The article presents the concept of green roofs as artificial plant communities that can be created on the roofs of buildings in an urban environment. The authors of the article examine the features of green roof development in Moscow, their impact on the ecological situation of the city and the possibilities of using green roofs as a habitat for insects.

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of plant diversity formation on extensive green roofs in a continental climate and the role of adjacent lawns as sources of colonizing species. In 2024, extensive green roofs were established in Moscow and Yekaterinburg on two substrate types (regional and universal) at two depths (15 and 25 cm), with 3 replicates per treatment. In May 2025, regional plant species (seedlings) were planted: in Moscow - Festuca glauca Vill., Thymus serpyllum L., Achillea millefolium L.; in Yekaterinburg - Aster alpinus L., Festuca glauca Vill., Festuca rubra L., Origanum vulgare L., Dianthus acicularis Fisch. ex Ledeb., Veronica spicata L. Weeds were not removed. In September 2025, species were recorded, and community similarity (Jaccard coefficient, Bray - Curtis index) was measured between lawns and roofs, as well as within roofs between different treatments, together with alpha diversity (Shannon index H’, Simpson index 1-D, and evenness). In parallel, the species composition of adjacent lawns was surveyed. In total, 50-60% of roof species were also present on lawns; the Jaccard coefficient ranged from 0.14 to 0.32; H’ for roofs ranged from 1.08 to 2.08 (13-15 species). Unique species of Moscow roofs were dominated by R/CR strategies ( Lactuca saligna L., Lactuca serriola L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Portulaca oleracea L., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Gnaphalium uliginosum L., Iva xanthiifolia Nutt., Acalypha australis L., Euphorbia virgata Waldst. & Kit., Lipandra polysperma (L.) S. Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, Epilobium obscurum Schreb., Myosotis sparsiflora J.C.Mikan ex Pohl, Veronica longifolia L., Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), whereas in Yekaterinburg C/CR species dominated ( Trifolium arvense L., Medicago falcata L., Lolium perenne L., Rumex obt usifolius L., Viola tricolor L., Galium spurium L., Arenaria serpyllifolia L., Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv., Rudbeckia hirta L.). High spatial heterogeneity in similarity and diversity indices was observed for Moscow roofs, whereas substrate type and depth had no significant effect. Thus, lawns were the main source of spontaneous colonizers of green roofs. Vegetation succession during the first year on green roofs went through an R/CR stage, probably under the dominant influence of climatic factors.

Технологии озеленения кровли зданий – «зеленой крыши» – требуют создания оптимальных по агрофизическим свойствам субстратов. В работе представлены результаты исследования комплекса физических свойств субстратов двух опытных площадок «зеленой» крыши Оранжерейного корпуса МГУ, а именно, плотности, пористости, водоудерживающей способности, влаго- и температуропроводности. Субстраты представляют собой смеси, содержащие в различных пропорциях речной песок, верховой торф, кокосовое волокно и агроперлит. Они характеризуются высокими значениями наименьшей влагоемкости (84,7% и 88,5% от объема), плотность засыпки составляет 1,14 г/см3 для субстрата 1 и 0,87 г/см3 для субстрата 2, плотность твердой фазы 2,30 и 2,48 г/см3 , соответственно. Высокая влагоудерживающая способность органических компонентов – кокосового волокна и торфа – характеризует запас легкодоступной для растений влаги. Расчет элементов водно-воздушного режима субстратов дал возможность оценить влагообеспеченность растений. Technologies for greening the roof of buildings – the «green roof» – require the creation of nutrient substrates that are optimal in terms of agrophysical properties. Studies of the complex of physical properties of substrates (density, porosity, moisture conductivity and water-retaining capacity, thermal diffusivity) were carried out on the «green roof» of the greenhouse building of Moscow State University. Substrates containing various proportions of river sand, high-moor peat, coconut fi ber and agroperlite were taken as objects. In general, mixtures are characterized by low total density and density of the solid phase, high values of the lowest moisture capacity. Hydrophysical studies of the components made it possible to calculate the elements of the water-air regime to assess the moisture supply of plants. The high water-holding capacity of organic components – coconut fi ber and peat – characterizes the supply of moisture readily available to plants, and low thermal diffusivity prevents the substrate from freezing in winter and drying out in summer.

