Greywater impact on green roofs’ provision of ecosystem services

Implementing the optimal provision of ecosystem services.

Many ecosystem services are public goods whose provision depends on the spatial pattern of land use. The pattern of land use is often determined by the decisions of multiple private landowners. Increasing the provision of ecosystem services, though beneficial for society as a whole, may be costly to private landowners. A regulator interested in providing incentives to landowners for increased p...

Evosystem Services: Rapid Evolution and the Provision of Ecosystem Services.

Evolution is recognized as the source of all organisms, and hence many ecosystem services. However, the role that contemporary evolution might play in maintaining and enhancing specific ecosystem services has largely been overlooked. Recent advances at the interface of ecology and evolution have demonstrated how contemporary evolution can shape ecological communities and ecosystem functions. We...

Green Roofs as Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Structures, Functions, and Services

lichens on extensive green roofs : evapotranspiration , Cladonia

Green roofs are constructed ecosystems that provide ecosystem services in urban environments. Shallow substrate green roofs subject the vegetation layer to desiccation and other environmental extremes, so researchers have evaluated a variety of stress-tolerant vegetation types for green roof applications. Lichens can be found in most terrestrial habitats. They are able to survive extremely har...

Cost-Effectiveness of Green Roofs

Life-cycle assessment was used to evaluate the widespread installation of green roofs in a typical urban mixed-use neighborhood. Market prices of materials, construction, energy conservation, storm-water management, and greenhouse gas GHG emission reductions were used to evaluate private and social costs and benefits. Results suggest green roofs are currently not cost effective on a private cos...