Bates, AJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7854-5260, Sadler, JP, Gresswell, RB and Mackay, R, 2015. Effects of recycled aggregate growth substrate on green roof vegetation development: a six year experiment. Landscape and Urban Planning, 135, pp. 22-31. ISSN 0169-2046
Preview |
Text
PubSub2299_Bates.pdf - Post-print Download (909kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Green roofs have the potential to address several of the environmental problems associated with urbanisation, and can be used as mitigation for habitats lost at ground level. Brown roofs (a type of green roof) can be used to mitigate for the loss of brownfield habitat, but the best way of designing these habitats remains unclear. This paper reports an experiment to test the effects of different types of recycled aggregate on the development of vegetation assemblages on brown roof mesocosms. Five recycled aggregates were tested: (1) crushed brick, (2) crushed demolition aggregate, (3) solid municipal waste incinerator bottom ash aggregate, (4) a 1:1 mix of 1 and 2, and (5) a 1:1 mix of 3 and 2. Each was seeded with a wildflower mix that also included some Sedum acre and vegetation development was studied over a six-year period. Species richness, assemblage character, number of plants able to seed, and plant biomass were measured. Drought disturbance was the key factor controlling changes in plant assemblage, but effects varied with substrate treatment. All treatments supported a similar plant biomass, but treatments with a high proportion of crushed brick in the growth substrate supported richer assemblages, with more species able to seed, and a smaller amount of Sedum acre. Crushed brick, or recycled aggregates with a high proportion of crushed brick, are recommended as good growth substrate materials for encouraging brown roof plant diversity. This investigation demonstrates the importance of multi-year studies of green roof development for the generation of robust findings.
Item Type: | Journal article |
---|---|
Alternative Title: | Effect of type of recycled aggregate growth substrate on vegetation development in green roof experimental mesocosms: a six year study [working title] |
Publication Title: | Landscape and Urban Planning |
Creators: | Bates, A.J., Sadler, J.P., Gresswell, R.B. and Mackay, R. |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Date: | March 2015 |
Volume: | 135 |
ISSN: | 0169-2046 |
Identifiers: | Number Type 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.11.010 DOI |
Rights: | Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
Divisions: | Schools > School of Science and Technology |
Record created by: | EPrints Services |
Date Added: | 09 Oct 2015 09:51 |
Last Modified: | 29 Nov 2017 03:00 |
URI: | https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/3767 |
Actions (login required)
Edit View |
Statistics
Views
Views per month over past year
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year