How Urban Green Roofs are Gifts That Keep on Giving
Sourced from The Star (Malaysia)
In the era of climate change, every surface that offers a habitat to plants and animals counts. That includes house roofs, garden sheds, garages, car porches and dustbin boxes – even the tops of bird houses can be greened to nurture biodiversity.
Cultivated roofs create so-called stepping stone biotopes – places that serve as reproduction or retreat sites for different and often endangered species.
Whole parts of towns and cities are effectively sealed, since many animals, especially insects, cannot travel a long way from one large green area to the next. Green roofs then function like stepping stones that shorten the distances.
There are even more reasons for planting roofs, starting with their ability to reduce overheating of the surface and building interior.
“Green roofs not only bring natural variety to inner cities, but they also counteract the heating of the climate in the hot months,” says Annika Dobbers, advisor to the “More Green On The House” project underway in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The lower temperature reduces the risk of heat damage to the roof structure, and the climate inside and outside the building improves. The ambient air also cools down more quickly at night.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
