Abstract
The green roofs sector is a relatively recent phenomenon in Mediterranean countries, meaning that as yet there is no complete understanding of which plants are suited to this particular environment. Such plants would need to be adaptable to the green roof itself as well as to the drought and intense lighting typical of a Mediterranean summer. Two simulated green roofs were planted with a variety of species and life forms and subjected to two minimal irrigation treatments and one treatment without irrigation. Mainly subshrub species were planted in one simulation, while the other contained a prevalence of groundcover species. The study looked at performance in terms of species, life forms, and simulation. We analysed flowering, mortality, frequency of planted species and of invasive species, and biomass. We took periodic measurements of cover and of the Shannon-Wiener vegetal diversity index. The groundcover species obtained a higher degree of cover, but suffered more from seasonal stresses. Both green roofs saw an increase in the abundance of a few species, leading to a simplification of the original design. Diversity and the ability to host colonising species were influenced mainly by differences in vegetational structure. Of the subshrub species, Centranthus ruber and Helichrysum stoechas performed best, while Frankenia laevis and Thymus serpyllum came top among groundcover species. In order to withstand severe drought stress, a minimal amount of irrigation was found to be necessary. Our study demonstrates that it is possible to obtain good results from a Mediterranean green roof by using an appropriate combination of vegetal species with different structures and development.
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The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Groundcover species had higher cover.
Verbatim
e0“The groundcover species obtained a higher degree of cover, but suffered more from seasonal stresses.”
Claim · model-written summary
Groundcover species suffered more seasonal stress.
Verbatim
e0“The groundcover species obtained a higher degree of cover, but suffered more from seasonal stresses.”
Claim · model-written summary
A few species increased in abundance on both green roofs.
Verbatim
e0“Both green roofs saw an increase in the abundance of a few species, leading to a simplification of the original design.”
Claim · model-written summary
The increase in a few species simplified the original green roof design.
Verbatim
e0“Both green roofs saw an increase in the abundance of a few species, leading to a simplification of the original design.”
Claim · model-written summary
Vegetational structure mainly influenced diversity and colonising species on green roofs.
- Taxon
- vegetationale0
- Outcome
- Diversity and the ability to host colonising speciese0
- Qualifier
- differences in vegetational structuree0
- Setting
- vegetational structuree0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Diversity and the ability to host colonising species were influenced mainly by differences in vegetational structure.”
Claim · model-written summary
Centranthus ruber was among the best performing green roof species.
- Taxon
- Centranthus ruber
Centranthus rubere0 - Outcome
- performed beste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Of the subshrub species, Centranthus ruber and Helichrysum stoechas performed best, while Frankenia laevis and Thymus serpyllum came top among groundcover species.”
Claim · model-written summary
Helichrysum stoechas was among the best performing green roof species.
- Taxon
- Helichrysum stoechas
Helichrysum stoechase0 - Outcome
- performed beste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Of the subshrub species, Centranthus ruber and Helichrysum stoechas performed best, while Frankenia laevis and Thymus serpyllum came top among groundcover species.”
Claim · model-written summary
Frankenia laevis was among the best performing green roof species.
- Taxon
- Frankenia laevis
.JPG?width=60)
Frankenia laevise0 - Outcome
- came tope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.JPG?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Of the subshrub species, Centranthus ruber and Helichrysum stoechas performed best, while Frankenia laevis and Thymus serpyllum came top among groundcover species.”
Claim · model-written summary
Thymus serpyllum was among the best performing green roof species.
- Taxon
- Thymus serpyllum
Thymus serpyllume0 - Outcome
- came tope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Of the subshrub species, Centranthus ruber and Helichrysum stoechas performed best, while Frankenia laevis and Thymus serpyllum came top among groundcover species.”
Claim · model-written summary
Minimal irrigation was found necessary for plants to withstand severe drought stress.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“In order to withstand severe drought stress, a minimal amount of irrigation was found to be necessary.”
Claim · model-written summary
A combination of vegetal species with different structures and development can give good Mediterranean green roof results.
Verbatim
e0“Our study demonstrates that it is possible to obtain good results from a Mediterranean green roof by using an appropriate combination of vegetal species with different structures and development.”