Replacing peat in green roof substrates with sustainable alternatives while maintaining plant performance and ecosystem services remains a critical challenge. We studied biochar-substrate interactions across four commercial green roof formulations (based on the type of organic component) in a greenhouse experiment: pure vermicompost, vermicompost + fen peat, fen peat, and mixed fen/high-moor peat. Substrates were amended with straw biochar, pine bark biochar, or left unamended (5% v/v, n = 4 replicates) and planted with a grass seed mixture mimicking early green roof establishment. Plant growth, nutrient contents (nitrate and phosphate contents), and microbial indicators (microbial biomass carbon (MBC), qCO₂, and enzyme activities) were measured 30 days after the experiment began. Straw biochar in vermicompost boosted nitrate (90.8 mg kg⁻¹) and root N (3.1%) compared to the control, while pine bark biochar in mixed peat released phosphate (+375%) and maximized MBC (874 µg g⁻¹). Biochar intensified substrate effects, suppressing CO₂ in peat through liming effects (pH from 4.6 to 6.5–7.1) but priming respiration in vermicompost via labile C supply. PCA explained 63% of the variance, with nitrate, plant N, and microbial parameters driving substrate separation. These short-term greenhouse results demonstrate critical biochar-substrate specificity for green roof substrate development, emphasizing formulation-specific matching over universal biochar application.

В условиях урбанизации и климатических изменений зелёные кровли становятся важным элементом устойчивой городской инфраструктуры и природоподобных решений для управления ливневым стоком. Для оценки их долгосрочной эффективности была создана специализированная полевая опытная площадка, на которой в режиме непрерывного мониторинга фиксировались гидрологические и метеорологические показатели, а также температура и влажность субстратов. В работе представлены результаты комплексного мониторинга гидрофизических свойств субстратов зелёных кровель в условиях Москвы за 4-летний период эксплуатации (2021–2025 гг.). Изучены основная гидрофизическая характеристика (ОГХ), гидрофобность, плотность сложения в смесях с содержанием органоминеральной композиции (ОМК) на основе осадков сточных вод 10% и 25%. Методы включали капилляриметрию с аппроксимацией по ван Генухтену-Муалему и метод «сидячей капли» для оценки гидрофобности. Установлено, что субстрат с 10% ОМК сохранил стабильную структуру (снижение максимальной влагоемкости всего на 7%), тогда как вариант с 25% ОМК продемонстрировал существенную трансформацию – потерю 75% влагоемкости вследствие минерализации органического компонента. Полевые данные осеннего периода 2024 г. выявили достоверные различия влажности: медиана для OL4 составила 41,4%, для OL1 – 22,9%. При этом обе конструкции обеспечили идентичную задержку пика ливневого стока продолжительностью 6 часов, однако вариант с 25% ОМК удержал больший суммарный объём осадков (63,9% против 61,3%). Выраженная гидрофобность ОМК в сухом состоянии (для субстрата с 25% ОМК – 123°) замедляет начальное увлажнение, но исчезает при насыщении. Полученные результаты могут быть применены при проектировании зелёных кровель для долгосрочного прогнозирования их эффективности и обоснования оптимального содержания органического компонента в условиях средней полосы России. In the context of urbanization and climate change, green roofs are a crucial element of sustainable urban infrastructure and nature-based solutions for stormwater management. To evaluate their long-term efficiency, a specialized field site was established for continuous monitoring of hydrological, meteorological parameters, and substrate moisture. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive monitoring of green roof substrate hydrophysical properties in Moscow over 4 years (2021–2025). Water retention curves, hydrophobicity, and bulk density were studied in mixtures with 10% and 25% application of organo-mineral composition (OMC) derived from sewage sludge. Methods included capillaryometry with van Genuchten-Mualem approximation and the sessile drop method. The 10% OMC substrate retained structural stability (only 7% decrease in the maximum water-holding capacity), whereas the 25% OMC treatment showed significant transformation – a 75% capacity loss due to organic mineralization. Autumn 2024 field data revealed significant moisture differences: median for OL4 was 41.4%, for OL1 – 22.9%. Both constructions provided an identical 6-hour peak runoff delay; however, the 25% OMC treatment retained more precipitation (63.9% vs. 61.3%). Pronounced OMC hydrophobicity in a dry state (123° contact angle for 25% OMC) reduces initial wetting but disappears upon saturation. These results can be applied in green roof design for long-term efficiency prediction and substantiating optimal organic matter content in the substrates used in the climate conditions of Russia's temperate zone.