Understanding Soil Moisture Dynamics and Microclimate on Vegetated Urban Rooftops

Abstract Submission: Green roofs and other soil and vegetation systems installed on roof surfaces may play a role in mitigating the adverse effects of urbanization, including the detention and retention of precipitation and mitigation of the urban heat island effect. These processes are closely tied to soil moisture dynamics, which is itself related to microclimate. This study explores the relationship between rooftop microclimate— including monitored precipitation, air temperature, solar radiation, humidity, and wind conditions—on soil moisture. The study was conducted on a farm and food forest recently installed on top of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Our research reveals spatiotemporal differences in both microclimate and soil moisture as monitored at fine temporal sampling intervals and different depths; 15 cm, 30 cm, 45 cm and 60 cm for food forest and 5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm for farm. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of the functional interrelationships of built and natural systems as they are increasingly integrated into urban environments.

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