Functional and Phylogenetic Characteristics of Vegetation: Effects on Constructed Green Infrastructure

Heim, Amy; Xie, Garland; Lundholm, Jeremy

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-75929-2_4

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…In particular, extreme weather events during the growing season, such as the combination of drought and high temperatures, can have a detrimental effect [ 5 ]. This requires species that are resilient enough to withstand stressful conditions over multiple growing seasons, especially for the limited soil volumes and harsh environmental conditions of green roofs and walls [ 6 , 7 ], and all this needs to be in a low-input, low-maintenance environment where urban greening contributes to carbon-efficient and sustainable urban solutions [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Combined Drought and Temperature Stress on the Physiological Status of Calcareous Grassland Species as Potential Candidates for Urban Green Infrastructure

Krzyżak

Rusinowski²,

Sitko

et al. 2023

Plants

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Nature-based solutions are promising for climate adaptation and environmental management in urban areas, but urban conditions are stressful for vegetation. In particular, the interaction of drought and high temperatures may be detrimental. Guiding plant selection for urban greening with native species requires a far better knowledge of plant adaptations and stress acclimation. We tested the physiological responses of four candidate calcareous grassland species for green roofs and walls to the combined effects of drought and high temperatures under controlled conditions. The tested species proved relatively resistant to stress despite different strategies to protect the photosynthetic apparatus, maintain water balance, and repair damages. Based on the physiological responses, we rank the species in descending order of resistance to the stress factors tested: Trifolium medium > Festuca ovina > Carex flacca > Potentilla reptans, but all four can serve as potential candidates for green walls and roofs. Physiological stress screening of plant species for use on green roofs and walls supplements the habitat template approach to provide a stronger and wider base for prioritizations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Combined Drought and Temperature Stress on the Physiological Status of Calcareous Grassland Species as Potential Candidates for Urban Green Infrastructure

Krzyżak

Rusinowski²,

Sitko

et al. 2023

Plants

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“…Selecting a mix of species, particularly those that differ in functional type and phylogeny, can increase function (Lundholm et al, 2010; MacIvor et al, 2018), potentially via structural complementarity and denser vegetation cover (Oversby et al, 2014). For example, structural complementarity within root systems can promote multiple ecosystem functions: enhanced infiltration, retention, and absorption of the soil media, which in turn can lead to increased cooling via transpiration and a greater stormwater throughput (Heim et al, 2021; Levin & Mehring, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planting design influences green infrastructure performance: Plant species identity and complementarity in rain gardens

Bruner

Palmer

Griffin

et al. 2023

Ecological Applications

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Green infrastructure's capacity to mitigate urban environmental problems, like heat island effects and excessive stormwater runoff, is partially governed by its plant community. Traditionally, green infrastructure design has focused on engineered aspects, such as substrate and drainage, rather than on the properties of its living components. Since the functioning of these plant assemblages is controlled by ecophysiological processes that differ by species, the identity and relative abundance of the species used will influence green infrastructure performance. We used trait‐based modeling to derive principles for the effective composition of green infrastructure plant assemblages, parameterizing our model using the vegetation and ecophysiological traits of the species within New York City rain gardens. Focusing on two plant traits that influence rain garden performance, leaf surface temperature and stomatal conductance, we simulated the cumulative temperature and transpiration for plant communities of differing species composition and diversity. The outcomes of the model demonstrate that plant species composition, species identity, selection effects, and interspecific complementarity increase green infrastructure performance in much the way biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning in natural systems. More diverse assemblages resulted in more consistent transpiration and surface temperatures, with the former showing a positive, saturating curve as diversity increased. While the dominant factors governing individual species leaf temperature were abiotic, transpiration was more influential at the community level, suggesting that plants within diverse communities may be cooler in aggregate than any individual species on its own. This implies green infrastructure should employ a variety of vegetation; particularly plants with different statures and physical attributes, such as low‐growing ground covers, erect herbaceous perennials, and shrubs.

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“…Green roofs are considered key elements of the urban green infrastructure as they contribute to runoff control, carbon sequestration, temperature regulation and habitat or food provision for different organisms, mostly arthropods (MacIvor and Ksiazek, 2015;Thuring and Grant, 2016;Guarino et al, 2021;Heim et al, 2021). To achieve all these environmental benefits and ensure green roof success, an appropriate plant selection is an important step in the design of these infrastructures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several advantages have been found in Sedum species, ranging from their high survival rate to their temperature regulation and water retention capabilities (Butler and Orians, 2011), in contrast with their limited value for urban biodiversity (Kiehl et al, 2021). Well beyond the widely used Sedum species, nevertheless, the trait-based selection framework significantly contributed to improving the quality of the decisions around plant selection, broadening the ecosystem services provided by green roofs (Lundholm and Walker, 2018;Heim et al, 2021). Most certainly, a qualitative leap in the history of modern green roof design came with the introduction of the habitat template hypothesis into the plant selection process (Lundholm, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The native - exotic plant choice in green roof design: using a multicriteria decision framework to foster urban biodiversity

Calviño

Tavella

Beccacece

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Green roofs are considered key elements of the urban green infrastructure since they offer several environmental benefits, including habitat provision for arthropods. To achieve these benefits and ensure green roof success, an appropriate plant selection is an important step in the design of these infrastructures, especially where green roof technology is emerging like in South American cities. So far, decisions of using native or exotic plant species in green roofs had never been evaluated taking into account the plant potential to foster beneficial arthropods. By applying an integrative multicriteria decision framework that combined the habitat template hypothesis with the potential of plants to attract floral visitors and natural enemies, we obtained a ranked set of candidate native and exotic plant species. Among the best-ranked candidate species, we further compared the performance of six native and six exotic species in 30 experimental green roofs installed in Cordoba city, Argentina. To evaluate plant success, the occurrence and cover of each species were recorded one year after establishment under two management conditions: regular watering and weeding of spontaneous plants, and no management (15 roofs each). All selected species increased their vegetative cover one year after establishment. More interestingly, native plants had an advantage over exotic plant species as they exhibited a significantly higher occurrence and a slightly higher cover with no management than exotics. Native annuals were able to reseed the following season even in the absence of management, thus highlighting the relative importance of lifespan as a useful plant trait for future studies in green roof design. Given that green roofs are one of the possible solutions to ameliorate the negative effects of urban habitat loss on arthropod diversity, the development of an integrative multicriteria decision framework that takes into account the potential of native and exotic plant species for promoting beneficial arthropods would give a new twist in plant selection processes for green roofs.

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Functional and Phylogenetic Characteristics of Vegetation: Effects on Constructed Green Infrastructure

Cited by 5 publications

References 89 publications

The Effect of Combined Drought and Temperature Stress on the Physiological Status of Calcareous Grassland Species as Potential Candidates for Urban Green Infrastructure

The Effect of Combined Drought and Temperature Stress on the Physiological Status of Calcareous Grassland Species as Potential Candidates for Urban Green Infrastructure

Planting design influences green infrastructure performance: Plant species identity and complementarity in rain gardens

The native - exotic plant choice in green roof design: using a multicriteria decision framework to foster urban biodiversity

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