Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
QUALITY ASSURANCE
PROJECT PLAN
EVALUATION OF GREEN ROOF BIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE
June, 2008
Characterization of Green Roof Performance
X3-83350101-0
QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN
for
EPA Region 8 Green Roof Biological Performance Project
Prepared by:
James E. Klett, Jennifer M. Bousselot
Colorado State University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1173
Phone: 970-491-7179
E-mail: Jim.Klett@colostate.edu
Jennifer.McGuire.Bousselot@colostate.edu
http ://hla.colosta te.edu/
1
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
GROUP A: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Al. TITLE AND APPROVAL PAGE
Prepared for:
U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION 8
And:
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
January, 2008
APPROVALS:
Tony Medrano/QA Manager, EPA Region 8
Carolyn Esposito/QA Officer, EPA ORD
James E. Klett, Professor of Horticulture, CSU
Panayoti Kelaidis, Director of Outreach, DBG
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
A2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
GROUP A: PROJECT MANAGEMENT 2
Al. TITLE AND APPROVAL PAGE 2
A2. TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
A3. DISTRIBUTION LIST: 4
A4. PROJECT TASK/ORGANIZATION 5
A5. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION/BACKGROUND 5
A6. PROJECT/TASK DESCRIPTION 6
Table T-l: GREEN ROOF PLANT SPECIES TO BE TESTED 6
Table T-2: WEATHER MONITORING EQUIPMENT* 8
Table T-3: SCHEDULE OF TASKS 9
A7. DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR MEASUREMENT DATA 9
A8. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS/CERTIFICATION 9
A9. DOCUMENTATION & RECORDS 9
GROUP B: DATA GENERATION AND ACQUISITION 10
Bl. SAMPLING PROCESS DESIGN 10
Blocking 10
Figure F-l: TRAY CONFIGURATION FOR ALL THREE STUDIES 10
Figure F-2: PHOTO DEPICTION OF TRAY LAYOUT (04/09/08) 11
Data (See Section B2 for descriptions of data capturing methods.) 11
Figure F-3: DELTA-T THETA PROBE ML2X SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR 12
Study 1 (species study) 12
Figure F-4: EXAMPLE OF TRAY LAYOUT FOR STUDY 1 (SPECIES STUDY) 13
Study 2 (media study) 13
Figure F-5: EXAMPLE OF TRAY LAYOUT FOR STUDY 2 (MEDIA STUDY) 14
Study 3 (mixed study) 14
Table T-4: PLANT SPECIES IN STUDY 3 (MIXED STUDY) 15
Other 15
B2. SAMPLING METHODS REQUIREMENTS 15
Photos 15
Widths and Height 15
Figure F-6: LAYOUT OF PLANTS IN TRAYS FOR ALL THREE STUDIES 16
Dry Weights 16
Media Moisture 17
Figure F-7: EXAMPLE OF MEDIA MOISTURE MEASUREMENT LOCATIONS.... 17
B3. SAMPLE HANDLING & CUSTODY REQUIREMENTS 17
B4. ANALYTICAL METHODS REQUIREMENTS 18
B5. QUALITY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS 18
3
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
B6. INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT TESTING, INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE 18
B7. INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION PROCEDURES 18
B8. INSPECTION & ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIES 18
B9. DATA ACQUISITION REQUIREMENTS 18
BIO. DATA MANAGEMENT 19
GROUP C: ASSESSMENT AND OVERSIGHT 19
CI. ASSESSMENTS & RESPONSE ACTIONS 19
C2. REPORTS 19
GROUP D: DATA VALIDATION AND USABILITY 19
Dl. DATA REVIEW, VALIDATION & VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 19
D2. VALIDATION & VERIFICATION METHODS 19
D3. RECONCILIATION WITH DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES 19
REFERENCES CITED 20
APPENDIX 1: STUDY DATASHEETS 21
Figure F-8: Datasheet for widths and heights of plants, Study 1 (species study) 21
Figure F-9: Datasheet for widths and heights of plants, Study 2 (media study) 22
Figure F-10: Datasheet for widths and heights of plants, Study 3 (mixed study) 23
Figure F-ll: Datasheet for Measuring Soil Moisture Content 24
A3. DISTRIBUTION LIST:
Official copies of this QAPP and any subsequent revisions will be provided to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
Tony Medrano, Quality Assurance Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development
Thomas O' Connor, Project Officer
Carolyn Esposito, QA Officer
Colorado State University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
James E. Klett
Denver Botanic Gardens, Director of Outreach
Panayoti Kelaidis
Urban Drainage Flood Control District
Ben Urbonas
Copies of this Quality Assurance Project Plan will be available online at
www.epa.gov/region8/greenroof
4
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
A4. PROJECT TASK/ORGANIZATION
Personnel Responsibilities
James E. Klett, Professor of Horticulture, Colorado State University, Department
of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Responsible for overseeing the biological performance of the green roof,
coordinating with DBG on expected outcomes, and producing annual
reports.
Jennifer Bousselot, Graduate Student, Colorado State University, Department of
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Responsible for experimental design, data collection and summary,
literature review, writing for the annual reports and general maintenance
of the biological performance experiments.
James zumBrunnen, Statistician, Colorado State University, Agricultural
Experiment Station
Facilitate experimental design and data analysis.
