Publication2012
One important environmental benefit of green roofs is the ability to retain rainwater and reduce run-off from roofs, thereby helping to alleviate flooding, especially in urban areas. This study investigated the effects of commonly-used green roof inorganic substrates such as tile, brick and granulated fly ash combined with different levels of organic matter to determine plant growth responses and plant biodiversity. The study concluded that organic matter increases vegetation growth on green roofs, however, the resulting growth can be limited by the type of inorganic growing medium which is used.
This item is categorised as follows
- Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Wildlife & biodiversity
- Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Climate change
- Subject Collection > Soils & water
- Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Flood & coastal defence
- Subject Collection > Soils & water > Water resource management
- Subject Collection > Soils & water > Soil management
- Subject Collection > Rural policy & development
- Subject Collection > Rural policy & development > European rural policy
- Subject Collection > Rural policy & development > UK rural policy
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This is a brief summary of an item in the OpenFields Library. This free online library contains items of interest to practitioners and researchers in the agricultural and landbased industries.