Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 8
PLANT PROFILE
CAN STORMWATER
RETENTION AND
ENERGY SAVINGS
BOTH BE MAXIMIZED
ON ONE ROOF?
DR. BRADLEY ROWE
There is no doubt that green
roofs provide numerous benefits
including energy savings and
improved stormwater management
compared to standard roofs.
In most cases, specific benefits
can be maximized through
plant selection.
H
owever, can we achieve maximum energy savings and
stormwater retention at the same time, or is there a
trade off? Many plant related and environmental factors
influence water balance on a green roof, but what we
have the most control of is plant selection, substrate depth and
composition, and irrigation practices that will in turn influence
pre-existing moisture present before a given rain event and
energy consumption.
Numerous studies have shown that vegetation type influences
stormwater retention. Plant photosynthetic metabolism has a
major effect on transpiration (see my 2016 discussion comparing C3, C4, and CAM plants, Living Architecture Monitor
18(1):24-29). In addition to transpiration, rainwater will be
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SPRING 2020 / 8
intercepted by foliage and may
evaporate before reaching the
substrate surface. A study in
England (Nagase and Dunnett, 2012, Landscape and
Urban Planning 104:356-363)
reported that plant types such
as forbs and grasses that possessed greater shoot and root
biomass were more effective
in reducing water runoff than
those with less biomass such
as sedum. In their experiment
conducted in a greenhouse
using a rainfall simulator, the
approximate runoff for grass,
forb, and sedum mixtures was
400 ml, 500 ml, and over 600
ml, respectively.
Related to plant species is
substrate depth and composition. Deeper substrates are
able to retain more water
and therefore able to support
plants with greater biomass
with C3 and C4 plants that
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Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020
Table of Contents
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 1
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - Cover1
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - Cover2
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - TOC
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - A1
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 1
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 2
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - Table of Contents
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 4
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 5
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 6
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 7
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 8
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Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - 34
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - Cover3
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - Cover4
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - MBR
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - A2
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - A3
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2020 - A4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2017Spring
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https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2016fall
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https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2013spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2012spring
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https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2010winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009summer
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