Tony Medrano, Acting Laboratory Director/Quality Assurance Manager
Responsible for signing QA plans as the QA manager and ensuring that
equipment and funding is available for laboratory analysis.
Collected data is made available to all interested government agencies and the general
public. Primary data users include: EPA staff and its partner organizations; Denver
Botanic Gardens (DBG), the City and County of Denver, Colorado State University
Extension, Colorado State Agricultural Experiment Station, the Green Industries of
Colorado and the Urban Drainage Flood Control District. All data will be provided in
electronic format through the EPA web site.
A5. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION/BACKGROUND
Green roofs are planted for many reasons, including stormwater management, reducing
the Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect and for general aesthetics. In order to provide these
benefits, as well as many others, green roofs have to remain alive. In the semi-arid, high
elevation environment of the Front Range of Colorado, green roofs have not been
scientifically tested for long term survivability and adaptability. The low annual
precipitation, low average relative humidity, high solar radiation due to elevation, high
wind velocities and predominantly sunny days all add up to stress plant health. Therefore,
plants that are adapted to extensive green roofs in other environments more suited to ideal
plant performance (i.e. high moisture, high humidity and more cloud cover) may not
survive in these conditions.
5
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Plants native to Colorado, which inhabit areas with shallow, rocky, well-drained soils are
good candidates for green roof plants. Ideally, when these plants are tested they will
compare, if not out-perform, the Sedum species currently on the EPA Region 8 green
roof. Sedum species are some of the plants most often used on green roofs currently
because of their relative drought tolerance and the fact that many are evergreen
groundcovers. Researching additional plant species not already in use on extensive green
roofs will expand the plant palette. Hopefully, this will prevent Sedum species from
becoming a monoculture on green roofs. A monoculture has a higher probability of pest
problems than a system that has diversity because most pests are host specific and if there
is plenty of their food available, their populations tend to increase dramatically.
The modern extensive green roof is based on a design that uses expanded clays and
shales and research is still limited to a handful of case studies using these systems;
therefore additional research on media mixes appropriate for use on green roofs is
necessary. And, similar to the need for diversifying plant species on a green roof,
additional media mixes will benefit green roof systems as well, especially as the plant
palette increases.
A6. PROJECT/TASK DESCRIPTION
The data collected through this project will be used to achieve four objectives:
1. Determine herbaceous plant species suitable for green roof use in the semi-arid,
high elevation Front Range of Colorado.
2. Determine media types or mixes suited to supporting extensive green roof plants.
3. Identifying additional areas for expanded research.
Achieving objective #1: Determine herbaceous plant species suitable for green roof
use in the semi-arid, high elevation Front Range of Colorado.
Plants will be selected for experimentation based on certain criteria: drought resistance, if
they are groundcovers (beneficial for extensive green roofs to obtain good coverage) or
accent plants (good for contrast with groundcovers in heights and bloom times), if they
are evergreen and length of bloom season (Table T-l). Species which are native to
Colorado are important because they are adapted to the extreme conditions of the climate,
hence the indication of nativity.
Table T-l: GREEN ROOF PLANT SPECIES TO BE TESTED
Species
Benefits
drought
groundcover
evergreen
native
long bloom
bloom color
Antennaria parvifolia
X
X
X
X
X
white
Bouteloua gracilis
X
X
X
turf
Delosperma cooperi
X
X
X
X
deep pink
Eriogonum umbellatum
X
X
X
X
X
yellow
Opuntia fragilis
X
accent
X
X
varies
Sedum lanceolatum
X
X
X
X
yellow
6
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Plants that are drought resistant typically employ one of three methods: avoid, escape, or
tolerate. Not all types of drought resistance in plants are well-suited to green roofs. For
example, some plants avoid drought by rooting deeply to access a more stable supply of
water; this will obviously not be possible on a green roof. Plants that use the escape tactic
are not ideal for green roofs either because they have short life cycles, timed to grow and
reproduce during the rainy season, and green roofs should ideally be green at least
throughout the growing season, if not year round. True drought tolerance is not a trait
commonly found in plants; these plants merit further investigation for use in green roofs.
One example of true drought tolerance that does fit in with green roof systems is
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Many Sedum species are CAM plants.
Crassulacean acid metabolism refers to the family name of these plants (Crassulaceae)
and the way they metabolize or utilize carbon. CAM plants are truly drought tolerant
because they keep their stomata (pore-like structures where gas exchange and
transpiration occur) closed during the day when transpiration rates are high, and open
them at night when transpiration rates are significantly lower. While it is good that CAM
plants keep their stomata closed during the day, they have to manage their CO2 intake
much differently than other plants. Carbon dioxide is needed while photosynthesis is
taking place (daytime) so CAM plants have to convert the CO2, which is brought in only
at night, into a useable form for use during the day. This process takes additional energy,
slowing the growth of the plant. Still, the tradeoff of higher energy use for water savings
is beneficial to the plant in drought conditions.
Environmental conditions will be monitored by use of Campbell Scientific weather
monitoring equipment (Table T-2). This data will be used to help with interpretation of
plant performance.
