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Sustainable Growth of Medicinal and Aromatic Mediterranean Plants Growing as Communities in Shallow Substrate Urban Green Roof Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Dimitra S. Varela-Stasinopoulou

    (Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece)

  • Panayiotis A. Nektarios

    (Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
    Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, Landscape and Environment, Specialization of Floriculture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Green, Department of Agriculture, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece
    Institute of Agri-Food and Life Sciences, University Research Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece)

  • Nikolaos Ntoulas

    (Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece)

  • Panayiotis Trigas

    (Laboratory of Systematic Botany, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece)

  • Georgios I. Roukounakis

    (Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece)

Abstract

To date, the evaluation of the performance of Mediterranean native plants under urban green roof conditions has been limited to monoculture studies. However, plants grow naturally in plant communities and therefore it is of interest to evaluate their growth under realistic conditions, including interactions among plant species. The present study aims to evaluate the growth, flowering, and self-reproduction capacity of three artificially created plant communities consisting of native Mediterranean plants, as exemplified in Greece under shallow green roof substrate depths (8 and 15 cm) and two irrigation regimes (high, 20% ET o and low, 10% ET o ). The plant communities (PC) were designed to resemble xerophytic vegetation found either in Chania, Crete (PC-1), as a combined pattern with plants from Attica, Crete, and the Cyclades (Kythnos) (PC-2), or to resemble the coastal vegetation of Attica and Cyclades (Kythnos) (PC-3). Each of the three artificial plant communities (PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3) consisted of nine species and subspecies. The deeper substrate significantly improved the growth, flowering and survival of most plant taxa. The irrigation regime was not significant for all species except one, indicating that minimal amounts of irrigation are required. Four species did not manage to bloom while 15 species were able to self-reproduce.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimitra S. Varela-Stasinopoulou & Panayiotis A. Nektarios & Nikolaos Ntoulas & Panayiotis Trigas & Georgios I. Roukounakis, 2023. "Sustainable Growth of Medicinal and Aromatic Mediterranean Plants Growing as Communities in Shallow Substrate Urban Green Roof Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-28, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:7:p:5940-:d:1110809
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Konstantinos Paschalidis & Dimitrios Fanourakis & Georgios Tsaniklidis & Vasileios A. Tzanakakis & Fotis Bilias & Eftihia Samara & Konstantinos Kalogiannakis & Faten Jamel Debouba & Ioannis Ipsilantis, 2021. "Pilot Cultivation of the Vulnerable Cretan Endemic Verbascum arcturus L. (Scrophulariaceae): Effect of Fertilization on Growth and Quality Features," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Nikos Krigas & Georgios Tsoktouridis & Ioannis Anestis & Abdelmajid Khabbach & Mohamed Libiad & Wided Megdiche-Ksouri & Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar & Fatima Lamchouri & Ioannis Tsiripidis & Maria A. Tsiafoul, 2021. "Exploring the Potential of Neglected Local Endemic Plants of Three Mediterranean Regions in the Ornamental Sector: Value Chain Feasibility and Readiness Timescale for Their Sustainable Exploitation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-29, February.
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