Wildlife habitat in roof gardens

[Roland Beinert]

I am not sure there is any research that answers your specific question about how long it takes. The journal Urban Ecosystems is always a good source for information on this sort of thing. They did an entire issue on green roof ecology in 2008, although I cannot guarantee they addressed your question in that issue. I imagine they have also done a few other articles on green roofs since then. As with most urban ecosystems, we probably are talking about the most adaptive and mobile of species, even if they are rare. Mostly birds and insects. It may happen faster than you think, simply because we are talking about the most mobile species.

[Tosh K]

Must be a dissertation topic somewhere… very good question.  We’ve done a lot of greenroofs but not a whole lot of post occupancy research.

KieranTimberlake (architects) have done some research on plant distribution on their roofs (at construction and few years later to compare strengths and migration) – their research division might be looking at this?

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