In London, for instance, 26,000 hectares of available roof space could be greened with little effort, and this would create 28 times the green space of Great Richmond Park ( Grant, Engleback & Nicholson, 2003).įigure 1: Retail Sedum Roof, Canary Wharf, London. The potential to provide habitat for wildlife on green roofs is tremendous. Of particular importance is the fact that these rooftops already exist, so no additional space has to be sacrificed. In some cases, green roofs offer the only valuable wildlife sanctuaries in our cities and towns. Not many people associate rooftops with wildlife habitats, but if suitable niches are available or provided, plants and animals will rapidly move in and establish communities. While parks and gardens come to mind as obvious refuges for nature, plants and animals are often more adventurous with regard to the places they colonize and use. Key words: biodiversity brown/biodiverse roofs brownfield sites green roofs invertebrates nationally rare and scarce species spiders IntroductionĮven our most industrial, built-up cities need not be completely devoid of green space and wildlife. The data indicates that green and brown/biodiverse roofs can be important tools for invertebrate conservation. At least 10% of species collected at the study sites were designated nationally rare or scarce, in accordance with criteria established by the intergovernmental agency Natural England. A high abundance of invertebrates were found on the roofs. The study focused on three diverse invertebrate groups: Araneae (spiders), Coleoptera (beetles), and aculeate Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, bees). ![]() In summer and autumn 2004, I investigated three different habitat types: green ( Sedum) roofs, brown/biodiverse roofs, and brownfields. ![]() The biodiversity potential of green roofs in London and their potential role in invertebrate conservation and habitat mitigation were studied. ![]() Rare Invertebrates Colonizing Green Roofs in London by Gyongyver Kadas Royal Holloway University of London, Biological Sciences, 4 West Heath Drive, London NW11 7QH U.K.
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