A plant sociological approach for extensive green roofs in Mediterranean areas

Catalano, Chiara; Guarino, Riccardo; Brenneisen, Stephan

Publication type:	Conference other
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	A plant sociological approach for extensive green roofs in Mediterranean areas
Authors:	Catalano, Chiara Guarino, Riccardo Brenneisen, Stephan
Conference details:	11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013
Issue Date:	2013
Language:	English
Subjects:	Plant sociology; Hay transfer; Habitat replication; Biodiversity assessment
Subject (DDC):	333: Economics of land and resources 577: Ecology
Abstract:	Extensive Green roofs can be an important mean for environmental mitigation if designed according to the principles of restoration ecology. Moreover, if optimally executed, properly managed and of sufficient extension, they could be assimilated to meta-populations of natural habitats, worth to be included in the biodiversity monitoring networks. The best example supporting this hypothesis is the Lake water plant Moos in Wollishofen (Zurich, Switzerland) where, on three 100 years old units of extensive green roofs, occur most of the typical flora of Mesobromion, including high density of some endangered orchid species. With this work, we propose a methodology approach for green roofs in Mediterranean areas, based on a practical plant sociology understanding of EU Directive 92/43: a recognition of Natura 2000 habitat that could be imitated on roofs in terms of characteristic species and substrates. Our results lead to three category groups: those linked to sandy substrates (psammophilous vegetation), to gravely-pebbly substrates (glareicolous vegetation) and to xeromorfic soils (garrigues and dry grasslands). According to the last theories and practical application for grasslands restoration, we suggest a method applied and studied in Switzerland for green roofs, based on diaspore hay transfer from a donor meadow, in order to obtain the highest plant species richness and diversity.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/10461
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Not specified
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Catalano, C., Guarino, R., & Brenneisen, S. (2013). A plant sociological approach for extensive green roofs in Mediterranean areas. 11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013.

Catalano, C., Guarino, R. and Brenneisen, S. (2013) ‘A plant sociological approach for extensive green roofs in Mediterranean areas’, in 11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013.

C. Catalano, R. Guarino, and S. Brenneisen, “A plant sociological approach for extensive green roofs in Mediterranean areas,” in 11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013, 2013.

CATALANO, Chiara, Riccardo GUARINO und Stephan BRENNEISEN, 2013. A plant sociological approach for extensive green roofs in Mediterranean areas. In: 11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013. Conference presentation. 2013

Catalano, Chiara, Riccardo Guarino, and Stephan Brenneisen. 2013. “A Plant Sociological Approach for Extensive Green Roofs in Mediterranean Areas.” Conference presentation. In 11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013.

Catalano, Chiara, et al. “A Plant Sociological Approach for Extensive Green Roofs in Mediterranean Areas.” 11th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, San Francisco, 23-26 October 2013, 2013.