Potential of Rooftop and Vertical Gardens in Promoting Urban Plant Diversity and Ecosystem Services
Drakhshanda Saeed, Areena Sohail, Mahnoor Munir, Khush Bakht
Physical Education Health and Social Sciences
Urban Farm DB summary
This study qualitatively reviewed 15 peer-reviewed studies published from 2015 to 2025 to evaluate the potential of rooftop and vertical gardens in providing ecosystem services and promoting urban plant diversity. Rooftop gardens primarily support pollinators, stormwater retention, thermal regulation, and spontaneous colonizers, fostering horizontal habitat connectivity. Vertical gardens, despite fewer species, provide essential vertical stratification, shade micro-niches, and air filtration, enhancing multi-dimensional habitat diversity. Design and management factors were found to strongly influence ecological outcomes.