7
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Table T-2: WEATHER MONITORING EQUIPMENT*
Campbell Scientific
Equipment (Model #)
Description
Range of
Tolerance
Accuracy/ Precision
Infrared Radiometer (IRR-
P)
Surface temperature of
vegetation
-55° to +80°C
±0.2°C @ -10° to +65°C;
±0.5°C @ -40° to 70°C
Temperature and Relative
Humidity Probe
(HMP45C)
Measures temperature
and RH at 12 inch
height
-40° to +60°C
±2% over 10-90% RH;
±3% over 90-100% RH
Young Wind Sentry set
(03001-L)
Wind speed and
direction
0 to 50 m/s
±0.5 m/s
Tipping Bucket
(TE525WS-L)
Precipitation gage
0° to +50°C
Up to 1 in/hr = ±1%,
1-2 in/hr = +0, -2.5%;
2-3 in/hr = +0, -3.5%;
Snowfall conversion
adaptor (CS705)
Converts snowfall into
rain equivalent
to -20°C
assumes 1:0 starting ratio
of antifreeze to water
Silicon Pyranometer
(LI200X)
Solar radiation sensor
-40° to +65°C
Absolute error in daylight
is ±5% max; ±3% typical
Datalogger (CR1000)
Data storage device
Battery: 12 voltPSlOO
Campbell Scientific
*See Urban Heat Island Mitigation QAPP for more detailed information on the weather
station.
Achieving Objective #2: Determining media types or mixes suited to support
extensive green roof plants
Most extensive green roof media is predominantly made up of expanded slate, shale or
clay. While these materials are very well-drained, lightweight but do not blow away and
do not break down like organic materials, they do have some limitations. They typically
drain too quickly (too much macro-pore space, not enough micro-pore space) and do not
hold nutrients very well (low cation exchange capacity - CEC).
A material that has all of the benefits of expanded slate, shale and clay, while having
more micro-pore space and higher CEC is ideal. One example of a material that may fit
this description is zeolite. Zeolites are currently being utilized as amendments for
shallow, well-drained golf greens.
Achieving Objective #3: Identifying additional areas for expanded research
There is significant interest nationwide in the green roof project proposed at the EPA
Region 8 office. It is important that EPA work with other interested parties to determine
new areas for research and design. EPA has established a working relationship with the
Urban Drainage Flood Control District in Denver to study aspects of stormwater
management on green roofs. EPA Region 8 has also agreed to work with EPA's Office of
Research and Development to determine areas for technology transfer. As this project
8
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
moves forward, additional areas for expanded research will be explored. Potential
projects which may elicit further research include:
1. Quantifying actual water requirements of plant species
2. Measuring carbon flux
3. Evaluating effects of green roofs on the longevity of roofs on commercial
and industrial buildings in the Denver region
4. Providing assistance to developers in citing and selecting green roof
matrices
5. Evaluating effects on temperature and minimizing urban heat islands
Table T-3: SCHEDULE OF TASKS
Major Task Categories
J08
F08
M08
A08
M08
J08
J08
A08
S08
008
N08
D08
Initiate species trials
X
Initiate media trials
X
Initiate digital imaging
X
Initiate moisture sensing
X
A7. DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR MEASUREMENT DATA
Automated data will be taken for environmental conditions by the weather station such as
precipitation, diurnal temperature measurements, wind speed and direction and solar
radiation (Table T-2). A similar weather station will be set up on a nearby building that
does not have a vegetated roof. Comparisons in environmental conditions will be made.
Photographs and visual data will be taken weekly to measure the success of the
experimental trials. See Section B1 for more information on image acquisition and
Section B2 for description of photo analysis.
A8. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS/CERTIFICATION
No special training requirements or certification is required for these trials.
A9. DOCUMENTATION & RECORDS
All quantitative data measurements gathered will be recorded on a Colorado State
University laptop. Data will then be transferred to a Region 8 EPA server to be backed
up. Printed copies can be available.
Environmental monitoring data from the green roof will be recorded in the Campbell
Scientific datalogger and instantly transferred to a Region 8 EPA computer. Telemetry
will be used for the control roof to transmit data from that weather station. Data will be
saved on the computer and automatically transmitted via the internet to any interested
parties.
Any changes or alterations to the procedures laid out in this manuscript will be
documented in addendums provided as the need arises. Any addendums will be
9
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Bousselot@colostate.edu or JenBousselot@vahoo.com
distributed electronically and will also be available on the EPA Region 8 green roof
website: http://www.epa.gov/region8/greenroof/documents/index.html.
GROUP B: DATA GENERATION AND ACQUISITION
Bl. SAMPLING PROCESS DESIGN
Blocking
For all three studies, there will be five blocks or replications. The five areas are zoned as
3x8 tray areas on the existing EPA Region 8 headquarters green roof. See Figure F-l for
a graphical depiction of the design layout on the roof for all three studies. Of the 24
existing trays in each block, 12 of them will be randomly chosen and assigned to one of
the three studies. Six of the trays will be for Study 1 (species study) the area of four trays
will be for Study 2 (media study) and two trays will be for Study 3 (mixed study). The
rest of the trays (12) will remain as the existing green roof to provide an in sitii
environment (see Figure F-2).
