Green Roofs Provide Habitat For Urban Bees

Study we surveyed green roofs for bee diversity and abundance to determine their potential as quality habitats in an urban area for these important pollinators.

Green roofs provide habitat for urban bees.

Planted and or seeded with a wide range of wildflowers sedums can be added too by applying these principles many interesting native invertebrate species will take up residence on green roofs. In this study we surveyed green roofs in toronto ontario canada for. This can help reduce the impact of urban sprawl on habitat loss and is a way to incorporate more nature into our concrete jungles. Urban bees deal with what s known as habitat patches discontinuous patches of green like gardens parks and ravines.

Green roofs building rooftops covered in growing medium and vegetation are increasingly important conservation tools that make use of underutilized space to provide breeding and foraging grounds for urban wildlife. They provide several benefits including capturing and filtering storm water lowering the overall temperature in cities and reducing costs for building heating and cooling. Green roofs are covered in soil and plants which are typically custom designed for each rooftop. Green roofs could offer relief to bees dealing with habitat fragmentation.

Urban habitats are often seen as too disturbed too degraded and too depauperate to serve as reservoirs of biodiversity. A good green roof designed for biodiversity should include. Green roofs have been suggested as a potential avenue to provide patches of good quality habitat in highly developed regions. Green roofs implemented above the eighth story would not benefit from any additional nesting resources or attract bees.

And meyer said the roofs could provide an urban habitat for pollinators who have few other places to go but there s no data to say for certain. Wildflower green roofs are especially good for pollinators such as bees. Understanding bat use of human altered habitat is critical for developing effective conservation plans for this ecologically important taxon. The higher the roof the fewer bees were found there.

By comparing various biodiversity measures between green roofs and ground level sites we show that green roofs provide habitat to many bee species. Despite many green roofs being opportune places for bees to inhabit research has shown that the location of the green roof matters.