Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates A Pilot Study at SUNY-ESF Tim Toland Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture Don Leopold Chair and Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology Terry Ettinger Greenhouse Manager, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology James Johnson Graduate Student, Department of Environmental and Forest Biology Growing Green Infrastructure Conference Syracuse, NY November 17, 2010 Eastern Ontario Dune Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Alvar Pavement Barrens Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Natural Growing Conditions Senecio pauperculus – balsam groundsel Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Plants Selected Alvar Species Agropyron trachycaulum – slender wheatgrass Aquilegia canadensis – wild columbine Artemisa campestris var. caudata – tall wormwood Aster ciliolatus – aster Bromus kalmii – brome grass Campanula rotundifolia – American harebell Carex crawei – Craw’s sedge Carex eburnea – ebony sedge Carex granularis – sedge Carex vulpinoidea – brown fox sedge Danthonia spicata – poverty grass Deschampsia cespitosa – tufted hairgrass Fragaria virginiana –wild strawberry Geum triflorum – prairie smoke Hedyotis longifolia – pale bluet Juniperus communis – common juniper Juniperus horizontalis – creeping juniper Juniperus virginiana – eastern redcedar Muhlenbergia glomerata – spike or marsh muhly Oligoneuron album – upland white aster Penstemon hirsutus - hairy beardtongue Phlox divaricata – wild phlox Rhus aromatica – fragrant sumac Rosa blanda – meadow rose Saxifraga virginiensis – early saxifrage Schizachyrium scoparium – little bluestem Senecio pauperculus – balsam groundsel Solidago hispida – goldenrod Solidago nemoralis – gray goldenrod Solidago ohioensis – Ohio goldenrod Sporobolus heterolepis – northern prairie dropseed Symporicarpos albus - snowberry Zigadenus elegans var. glaucus – white camas Zizia aurea – golden alexanders Selected Great Lakes Sand Dune Species Ammophila breviligulata – beachgrass Deschampsia flexuosa – common hairgrass Elymus canadensis – Canada wild rye Prunus pumila var. depressa – sand cherry Salix cordata – dune willow Vitis riparia – dune grape Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Plant Sources Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Construction Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Construction Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Growing Media (donated by Carlisle) Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Growing Media Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 1 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 1 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 13 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 21 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 34 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 57 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 64 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Day 134 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Initial Observations Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Tall wormwood, Artemisa campestris var. caudata Day 10 Day 134 Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Wild strawberry, Fragaria virginiana Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Craw’s Sedge, Carex crawii Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Dune Willow, Salix cordata Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Sandcherry, Prunus pumila var. depressa Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Blooms Aster ciliolatus Solidago ohioensis Campanula rotundifolia Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Color/Texture Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Insect Activity Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Plant Performance Early saxifrage, Saxifraga virginiensis Pale bluet, Houstonia longifolia Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates White camas, Zigadenus elegans var. glaucus Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Future Studies . Short Term . Overwintering . Drought Test Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Gateway Building Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Future Studies . Long Term . Media depth impacts . Media type . Planting composition . Additional species studies . Species life cycle studies . Biomass impacts Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates Questions? Contacts: Tim Toland ([email protected]) Don Leopold([email protected]) Terry Ettinger ([email protected]) James Johnson ([email protected]) Natural Plant Communities as Green Roof Templates.