Figure F-l: TRAY CONFIGURATION FOR ALL THREE STUDIES
S3
50%
SI A
SI E
s
o
66
33
33
Ot6
£
100
Otl
100
66
S10
S3
0%
SIS
SIB
SID
66
0t2
SID
33
100
S10
S3
0%
SI E
0t7
33
66
100
SIS
SI A
SIB
S3
50%
SI
Study 1
(species)
Study 2
(media)
S3
Study 3
(mix
species)
B=Block T=Treatment
S=Study L=Location
FYI, Purple flags at corners of blocks
A=Antennaria, B=Bouteloua, D=Delosperma, E=Eriogonom, 0=0puntia, S=Sedum
0=no Zeolite in media, 33=one third Zeolite, 66=two thirds Zeolite, 100=all Zeolite
0%=no Zeolite in media, 50%=half of media (by volume) is Zeolite
Penthouse Area
Roughly North7>
| Block 3
SI E
S10
SI A
1 Block 4 I
S10
100
33
SI E
I Block 5 I
33
100
SIB
SIS
66
019
66
OtlO
SID
33
ots
SIS
SIS
SID
33
0t4
100
33
SI E
S3
50%
SIO
100
66
66
100
66
0t5
S3
50%
S3
0%
SIB
100
33
SI A
S3
50%
S3
0%
SIB
SI A
S3
0%
SID
66
Ot3
10
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Bousselot@colostate.edu or JenBousselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-2: PHOTO DEPICTION OF TRAY LAYOUT [04/09/08)
Data (See Section B2 for descriptions of data capturing methods.)
For all three studies, data will be taken first on survivability, and of those that survive
growth rate measurements will be used to determine success. Photographs to determine
growth rate by measuring change in area covered per week will be taken. The
photographs will be taken once a week, every Wednesday, during the growing season
(-April 1st - November 1st) in a predetermined order at the same time of day. The
predetermined order will help ensure the plants are photographed at about the same time
of day each week. Plant widths and heights will also be recorded. Top growth dry
weights of each plant in the experiment will be taken at the end of the experiment.
Drought resistance in the shallow, well-drained media of extensive green roofs is a
significant factor of plant survivability. Plus, different plants use water at different rates;
therefore their water use efficiency will be valuable in determining how appropriate they
are in green roof applications. Soil moisture content will be measured to compare relative
drought resistance of plants. Delta-T Theta Probe ML2X (Delta-T Devices, Cambridge,
UK) will be used to take instantaneous readings of volumetric soil moisture content
(Figure F-3). Researchers at Michigan State University have successfully used Delta-T
Theta Probes ML2X in green roof research with similar media types (Durhman et al.
2006, Monterusso et al. 2005, VanWoert et al. 2005).
11
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-3: DELTA-T THETA PROBE ML2X SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR
(www.delta-t.co.uk)
Overwintering success will be of vital importance as Front Range Colorado winters are
typically characterized by warm sunny days (frequently up to 60°F [15°C] or above) and
freezing nights with high winds occurring often and unpredictable precipitation and snow
cover duration. These environmental conditions are difficult for plants due to moisture
limitations. Plants still require moisture during the winter to prevent winter desiccation
and maintain adequate root metabolism. Between November 1st and April 1st, monthly
visits (at a minimum) will be performed to check on plant health and take data.
Study 1 (species study)
The treatment will be one of six species (Table T-l). A series of the six
species/treatments (one species per tray) will then be put into one of the five blocks
described above. Therefore a total of six species, replicated five times will equal 30 trays
(since one species is equal to one tray). In a tray, eight individual plants will be planted,
each with a square foot (~0.09m2) of growing space (2ft x 4ft [0.61m x 1.22m] trays)
(Figure F-4).
12
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-4: EXAMPLE OF TRAY LAYOUT FOR STUDY 1 (SPECIES STUDY)
Plants are represented by n, solid lines correspond to tray edges and dotted lines show the
imaginary lines between the 1 ft2 (0.093 m2) areas.
H
H
n
r~ " "
H
L. . .
H
H
H
- -
H
Study 2 (media study)
For the green roof media trial, three species (one species will have two varieties) of
Sedum already on the green roof (Sedum acre, S. album, S. spurium 'Dragons Blood' and
S. spurium 'John Creech') will be planted into one of four percentages (0%, 33%, 66% or
100%) of zeolite mixes to determine which concentration is most suitable for plant
growth. The remaining percentages of media will be made up of the media already in use
on the EPA Region 8 green roof. The media mix is a proprietary blend owned by Weston
Solutions for use in the Green Grid product line. The mix is 80% inorganic and 20%
organic materials.
The experiment will be replicated 10 times and set up as a randomized complete block
design, similar to the Study 1 (species study) but the variable will be media type instead
of species. One difference between the Study 1 (species study) and the Study 2 (media
study) is that the trays are a smaller size. They are 2ft by 2ft (0.61m x 0.61m) (Figure F-
5). Four trays together will be a replication. All four percentages of media will be
randomly assigned to one of the four areas in each replication. The Study 2 (media study)
will be set up in this manner to keep environmental variability to a minimum.
13
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-5: EXAMPLE OF TRAY LAYOUT FOR STUDY 2 (MEDIA STUDY)
Plants are represented by n, solid lines correspond to tray edges and dotted lines show the
imaginary lines between the 1 ft2 (0.093 m2) areas.
n ! a
H I H
H
H
H
Also similar to the Study 1 (species study), the Study 2 (media study) will use Delta-T
Theta Probe ML2X (Delta-T Devices, Cambridge, UK) to take instantaneous readings of
soil moisture content in millivolts (mV). As zeolite is reputed to have good micro-pore
space available for holding water, at least compared to other extensive green roof media
materials, soil moisture holding capacity of the media should increase with zeolite
content in the mix.
