London: Insects up high 
    




    







    
    
    
    














  
  
  
        
    
Published on Sustainable Cities (http://sustainablecities.dk)

    

    

    

    
    

    
11-01-2010

    			

								
London: Insects up high 

				
A three-year project in central London in England is studying living roofs to establish how to provide the best possible habitats for threatened insects and birds in densely populated areas. By establishing living roofs on six large buildings a network of green vegetation will provide habitats for bees and birds. The fact that green areas at ground level in urban areas continue to shrink makes the Living Roofs for Wildlife project more relevant than ever. 

				

			


    
Over the next three years, the Living Roofs for Wildlife project will install a total of six living roofs in central London. The roofs will eventually be part of a vegetation network that will ensure the survival of the city's bumblebees, butterflies, insects and birds. The project is focusing on the brown-banded carder bee (Bombus humilis) and the black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). Both species are threatened and their habitats are rapidly being disrupted with the expansion of urban areas and the intensification of farming. In order to recreate lifelike habitats for these threatened endemic creatures, the living roofs will be covered in wild flower meadows, sandy areas and shingle.
Two of the roofs have already been installed, designed to comply with recommendations based on previous research in the area. The roof of Lewisham Town Hall has been planted since April 2009 and has attracted a lot of wildlife. With the help of the plant toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) and other vegetation it has been possible to attract honey bees (Apis mellifera). The project thus fulfils the objectives of the UK biodiversity action plan. The project has also installed electricity-generating solar panels on part of the living roof on the headquarters of Transport for London, which was ready for planting in November 2009.
Headquarter of Transport for London roof ready for planting, November 2009, courtesy of Dusty Gedge, LivingRoofs.
In order to reverse the reduction in urban wildlife it is necessary to establish how green living roofs can be best adapted to the needs of urban wildlife. Experiences with the six roofs involved in the project will therefore help to clarify what positive effect the living roofs have on London's wildlife. The project will, among other things, map which animals inhabit the living , which type of plants/flowers are needed to attract them and which substrata is the most viable.
The Living Roofs for Wildlife project builds on 10 years of previous experience and work on living rooms. The project's backers, wildlife charity Buglife and leading experts in the green roof business, LivingRoofs, have been working determinedly for several years to get more living green roofs installed in London. Work with living green roofs initially focused on the black redstart, rare as a breeding bird in the UK which is entirely dependent on green urban breathing spaces. Their efforts have resulted in the establishment of 400,000 m² of living roofs in London between 2004 and 2009. Against this background, an important study of biodiversity on living roofs was carried out in 2007.
In addition to the roofs' function as a habitat for wildlife they also serve, like all other green roofs as efficient insulation. Living roofs do not require much drainage, since the roof holds onto and helps evaporate 70-100% of rainwater. In London and other cities, living roofs - in addition to providing necessary habitats for the city's insects - can also help to reduce energy consumption and prevent the flooding of the sewage system. However, Dusty Gedge of LivingRoofs believes it is important to maintain the focus on living conditions for biodiversity in the planning and installation of green roofs. The climatic and insulation-related advantages of living roofs follow as a matter of course when optimum living conditions are created for insects and small birds.

    
Key Learning Points
The plan is to establish living roofs in some of London's most densely populated areas, where green areas have shrunk to make way for asphalted parking spaces, dwellings and road networks. In towns and cities where green areas are limited and are shrinking to a greater extent, living roofs are an excellent way of preserving natural habitats and their wildlife.
According to Buglife project manager Jamie Roberts, one main purpose of the Living Roofs for Wildlife is to inspire town planners to create more a more sustainable future for our towns and cities. When designing and planning new buildings it is also relevant to integrate living roofs or to convert a large proportion of existing flat roofs into living roofs so as to create a green network to the benefit of urban wildlife.
Process
March 2009 
The Living Roofs for Wildlife project is initiated in collaboration between Buglife and LivingRoofs. The six buildings on which the LivingRoofs are to be installed are selected.
April 2009 
The first of the project's roofs is installed on Lewisham Town Hall. Buglife arranges an open day at which the theme of the project is presented. The publication 'Living roofs - high-rise homes for bugs' goes into more detail on the subject.
November 2009 
The second of the project's roofs has been laid out on the 9th and 10th storeys of Transport for London's Broadway headquarters. Photovoltaic cell arrays are also mounted on the roof of the building.
December 2009 
Expected completion of the roof of Islington council offices.
January 2010 
Completion of the roofs of Abbey Hive Community Centre in London Borough of Camden and the Stratford Campus of the University of East London expected. 
January-February 2010 
Completion expected of the lower roof of the William Blake House in the heart of Soho.
City Facts
Country: England 
City: London 
Area: 1,706.8 km² 
Population: 7,556,900 (city, 2007 est.) 
Population density: 4,761/km² 
GDP per capita (country): USD 35,200 (2009 est.)

Source: Wikipedia - London, World Factbook - England.
Project Facts
Living Roofs for Wildlife is a three year project created in collaboration between the wildlife charity Buglife and green roof experts LivingRoofs.
Living Roofs for Wildlife will study the effect of living roofs on the wildlife of the city of establishing green living roofs on Lewisham Town Hall, Transport for London’s headquarters in St. James Park, the Abbey Hive community centre in Camden, the William Blake residential building in Soho, the offices of Islington Council and at the University of East London.
The project is primarily being financed by the SITA Trust, which distributes the landfill tax credits donated by SITA UK to enhance communities and enrich nature. The various involved parties which have living rooms established on their premises in connection with the project, such as Lewisham Town Hall, also provide financial support.
Facts for Thought
Bombus humilis is a bumble bee common throughout Europe. However, the survival of the species is threatened by intensive farming and urban expansion, which are destroying its habitat. Because it lives at ground level, and preferable among tufts of grass, it is extremely sensitive to the loss of meadow land. The bee plays a vital role in the pollination of clover (Trifolium pratense), knapweed (Centaurea) and vetch, a member of the pea flower family (Viciua).
Over the last 10 years, a number of living green roofs have been established in London to create habitats for the Bombus humilis and other fauna. One example is the highest living roof in Europe, on the London headquarters of Barclay’s Bank, 160 metres above the ground.
References
Living roofs: now and then, DR2 Friland (danish)
Living Roofs for Bugs, Buglife
Partners
The wildlife charity Buglife is collaborating with Dusty Gedge of LivingRoofs leading specialists in the establishment of green living roofs.
The project is primarily funded by the SITA Trust 

    

    

    

    
Source URL: http://sustainablecities.dk/en/city-projects/cases/london-insects-up-high

    
Links:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London

[2] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html

[3] http://www.dr.dk/DR2/Friland/ABC/Levende tag/

[4] http://www.buglife.org.uk/conservation/currentprojects/Habitats Action/Living Roofs for Bugs/Living roofs for bugs.htm

[5] http://www.buglife.org.uk/

[6] http://www.livingroofs.org

[7] http://www.sitatrust.org.uk/