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Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Urban areas generate considerable amounts of storm water runoff due to a high percentage
of impervious surfaces. In Mediterranean climates, during winter, there can be large volumes
of rainfall in short periods of time causing floods. Green roofs are emerging as a tool for
storm water management. The use of native plants, besides promoting biodiversity, reduces
maintenance and irrigation requirements, which gains relevance since water is scarce during
summer.
This work investigates the influence of rainfall, vegetation and substrate types upon the
rainfall-runoff relations under Mediterranean climate. Nine test beds were installed on a
building rooftop on the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, incorporating two substrates and five
different vegetation covers.
Results for the autumn/winter period show that the vegetated systems did not only reduce
the amount of storm water runoff, but also attenuated its peak and delayed its occurrence.
Overall mean retention ranged from 63 to 82 %. The combination of shrubs, grasses and
mosses proved to be the most effective vegetation cover. Estimations revealed that, by
greening the flat roofs of the Municipality of Lisbon, over 224 000 m3 of water could be
retained, relieving the drainage systems and preventing floods
Description
Mestrado em Arquitectura Paisagista - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
Keywords
green roofs stormwater management mediterranean native plants
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Branndão, C.B. - Hydrological performance of green roofs under Mediterranean climate. Native plants in the urban space. Lisboa: ISA, 2015, 129 p.