Study 3 (mixed study)
The mixed Study 3 (mixed study) will be set up like the Study 1 (species study) except
eight different species (Table T-4) will be planted together in each of 10 2ft x 4ft (0.61m
x 1,22m) trays. Five of the trays will be planted with the existing green roof media and
another five will have 50% by volume zeolite mixed in with the existing media. One tray
of each will be placed in each of the five blocks. Besides the usual data taken, special
attention will be paid to plant interactions and changes in available soil moisture
compared to the Study 1 (species study).
14
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Table T-4: PLANT SPECIES IN STUDY 3 (MIXED STUDY)
Species, Scientific Name
Common Name
Allium cernuum
Nodding Onion
Antennaria parvifolia
Small-leaf Pussytoes
Bouteloua gracilis
Blue Grama
Delosperrna cooperi
Hardy Ice Plant
Eriogonum umbellatum
Kannah Creek® Buckwheat
Opuntia fragilis
Brittle Pricklypear
Sedum lanceolatum
Lanceleaf Stonecrop
Sempervivum riibrian
Hens and Chicks, Houseleek
Other
Additional experiments may be necessary to see how an expanded palette of plants reacts
to the experimental media types or mixes. This experiment would be a two-factor
randomized complete block design. Additional experiments will be added by addendum.
B2. SAMPLING METHODS REQUIREMENTS
Photos
As a measure of plant growth rate and success, plant expansion (grown rate) will be
measured each week during the growing season (-April 1st - November 1st) by using a
series of digital photographs. The camera will be mounted to a Bogen Manfrotto
190xprob tripod (Ramsey, NJ) with an extendable horizontal arm. A plum bob will be
used to ensure that all photos are taken from a preset distance and a bubble level on the
back of the camera will ensure the photo orientation is consistent for every picture. The
same camera (Fuji Film S3000 with a 6x optical zoom 3.2 mega pixels lens) and image
settings will be used to keep constant any differences these factors could make in image
quality.
The photos will be measured by SigmaScan Pro 5.0 image analysis software (SPAA
Science, Chicago). This image analysis will be used to (draw outlines lor each plant in
each photograph. Changes from one week to the next in area covered will indicate growth
rate. Researchers at Michigan State University have successfully used this method in
their trials to measure growth rates of green roof species (Durhman et al. 2007).
Widths and Height
Individual plant widths and heights will be measured weekly for each of the three studies.
Plants are numbered as described in Figure F-6. Two widths will be taken. One will be
parallel to the short end of the tray (2ft [0.61m]) and the other will be perpendicular to it.
Plant height will be taken at the center of the plant. See Appendix 1, Figures F-8, F-9 and
F-10 for an example of the datasheets for all three studies.
Comment [jmbl]: I talked to
Durhman from Michigan State at the
green roof conference. She said the colors
of the plants were not the same greens
(too many reds, blues, etc.) so trying to
count pixel numbers was not feasible. She
used the outline function. Tedious but
doable.
15
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-6: LAYOUT OF PLANTS IN TRAYS FOR ALL THREE STUDIES.
The plants are labeled to keep measurements consistently throughout the experiment.
There is a label pasted on one end of each tray and all trays are oriented the same
direction.
Label for tray; always facing southwest.
Dry Weights
All above media portions of each plant in both studies will be harvested at the end of the
experiment. Root weights will not be measured because neighboring plant roots will
grow together and be difficult to separate. Plants will be cut at media level, rinsed in
water to remove media debris, patted dry with a paper towel and fresh weight mass will
be recorded. Samples will be inserted into a prelabeled 13x7.9x27cm brown paper bag
(Rite Aid, Harrisburg, PA, USA) to allow air and water movement through the paper. The
samples will be dried in an oven at 70°C for 72 hours and weighed for dry weights. The
balance used to measure fresh and dry weights will be a Sartorius model number R200D
(Sartorius Bohemia, New York, USA). Scale calibration is performed every six months
by the Vivanco laboratory group to 0.00 mg with calibration weights.
End of experiment dry weights will be compared to initial dry weights taken at the
beginning of the experiment. Plants for initial dry weights planted on the same date as the
experimental trays will be harvested at the time the experimental trays are delivered to
the green roof. Therefore initial dry weight plants were treated the same as experimental
plants in the greenhouse during the establishment period. The treatment of fresh and dry
weight samples (handling, temperature, etc.) is the same for initial dry weights as for end
of experiment dry weights.
16
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Media Moisture
Delta-T Theta Probe ML2X (Delta-T Devices, Cambridge, UK) will be used to take
instantaneous readings of soil moisture content in millivolts (mV). The probe is simply
inserted into the media until the probe ends rest on the bottom of the tray. A reading can
be taken via the attached meter instantly and copied down on a data sheet (Appendix 1,
Figure F-ll).
