Landscapes for life (Stage 2) – An investigation of opportunities for aesthetic improvement and biodiversity enhancement for living roofs in New Zealand

Abstract

Results from stage 2 of this project have shown that a New Zealand indigenous extensive living roof plant community can provide the basic microhabitat variables required to support lizards with the exception of humidity. Although existing vegetation will provide refuge from predators and modifies temperature and humidity, the designed prosthetic habitat creates humid micro-sites (refuges), allowing a trial translocation of native skinks and ethics approval has now been gained for a trial relocation to occur.

The results of stage 2 are now providing a solid basis, including comparison of food species from Shakespear and those found on the roof, of the research. Vegetation cover on the roof has significantly increased in the last year (over 70% cover) which provides further enhancement of potential success for the relocation.

Project highlights:

• Collaboration with Auckland Council to gain gut contents to analyse to support food source analysis for the relocation and results confirming food source on roof matches with preferred species being eaten by skink. • Feedback from international conference which confirmed that a relocation of lizards has occurred in Australia onto a living roof with great success which will support our permit application with DOC. • A site visit from English living roof expert who has said the living roof at Waitakere is his favourite living roof internationally and is supporting further dissemination of the research at the Green Roof world congress in the Netherlands in September.