Conference Agenda

Climate change has increased stress on urban drainage, leading to a rise in application of urban nature-based solutions (NBS) such as vegetated biofilters, wetlands, and green roofs. However, researchers have realized that their multiple benefits can only be achieved and maintained through proper monitoring and maintenance. Traditional monitoring methods are expensive and technically demanding, making low-cost alternatives necessary. Plants, a key part of NBS, can serve as condition indicators due to their response to external conditions (temperature, drought, pollution). This work aimed to explore the relationship between plant parameters (measured using novel low-cost multi-spectral plant monitoring device (Plant-O-Meter)) and the water management performance of urban NBS (by measuring the soil moisture). This was tested at two fully monitored NBS research facilities: (1) biofiltration system and (2) green roof. We explored the relationship between the data obtained with Plant-O-Meter, which is an affordable multispectral device, and high-cost hyper-spectral camera. Results show that Plant-O-Meter measurements of different plant parameters are correlated with soil moisture in the NBS system, across the range of conditions. Basic relationships were established between Plant-O-Meter and hyper-spectral camera. This research provides a foundation for identifying plant traits that can be used for NBS modelling and condition assessment, triggering maintenance actions.