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Professor Mark Boyer (left) and student Channon Toland track plant progress on one of two green roofs on campus.

Most green roof experiments are taking place on the East Coast and in the upper Midwest. These two green roofs, constructed in 2006, have allowed campus researchers to identify plants that withstand Arkansas' summer droughts and winter cold snaps. Mark Boyer collaborated with Jon Lindstrom, an associate professor of horticulture, to select hardy plants that will thrive with minimum maintenance. Findlay Edwards, an associate professor of civil engineering, provided equipment and expertise needed to monitor stormwater flow from the roofs.

Notable features of the experiment:

• Gatehouse R uses fines augmented with mushroom compost. Plants have thrived in this environment.
• Gatehouse S uses two growing media. The western half uses a coarse growing medium supplemented with mushroom compost; plants have grown here but not as vigorously as on Gatehouse R. Plants have struggled on the eastern half, which uses fines with no organic material.
• No irrigation was used on the roofs, though Boyer and his students weed occasionally.
• Flumes outside of the buildings measure water flow following storms, while interior drainpipes are designed so that water samples may be taken and evaluated for pollutants and trace elements.
• Boyer's student Channon Toland mapped each plant and tracked their progress over two years' time.

Research Sponsors

Chandler Materials, Emory Knoll Farms, JDR Enterprises, Permaloc Corp., Professional Landscaping, Schwartz Stone