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Liao W, Sidhu V, Sifton MA, Margolis L, Drake JAP, Thomas SC. Biochar and vegetation effects on discharge water quality from organic-substrate green roofs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171302. [PMID: 38428607 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Green roofs have been increasingly used to improve stormwater management, but poor vegetation performance on roof systems, varying with vegetation type, can degrade discharge quality. Biochar has been suggested as an effective substrate additive for green roofs to improve plant performance and discharge quality. However, research on the effects of biochar and vegetation on discharge quality in the long term is lacking and the underlying mechanisms involved are unclear. We examined the effects of biochar amendment and vegetation on discharge quality on organic-substrate green roofs with pre-grown sedum mats and direct-seeded native plants for three years and investigated the key factors influencing discharge quality. Sedum mats reduced the leaching of nutrients and particulate matter by 6-64% relative to native plants, largely due to the higher initial vegetation cover of the former. Biochar addition to sedum mat green roofs resulted in the best integrated water quality due to enhanced plant cover and sorption effects. Structural equation modeling revealed that nutrient leaching was primarily influenced by rainfall depth, time, vegetation cover, and substrate pH. Although biochar-amended sedum mats showed better discharge quality from organic-substrate green roofs, additional ecosystem services may be provided by native plants, suggesting future research to optimize plant composition and cover and biochar properties for sustainable green roofs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxi Liao
- Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B3, Canada.
| | - Virinder Sidhu
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Melanie A Sifton
- Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B3, Canada
| | - Liat Margolis
- John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto, 1 Spadina Cres., Toronto, ON M5S 2J5, Canada
| | - Jennifer A P Drake
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Sean C Thomas
- Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B3, Canada
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Karimian Z, Hozhabralsadat MS, Heidari A. Evaluating the ability of green roof plants in capturing air pollutants using biogas-digestate: Exploring physiological, biochemical, and anatomical characteristics. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 333:122071. [PMID: 37356793 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
The undeniable impact of plants in reducing air pollution and the crucial role of nutrition in improving stress tolerance in plants has brought attention to the use of eco-friendly fertilizers. The objective of the study was to investigate how Biogas-digestate (BD) can enhance the tolerance of green roof plants in capturing air pollutants. Four plant species, namely reflexed stonecrop (Sedum reflexum), blue fescue (Festuca glauca), garden mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium), and Peppermint (Mentha piperita) were planted in three urban sites in Mashhad, Iran, with different levels of air pollution. The physiological, biochemical, and morphological characteristics of the treated plants were compared to assess their ability to trap air pollutants. The results showed that the treated M. piperita at Razavi with BD, exhibited the highest level of APTI. Although it was influenced by the site conditions, the determination of the optimum API yielded same results. The F. glauca treated in Khayyam had the highest proline content, while S. reflexum at the Honarestan site had the lowest H2O2 level, without significantly affecting BD. F. glauca, S. reflexum, and M. piperita exhibited the highest levels of SOD, PPO, and GPX activity, respectively, which were significantly increased by the BD treatment. Most of the heavy elements showed increased levels with BD treatment, and M. piperita had the highest concentrations of heavy elements. The leaf surfaces of S. reflexum and M. piperita, had the highest and lowest deposition of particulate matter (PMs), respectively. Carbon and oxygen constituted the majority of PMs on the surface of leaves at all three study locations. The following ranks included the elements Si, Ca, Mg, and Al. BD, particularly in the case of S. reflexum and M. piperita, enhanced the plants' tolerance to air pollution. It is recommended to cultivate S. reflexum using BD on the green roof in polluted areas due to its superior capacity to absorb PMs and the fact that it is not edible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Karimian
- Department of Ornamental Plants, Research Center for Plant Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | | | - Ava Heidari
- Department of Environmental Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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Yee EG, Callahan HS, Griffin KL, Palmer MI, Lee S. Seasonal patterns of native plant cover and leaf trait variation on New York City green roofs. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01134-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Zhang H, Lu S, Fan X, Wu J, Jiang Y, Ren L, Wu J, Zhao H. Is sustainable extensive green roof realizable without irrigation in a temperate monsoonal climate? A case study in Beijing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:142067. [PMID: 32911173 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A strategy to combat the adverse effects of urbanization involves the installation of green roofs under different climatic conditions. The design and maintenance of green roof systems need to be tailored to the local climate. However, there is a scarcity of reports on the performance of plants under temperate monsoonal climatic conditions. This study follows the growth pattern of 28 species (18 non-succulent forbs and 10 succulents) grown at three substrate depths (10, 15, and 20 cm) over three years on an unirrigated extensive green roof, located in Beijing, China. The results of this study revealed that sustainable extensive green roof was realizable without irrigation in Beijing. In terms of plant adaptive strategies, the most successful plants in this study were the stress-tolerant species, followed by the ruderal species. While deeper substrate could facilitate the survival and performance of plants, substrate moisture content was more significant for the survival of plants in the dry and cold winter in Beijing. This study recommended the use of a substrate depth, which was at least 15 cm deep for unirrigated green roofs in Beijing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, No.9 Shuguanghuayuan Middle Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Shanshan Lu
- Beijing Botanical Garden, Wofo Temple, Xiangshan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xifeng Fan
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, No.9 Shuguanghuayuan Middle Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Hepingli No.9 Primary School, No.20, Hepingli Zone 7, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100013, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- DongSi Jiutiao Primary School, No.67 DongSi Jiutiao Alley, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100007, China
| | - Lipeng Ren
- DongSi Jiutiao Primary School, No.67 DongSi Jiutiao Alley, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100007, China
| | - Juying Wu
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, No.9 Shuguanghuayuan Middle Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100097, China.
| | - Huien Zhao
- College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, No.35 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China.
