To view the video of this presentation please visit http://www.GreenSocialEngineering.org. Dr Mike Wells presentation at The Sustainable Green Infrastructure Conference 2014 - Green Infrastructure Good, Biodiverse Green Infrastructure Better. Dr Mike Wells - Director - Biodiversity by Design, UK Research Fellow – Bath School of Architecture and Civil Engineering Dr Mike Wells is an ecologist with over 25 years experience of ecological science and over 20 years in professional ecological consultancy. Mike's key interests now lie in finding new opportunities for biodiversity enhancement, sustainable ecosystem goods and services and ecological education by exploring in the 'creative gaps' between disciplines including Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Ecology, Engineering and Art. Mike has worked on a many large-scale ecological assessment and design projects around the world and specialises in the Green Infrastructure aspects of eco-masterplanning and delivery and assessment of the ecosystem services gained. Mike co-founded Biodiversity by Design in 2006 expressly to engage in promoting truly sustainable exemplar development projects, multifunctional landscapes and global biodiversity conservation. In 2007 Mike was part of the UK National Regeneration Agency (English Partnerships) national training panel on 'designing for biodiversity'. Mike is currently a member of the European Federation of Environmental Professionals and also a member of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Committee on Biodiversity. To view the video of this presentation at The Sustainable Green Infrastructure Conference please visit http://www.GreenSocialEngineering.org.

1. 2014 UK SUSTAINABLE GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE
‘Green Infrastructure Good – Biodiverse Green
Infrastructure Better’
Dr Michael Wells FIEEM

2. Current Heat Island effect
Potential difference with abundant lush vegetation

4. Biodiversity is diversity in
biological
* species
* varieties
* processes

5. Good Practice Guidance on
Green Infrastructure and
Biodiversity (TCPA)

6. More diverse green
infrastructure will produce a
much greater range of
ecosystem services

7. Food
d i
Microclimatic
B th bl i amelioration Pollution production
abatement
Other useable
Breathable air
Pollination
Black and
Bio-indication
St t l
materials
( fuel,
Medicine
Structural
protection
grey water
treatment Sea
,
construction,
clothing)
Runoff
defence
Soil creation Adaptability
&
attenuation and
resilience
Carbon
Sequestration
preservation
Psychological
and physical Place-
Tourism asset
Cultural
appeal
health making

13. FUNCTION Wetlands Main Park Living Roofs
Genius Loci High Moderate Moderate
Biophilic appeal High Medium to
High
Moderate
Urban Cooling High High High
Urban Air Quality High High High
Urban Food Nil Moderate Nil
Water Cleansing High Moderate Moderate
Water Re-use High High N/A
Bio-indication High Moderate Low to Moderate
Environmental
Education
High High to
Moderate
Moderate
Biodiversity Hi h M d t M d t
Conservation -
High Moderate Moderate
Semi-natural High Moderate Moderate
Habitat Expansion

14. The more biodiverse the green
infrastructure often the greater
the range of species of
conservation concern it can
support

16. Rarity on the roof
• Stephan Brenneisen - study of
green roofs in Basel and Lucerne
(4 years):
– 18% spiders and 11% of
beetles were RDB.
– Local substrates &
topographical variety were of
key importance
• Kadas, Gedge, Jones (UK)
Olibrus flavicornis
- a flower beetle
Cerceris
quinquefasciata
5-banded tailed digger
wasp
– High species diversity with
national rarities found on
biodiverse living roofs Tachys parvulus
- a ground beetle

20. Spatial habitat use of bats: 1, open space; 2, edge space; 3, narrow space.
Kalko E K V et al. Integr. Comp. Biol. 2008;48:60-73
© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email:
journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

21. Monocultures are very
susceptible to environmental
shocks such as disease.
Greater diversity within green
infrastructure will generally
improve resilience to such
shocks

22. Integrated Pest Management
Depends on Biodiversity

27. Greater biodiversity in a given
ecosystem often means that it
provides a given ecosystem
service better

28. Example 1: Pollination

29. Decline in Pollinators e.g. bees

30. Decline in Pollinators e.g. bees

31. Credit: Gary Grant/AECOM

32. Example 2: Water purification

38. Example 3: Qualityof food
produce

42. Example 4: Cooling

44. Heat capture or electricity
generation with biodiversity?

45. Greater biodiversity in a given
habitat type has been shown to
provide greater psychological
health benefits

47. Pl t Plants eived Perce
Butterflies
P
Birds
Actual

48. ‘reflection’ versus ed
plant species-richness
ceiv
richness
‘distinct identity’
Per
y
versus plant
species-richness
‘reflection’ versus
number of habitats
present
Actual

52. More biodiverse environments
have recently been correlated
with more biodiverse skin flora
and reduced incidence of
allergies and inflammation

54. Setting Targets