Soil moisture content will be measured once a week during the growing season (-April
1st - November 1st) in a predetermined order at the same time of day keeping constant the
number of hours since watering. Seven total measurements will be taken in the larger 2ft
x 4ft (0.61m x 1.22m) trays for Studies 1 and 3 and three total measurements will be
taken in each of the smaller 2ft x 2ft (0.61m x 0.61m) trays. For the larger trays, three
measurements will be taken down the center of the tray and two on each side of the tray
to get an even distribution of media moisture within the tray. Similarly, two
measurements will be taken down the center and one on the side of the smaller trays.
(Figure F-7)
Figure F-7: EXAMPLE OF MEDIA MOISTURE MEASUREMENT LOCATIONS
An example of media moisture measurement locations (represented by the black squares)
for the two different tray sizes. Plants are represented by n, solid lines correspond to tray
edges and dotted lines show the imaginary lines between the 1 ft2 (0.093 m2) areas.
Accuracy of the Theta Probe is ±0.01 m3/m3 in 0-40°C. Soil specific calibrations will be
performed to ensure accuracy at this level. There is no method for calibrating the sensor;
however, accuracy will be tested weekly by dipping the probe in a cup of water and
getting a reading of 100% volumetric moisture content.
B3. SAMPLE HANDLING & CUSTODY REQUIREMENTS
The digital photos taken once a week from -April 1st - November 1st (see description in
Section B2) will be stored in a green roof photo database through the Region 8 EPA
17
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
headquarters. Colorado State University will be responsible for taking the photos,
labeling (with block, study, treatment and date), keeping copies of each and analyzing the
data provided by the photos.
B4. ANALYTICAL METHODS REQUIREMENTS
The digital photo data will be analyzed using Sigma Scan Pro 5.0 image analysis
software (SPAA Science, Chicago). This program measures growth rates by analyzing
pixels on digital photographs. Statistical analysis will be performed on the photo data.
Statistical Analysis Software (SAS®) version 9.13 will be used to determine if data is
significantly different based on p-values of p<0.005. Means, standard deviations,
standard errors and correlations will be determined for all data in Microsoft Office Excel
2007.
B5. QUALITY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS
Data that do not meet project accuracy and precision objectives are not entered in the
green roof data system and will not be used in reports. Colorado State University is
responsible for determining the cause of data errors.
B6. INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT TESTING, INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE
All equipment is checked upon receipt to ensure that operations are within technical
specifications before use. All equipment will be calibrated prior to use and calibrated
again at the end of the experiment to measure drift of measurement. All instruments will
be checked once a month to make sure they are running properly.
B7. INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION PROCEDURES
Calibration of all instruments will be documented in an instrument calibration/
maintenance log. If, at any time, there are data quality concerns which might be related to
equipment error, it will be recalibrated.
B8. INSPECTION & ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIES
Monitoring equipment and supplies ordered from Campbell Scientific and Delta-T
Devices will be inspected upon arrival. Materials or instruments that do not meet EPA
standards will be shipped back to the manufacturer for replacement.
B9. DATA ACQUISITION REQUIREMENTS
Data will be gathered and analyzed by Colorado State University personnel, specifically
the graduate student (Jennifer M. Bousselot) responsible for carrying out the research, or
individuals working in conjunction with the graduate student (David Staats, Research
Associate or half time Research Associate to be hired). The graduate student and other
Colorado State University personnel (previously mentioned) will be supervised by the
professor (James E. Klett).
18
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
BIO. DATA MANAGEMENT
The digital photos taken on the green roof once a week from -April 1st - November 1st
(see description in Section B2) will be stored in a green roof photo database through the
Region 8 EPA headquarters. Colorado State University will be responsible for taking the
photos, keeping copies of each and analyzing the data provided by the photos using
SigmaScan Pro 5.0.
GROUP C: ASSESSMENT AND OVERSIGHT
CI. ASSESSMENTS & RESPONSE ACTIONS
[Not applicable at this time.]
C2. REPORTS
Official annual reports will be produced in January of each year and will describe
activities during the previous twelve months. These reports will consist of data results,
interpretation of data, information on project status, and internal assessments. Monthly
updates will be drawn up for the EPA ORD Project Officer to keep current on project
development.
Colorado State University is responsible for report production and distribution. Annual
reports will be forwarded to any interested party including the Denver Botanic Gardens,
EPA Region 8 staff, City and County of Denver, the Green Industries of Colorado and
the Urban Drainage Flood Control District.
The EPA Region 8 green roof web site will be updated with all reports and data
summaries as they are generated. Real time data will not be available through the web
site, but the latest version of the green roof data system will be available upon request
through the contacts provided on the website.
GROUP D: DATA VALIDATION AND USABILITY
Dl. DATA REVIEW, VALIDATION & VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
All data collected is subject to review by the Project QA Officer. Decisions to reject or
qualify data are made by the Colorado State Agriculture Experiment Station Statistician
or the Project QA Officer.
D2. VALIDATION & VERIFICATION METHODS
Annual reports will include discussion of any data quality problems and will be
distributed to all data users.
D3. RECONCILIATION WITH DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES
Data will be reviewed once a week to look for major outliers. Any outliers will be
investigated to assure there is no equipment failure. The statistician will be contacted if a
problem persists (Still not totally clear on how to approach this area).
19
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
REFERENCES CITED
Durhman, A., D.B. Rowe, C.L. Rugh. 2006. Effect of Watering Regimen on Chlorophyll
Fluorescence and Growth of Selected Green Roof Plant Taxa. HortScience 41(7): 1623-
1628.