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Castro AS, Goldenfum JA, da Silveira AL, DallAgnol ALB, Loebens L, Demarco CF, Leandro D, Nadaleti WC, Quadro MS. The analysis of green roof's runoff volumes and its water quality in an experimental study in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:9520-9534. [PMID: 31916177 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06777-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The green roofs are structures characterized by the application of vegetation cover in the buildings, using adequate waterproofing and drainage systems. It allows the reduction of surface runoff and delay in peak flow, contributing to the mitigation of flood events in urban areas. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the use of vegetal coverings on the surface runoff, taking into account quantitative and qualitative aspects, using an experimental module installed in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The experimental station consisted of four modules: two horizontal modules with and without vegetation cover and two modules with slopes of 15° with and without vegetation cover. It was evaluated 19 precipitation events, and it was verified the volumes drained in each module after 3, 6 and 12 h from the beginning of precipitation. The water samples were collected in order to analyse the quality of the runoff from the experimental modules. The results have shown that the use of vegetal coverings can provide better distribution of the surface runoff, as well as a decrease of the speed of excess water release with no surface runoff in the first 3 h after the onset of rainfall in the horizontal module. Additionally, it was proved the reduction in drained volumes, with the flat module with vegetation cover being capable of retaining completely precipitations with volumes of approximately 22 mm. The vegetation cover module in roofs was the one that has presented better results regarding the reduction of the flow, presenting an average retention percentage of 91.7% for the first 3 h, indicating that the slope is an important factor. The physical-chemical analysis of the water shows that for all analysed modules, it is possible to use water for non-potable uses, although the water quality of the modules with vegetation cover is lower when compared to the water coming from the module without vegetation cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa Souza Castro
- Environmental Sciences Postgraduate Program, Engineering Center, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Joel Avruch Goldenfum
- Institute of Hydraulic Research - IPH, UFRGS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - André Lopes da Silveira
- Institute of Hydraulic Research - IPH, UFRGS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa Loebens
- Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Engineering Center, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Carolina Faccio Demarco
- Environmental Sciences Postgraduate Program, Engineering Center, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Diuliana Leandro
- Environmental Sciences Postgraduate Program, Engineering Center, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Willian Cézar Nadaleti
- Environmental Sciences Postgraduate Program, Engineering Center, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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MacIvor JS, Sookhan N, Arnillas CA, Bhatt A, Das S, Yasui SE, Xie G, Cadotte MW. Manipulating plant phylogenetic diversity for green roof ecosystem service delivery. Evol Appl 2018; 11:2014-2024. [PMID: 30459845 PMCID: PMC6231477 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant species and functional trait diversity have each been shown to improve green roof services. Species and trait differences that contribute to ecosystem services are the product of past evolutionary change and phylogenetic diversity (PD), which quantifies the relatedness among species within a community. In this study, we present an experimental framework to assess the contribution of plant community PD for green roof ecosystem service delivery, and data from one season that support our hypotheses that PD would be positively correlated with two services: building cooling and rainwater management. Using 28 plant species in 12 families, we created six community combinations with different levels of PD. Each of these communities was replicated at eight green roofs along an elevation gradient, as well as a ground level control. We found that the minimum and mean roof temperature decreased with increasing PD in the plant community. Increasing PD also led to an increase in the volume of rainwater captured, but not the proportion of water lost via evapotranspiration 48 hr following the rain event. Our findings suggest that considering these evolutionary relationships could improve functioning of green infrastructure and we recommend that understanding how to make PD (and other measures of diversity) serviceable for plant selection by practitioners will improve the effectiveness of design and ecosystem service delivery. Lastly, since no two green roof sites are the same and can vary tremendously in microclimate conditions, our study illustrates the importance of including multiple independent sites in studies of green roof performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Scott MacIvor
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Nicholas Sookhan
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Carlos A. Arnillas
- Department of Physical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Anushree Bhatt
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Shameek Das
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Simone‐Louise E. Yasui
- School of Earth, Environmental, and Biological SciencesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Garland Xie
- Department of BiologySaint Mary's UniversityHalifaxNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
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Xie G, Lundholm JT, Scott MacIvor J. Phylogenetic diversity and plant trait composition predict multiple ecosystem functions in green roofs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 628-629:1017-1026. [PMID: 30045526 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant selection and diversity can influence the provision of key ecosystem services in extensive green roofs. While species richness does predict ecosystem services, functional and phylogenetic community structure may provide a stronger mechanistic link to such services than species richness alone. In this study, we assessed the relationship between community-weighted trait values from four key leaf and canopy functional traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, dry leaf matter content), functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity to ten different green roof functions, including ecosystem multifunctionality, in experimental polycultures. Functional traits of dominant plant species were a major driver for indicators of multiple green roof functions, such as substrate nitrate-N, substrate phosphorus, aboveground biomass and ecosystem multifunctionality. In contrast, functional diversity alone increased substrate organic matter. Moreover, both functional/phylogenetic diversity and identity predicted canopy density, substrate cooling. This study highlights the first line of evidence that distinct aspects of phylogenetic and functional diversity play a major role in predicting multiple green roof services. Therefore, we provide further evidence that to maximize green roof functioning, a very careful selection of plant traits and polycultures are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garland Xie
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's University, 923 Robie St, NS B3H 3C3, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| | - Jeremy T Lundholm
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's University, 923 Robie St, NS B3H 3C3, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - J Scott MacIvor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, M1C 1A4 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Zhang Z, Szota C, Fletcher TD, Williams NS, Werdin J, Farrell C. Influence of plant composition and water use strategies on green roof stormwater retention. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 625:775-781. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 11/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
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Fulthorpe R, MacIvor JS, Jia P, Yasui SLE. The Green Roof Microbiome: Improving Plant Survival for Ecosystem Service Delivery. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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