Bees love our green roof

A new study examines how our Urbanscape Green Roofs can make a healthy contribution to the eco-system by supporting insect pollinators such as butterflies and honey bees.

PROVIDING NATURAL INSPIRATION

Knauf Insulation is carrying out critical research into how our Urbanscape Green Roofs can play an important role in helping to sustain insect pollinators and allow them to flourish.

Pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies are vital to a healthy ecosystem but one in 10 are on the verge of extinction with serious implications for the plant species that depend on them for pollination.

Initial results from our research carried out by Green Solutions with Slovenia’s National Institute of Biology found that flowering green roofs have a high density of pollinators. There were up to 11 pollinators per square metre, including honey bees, wild bees, hoverflies, butterflies and other insects, revealing how green roofs not only revitalise urban or industrial areas but also mitigate the loss of urban green spaces by providing new pollinator habitats.

The findings are in line with the European Union Pollinators Initiative which aims to encourage wide-ranging new measures to improve the natural conditions needed to sustain thriving pollinator habitats.

Picture header : A bee explores our Urbanscape Green Roof at Škofja Loka, Slovenia - Danilo Bevk, National Institute of Biology