4 research outputs found
Hyperspectral monitoring of green roof vegetation health state in sub-mediterranean climate: preliminary results
In urban and industrial environments, the constant increase of impermeable surfaces has
produced drastic changes in the natural hydrological cycle. Decreasing green areas not only produce
negative effects from a hydrological-hydraulic perspective, but also from an energy point of view,
modifying the urban microclimate and generating, as shown in the literature, heat islands in our cities.
In this context, green infrastructures may represent an environmental compensation action that can be
used to re-equilibrate the hydrological and energy balance and reduce the impact of pollutant load on
receiving water bodies. To ensure that a green infrastructure will work properly, vegetated areas have
to be continuously monitored to verify their health state. This paper presents a ground spectroscopy
monitoring survey of a green roof installed at the University of Calabria fulfilled via the acquisition
and analysis of hyperspectral data. This study is part of a larger research project financed by European
Structural funds aimed at understanding the influence of green roofs on rainwater management and
energy consumption for air conditioning in the Mediterranean area. Reflectance values were acquired
with a field-portable spectroradiometer that operates in the range of wavelengths 350–2500 nm.
The survey was carried out during the time period November 2014–June 2015 and data were acquired
weekly. Climatic, thermo-physical, hydrological and hydraulic quantities were acquired as well and
related to spectral data. Broadband and narrowband spectral indices, related to chlorophyll content
and to chlorophyll–carotenoid ratio, were computed. The two narrowband indices NDVI705 and SIPI
turned out to be the most representative indices to detect the plant health status