College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1598

The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

Browse

Filters

2012 - 20163

Settings

Subject: search.filters.subject.Green Roof

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An Ecological Analysis of the Potential for Moss-Based Green Roof Design
    (2016) Prince, Benjamin Alan; Kangas, Patrick C; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Green roofs are a maturing application of best management practices for controlling urban stormwater runoff. The majority of green roofs are planted with drought resistant, higher plant species, such as the genus Sedum. However, other plant varieties, such as mosses, may be equally applicable. Residential roofs and natural terrestrial communities were sampled in both Maryland and Tennessee to determine moss community structure and species water composition. This served as a natural analog for potential green roof moss communities. During sampling, 21 species of moss were identified throughout the 37 total sites. The average percent moss cover and water composition across all roof sites was 40.7% and 38.6%, respectively and across all natural sites, 76.7% and 47.7%, respectively. Additional maximum water holding capacity procedures were completed on sedum and 19 of the 21 sampled moss species to assess their individual potential for stormwater absorption. Sedum species on average held 166% of their biomass in water, while moss species held 732%. The results of this study are used as a basis to propose moss species that will improve green roof performance.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Energy Balance, Water Balance, and Plant Dynamics of a Sloped, Thin Extensive Green Roof Installed in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States
    (2014) Tjaden, Scott William; Tilley, David; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Vegetated extensive green roofs can reduce peak runoff amounts during rain events. As the desire to install green roofs expands beyond roofs with little slope to those with steeper slopes, often found on residential homes, there is a need to understand how slope affects runoff. WaterShed, the University of Maryland's winning entry in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition, is used as an applied research site where studies like the runoff analysis can be completed, while helping to promote and demonstrate environmental sustainability and energy consumption efficiency. Instrumentation installed on the roof will allow high-resolution data analysis, producing hydrographs. The research has related the sloped green roof to different moisture holding capacities throughout the different elevations, resulting in a unique energy balance for the installed green roof. The thin substrate did not significantly contribute to overall runoff reduction, rather it helped to reduce the overall peak runoff and elongate the runoff lag after a rain event. This living technology's performance over time in a new application to sloped roofs is crucial both to ensure regulatory standards are met and to provide feedback for future improvements to the design and technology itself.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    DESIGNING FOR BIODIVERSITY TO INFLUENCE HABITAT ON A GREEN ROOF IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
    (2012) Myers, Chris H.; Ellis, Christopher D.; Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA); Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This paper will discuss design elements to enhance pollinator and avian diversity on a green roof in the District of Columbia. Biodiversity trends on green roofs in Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States are discussed. Focusing on North America, reconciliation ecology is explored through the use of case studies. The design process for designing a green roof is divided into three parts: identifying program goals, site analysis, and design concept. Design guidelines are extrapolated from conservation literature for the creation of green roofs that support pollinator and avian habitat. These "bioroofs" will be draped over the United States Coast Guard Headquarters building which will serve as a template for creating a green roof to target the least tern, the killdeer, the butterfly and the bee, in the District of Columbia.