Plant species richness enhances nitrogen retention in green roof plots

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 2130-2144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Johnson ◽  
Shelbye Schweinhart ◽  
Ishi Buffam
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Plant Species Richness

Plant Species Richness Affected Nitrogen Retention and Ecosystem Productivity in a Full-Scale Constructed Wetland

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si-Xi Zhu ◽  
Peili Zhang ◽  
Hai Wang ◽  
Han-Liang Ge ◽  
Jie Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Constructed Wetland ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity

scholarly journals Shading enhances plant species richness and diversity on an extensive green roof

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 935-943
Author(s):  
Henk-Jan van der Kolk ◽  
Petra van den Berg ◽  
Gerard Korthals ◽  
T. Martijn Bezemer
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Light Weight ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity ◽  
Native Soil ◽  
Substrate Depth

Abstract Green roofs can promote biodiversity in urban areas. The extent to which green roofs stimulate plant diversity can depend on roof characteristics such as roof age, substrate depth and shading. We exploratively studied the vegetation on a Dutch green roof in 50 permanent plots (1 m2) over eight years (2012–2019) following roof construction. Plots were situated either on low substrate depth (6 cm light-weight extensive substrate) or high substrate depth (6 cm light-weight extensive substrate topped with 14 cm native soil) and differed in the amount of shading received from a higher building floor. Increased substrate depth and shading additively increased plant species richness and plant diversity, with high shaded plots supporting on average 6.4 more plant species than low unshaded plots. Shading likely acts via reducing drought stress, whereas increasing substrate depth with native soil may also enhance plant diversity via addition of nutrients and native seeds. The vegetation composition on the roof was dynamic and changed over the years. Sedum acre was initially dominant but disappeared within the first years, whereas Sedum kamtschaticum increased and became dominant in the last years. Trifolium arvense was the most abundant forb species and was especially dominant three years after roof construction. We conclude that increased substrate depth and shading can promote plant species richness and diversity and recommend that both aspects are considered when green roofs are designed. Shading can be achieved by a stepped building architecture and by placing structures on the roof itself, such as solar panels on standards.

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document