Durhman, A., D.B. Rowe, C.L. Rugh. 2007. Effect of Substrate Depth on Initial Growth,
Coverage, and Survival of 25 Succulent Green Roof Plant Taxa. HortScience 42(3): 588-
595.
Monterusso, M.A., D.B. Rowe, and C.L. Rugh. 2005. Establishment and persistence of
Sedum spp. and native taxa for green roof applications. HortScience 40:391-396.
VanWoert, N., D. Rowe, J. Andresen, C. Rugh, and L. Xiao. 2005. Watering Regime and
Green Roof Substrate Design Affect Sedum Plant Growth. HortScience 40(3): 659-664.
20
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
APPENDIX 1: STUDY DATASHEETS
Figure F-8: Datasheet for widths and heights of plants, Study 1 (species study).
Columns labeled "1, 2...8" are representative of plant number in tray. (See Figure F-6 for
layout of individual plants in trays.) Subheadings on columns are wl=first width taken,
w2=second width and h=heighi ai center of plain. Rows are labeled with B=block
number, S=siudy number, and T=ireaimeni leuer (firsi leuer of species).
g
ys
H
y
s
h*
0
s
Ufi
£
g
S
Q
f
m
£
M
>
CD
<7>
CO
yj
tfi
H-
O
m
w
»-»
rr|
99
t/i
h*
o
(53
80
w
h*
>
S3
Vs
h*
V*
B2S1TO
82 SITE
B2S1TD
m
N3
VI
H*
3
83
Ki
fcft
>
@3
h*
h*
$
B1S1TO
00
1
w
h*
trt
d
03
Hk
t/i
>
Labels
<
M
i
hi
3"
s
t-*
N
€
N>
3"
€
W
S
N»
zr
€
H*
*
f
N>
3P
«
yn
zm
Sr
IM I
en
€
w
3-
s
s
«3*
s
00
£
-r
21
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-9: Datasheet for widths and heights of plants, Study 2 (media study).
Columns labeled "1,2,3,4" are representative of plant number in tray. (See Figure F-6 for
layout of individual plants in trays.) Subheadings on columns are wl=first width taken,
w2=second width and h=height at center of plant. Rows are labeled with B=block
number, S=study number, percentage of zeolite in media (i.e. 0%, 33%, 66%, 100%) and
T=tray number. Each set of measurements is labeled by what species/variety is there. The
four possibilities are: S. acre=Sedum acre, S. album=Sedum album, D. Blood=Sedum
spurium 'Dragons Blood' and J. Crccch=.W«/// spuriinn 'John Creech'.
M> CO
§ S
H NJ
cr* m
eft w
£ V
3 fV
w tss
* s
O)
eg w
3 b
a
8 5
a M
cr! 3
afi 5
3 "
w w
$ K
d *
8 s
d K
i 5
01 CO
Ch rw
*
H M
wj a
S K
fsJ
O CB
5 ^
m> as
0 t-»
€> (/¦,
Ch CQ
en
* 1*
H w
cn
yj cq
Ui M.
m
g w
S &
>»* 0
S 1-4
M.
Bi S2
66% Ti
Uj CO
U> h»
H w
^ 2
H
a*
er
2L
¦
o
s
a
i
i
|
cr
%
h
ID
s
it!
I
1
53"
1
1
its
1
M
s
3"
-
in
1
I
1
n
-A
1.1
8.
R
U
R
cT
I,J
1
1
o
1
S
u
o
1?
s
s
NS
P
n
p
1
1
0
1
ITJ
1
§
R
s
=
1
•
c
i
|
1
a
«
€
£
3T
cr
=i
s
1
0
til
E
=)
o
s
s
S
1
1
1
P
22
!
u
1
B
K
rt>
p
1
§ En
H rS
o
IS t/*
¦H ifs
© ^
© CO
a? «•"
h
^ N)
O
5 5
©
3 "
cn cd
$ IS
H ^
W 03
yj m
£ ^
o t»
SS w
25
© S
O trt
H
©
0*1 03
CTi
X <*
¦H ^
U3
S 2
85 w»
"H ^
W3
g 2
to f*1
8 2
6> ys
H W
crl S
a g
* s
£
S 2
H ^
£> ^
M S3
o US
O gr,
OD ^
Ci OS
(T< WS
5o
CM 0
in
n
M
S
i
s
1
0
I
I
IJ
1
1
%
s
s
i'
?
€
fv
sr
fw
s
1
I
i
%
1
u
I
1
S
8
p
f
a,
1
|
c
»
p
R
€
£
fv
3"
Oj
1
1
tp
£
1
u
1
u
1
¦
c
p
x
|..j
R
n
1
i
1
I
I
a
P
5
£
22
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-10: Datasheet for widths and heights of plants, Study 3 (mixed study).
Columns labeled "1, 2...8" are representative of plant number in tray. (See Figure F-6 for
layout of individual plants in trays.) Subheadings on columns are wl=first width taken,
w2=second width and h=height at center of plant. Rows are labeled with B=block
number, S=siudy number, and T=lreaimeni leller (I'irsi Idler of genus for each species).
g
£
ro
tn
t/i
w
i
s
V*
w
S
V*
fcW
i
ro
w
w
ro
w
w
W
I
ro
a
m
N>
y->
1
ro
h»
US
ra
id
w
i
Labels !
un
ID
=1
O
fD
rn
5
c/>
fD
Q.
