It appears that flora richness increases with substrate thickness up to 25 cm, and that pollinator diversity continues to increase beyond this threshold. 36 roofs in the Ile-de-France region of different types were analysed from 2017 to 2019 by means of plant and invertebrate inventories and substrate sampling. The benefits provided by these different types of roofs can vary, as suggested by the GROOVES (Green ROOfs Verified Ecosystem Services) study initiated by the Île-de-France’s Agence régionale de la biodiversité. A fourth category, the “wildroof”, is a single substrate of variable depth, with no planting. The depth of the substrate increases for so-called “semi-intensive” roofs (15-30 cm) and “intensive” roofs (over 30 cm). Their success is based on their light weight, ease of installation, low cost and low maintenance requirements. their substrate depth is less than 15 cm. The majority of green roofs are “extensive” i.e. In France, the market is estimated at around 1.5 million m² per year. This impact is increased considerably when the roofs are opened to the public or host urban agriculture projects, encouraging social interaction.īiodiversity varies according to several roof design parameters Throughout the year, the presence of plants, visible from the street or neighbouring buildings, helps to address city dwellers’ growing demand for access to nature. The green vegetation cover also reflects the sun’s rays, thus limiting the absorption of heat by the roofs. In summer, green roofs help to cool buildings and their surroundings by contributing to the humidification of the air through evapotranspiration, the effect of which is enhanced when the roof is watered. There are also benefits for human health and well-being. The co-owners have chosen to treat the waterproofing of the roofs of the lower buildings with a vegetation-based protection covering an area of almost 600 m². They are sometimes integrated into energy renovation projects for blocks of flats, such as the Desnouettes residence in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. Green roofs thus have a positive effect on the thermal insulation of the building. In fact, a green roof actually protects the building and the waterproofing layer by reducing temperature differences and protecting them from ultraviolet rays, assuming regular maintenance. Green roofing is sometimes perceived as a risk to the waterproofing of the building. They can also provide places for social activity, movement and relaxation, and a breeding or feeding place for both bird and insect communities and native microfauna and wild flora. By capturing some of the rainwater and delaying the evacuation of rainwater into local water systems, green roofs contribute to improving rainwater management. Their multiple ecosystem services appear to be a driver for addressing the challenges of biodiversity decline, climate change and public health.įrom an environmental point of view, such innovations contribute to the retention of rainwater and the nurturing of biodiversity. Today, more and more professionals in the building and development industry are interested in these mechanisms, and are implementing them. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the municipality has made it compulsory for owners of flat roofs of more than 10 m² to plant vegetation.Įcosystem services provided by green roofs In Switzerland, the city of Basel is the best equipped in the world, with 30% of flat roofs covered with vegetation. It is extensively employed in some countries. It forms an ecosystem formed of mineral and organic elements (the substrate) and the fauna and flora that develop there. A green roof is a flat roof that may or may not be accessible to the public, and can accommodate pedestrian traffic and vegetation.
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