C
3
W)
fD
Q.
C
g
>
c"
3
H*
"D
§
T3
C
3
T5
fD
3
O
T3
fD
o
TO
0
3
C
3
§
"D
C
3
r+
3
NJ
M
CD
£13
<
c
3
w
3
0)
3*
>
E'
3
ro
CD
o
fD
=i
>
>
3
n
o
13
C
3
€
fD
GL
C
3
5-
£E
&
ro
0
"D
fD
•S
2
c
3
fD
3
3
fD
3
3
T3
C
3
€
IV
NJ
c
EB
c
D)
3
tD
£'
Eu'
0)
CD
3*
>
ET
5'
w
m
Q,
C
3
rn
>
U)
fD
CL
C
3
o
fD
a
fD
t/J
f&
=1
03
o
fD
S
o
m
o
13
ro
3
O
X3
fD
o
TJ
fD
*o
n>
a
&
fD
n
0
T3
ro
1
QJ
E
3
~.
03
eu
as
c
3
c
ED
3P
g
s
o
1/5
fD
q
n
>
"1
?!
s
o
X5
ro
o
T3
ro
"O
c
13
ci
T5
C
15
=
c
3
fD
CL
c
3
"O
fD
2
?
3
fD
3
3
O
era
o
3
s
Oi
3
m
CD
c
3
o>
3
3"
EH
>
3
>
E'
iff
a.
c
3
C/>
fD
q
CO
>
E"
3
S
a
fD
trt
fD
=S
s
a
Oq
O
3
fD
3
3
T5
fD
a
&
EL
X
0
3
O
"D
fD
T2
fD
a
s
VI
3
~.
S3
c
3
&
3
3
<
c
3
zr
GO
CD
ifi
fD
=|
>
>
c
3
CD
CD
m
3,
>
3
s
c
EEL
n
&
2*
o"
fD
Q.
C
3
T3
fD
<
c
3
fD
3
3
5
EL
n
C
r?
U
OfO
0
3
fD
3
a
s
c
QJ
c
ED
Qj
c
a)
c
02
3
eu
3"
un
fD
q
fD
>
3
>
E'
n
n
£
CL
c
3
0
fD
fD
3
T$
m
2
U5
fD
~L
C
3
&
"D
fD
a
T3
fD
5
fD
3
~
13
c
3
T3
c
3
Q
-8
fD
g
w
<
c
3
c
5
3.
ED
EB
ED
1
c
3
3"
>
-i
m
3,
s
rn
n.
f?
>
3
m
3,
>
C
3
ro
s
fD
3
3
O
OQ
o
3
0
T3
fD
1
ELi
0
era
0
3
&
OL
n
fD
3
3
O
&Q
0
3
=
c
3
&
fD
n
I
00
3.
cu
3
a
c
Qj
5'
3
c
ED
3"
23
-------
Draft - Please provide comments to: Jennifer.McGuire.Boussel ot@colostate.edu or Jen Bo usselot@vahoo.com
Figure F-ll: Datasheet for Measuring Soil Moisture Content
There are fewer measurements for the Study 2 (media study) trays because they are
smaller in size (2 ft x 2 ft [0.61m x 0.61 m] trays instead of 2ft x 4ft [0.61m x 1.22m]
trays for the species and mixed species trays). B=block number, S=study number,
T=treatment (or tray number for Study 2), %=percent zeolite in each treatment of Study 2
(media study) and mixed Study 1 (species study).
Labels
Measure 1
Measure 2
Measure 3
Measure 4
Measure 5
Measure 6
Measure 7
81 SI TA
B1 Si TB
81 SI TO
SI SITE
81 SI TO
81 SI TS
81 S2 0% T1
0%T6
81 52 33% T1
33% T6
81S2 66% T1
66% T6
81 S2 100 T1
100% T6
81 S3 T0%
81 S3 T50%
82 SI TA
82 SI TB
B2 SI TD
82 SITE
82 SI TO
82 SI TS
82 S2 0% T2
0% T7
82 S2 33% T2
33% T7
82 S2 66%T2
66% T7
82 S2 100 T2
100% T7
82 S3 T0%
82 S3 T50%
83 Si TA
83 SI TB
83 SI TD
83 SI TE
83 Si TO
83 SITS
83 52 0% T3
0%T8
83 S2 33% T3
33% TB
83 S2 66% T3
66% TS
83 S2 100 T3
100% TS
83 S3 T0%
83 S3 T50%
84 SI TA
84 SI TB
84 SI TD
84 SI TE
84 SI TO
84 SI TS
84 S2 0% T4
0% T9
84 S2 33% T4
33% T9
84 S2 66% T4
66% T9
84 S2 100 T4
100% T9
84 S3 T0%
84 S3 T50%
85 SI TA
85 Si TB
85 SI TD
85 SITE
85 SI TO
85 Si TS
85 S2 0% T5
0%T10
85 52 33% T5
33% T10
85 S2 66% T5
66% T10
B5 S2 1G0T5
100% T10
85 S3 T0%
85 S3 T50%
24
------- |