• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.34 no.6 s.119
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• pp.39-53
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• 2007

Unlike conventional roof landscaping, where various kinds of plants and structures are employed, a grass roof is a roof on which herbaceous plants are grown in planting medium and which is not accessed or maintained, mainly because it doesn't have sufficient load capacity to support a regular roof garden. They are mostly built on existing roofs, whether flat slab or gabled. Planting on roofs has numerous advantages, such as creating a biotope, purifying urban air, adding moisture to the atmosphere, storing rain water, preventing flash floods, reducing energy use for heating and air conditioning, enhancing the urban landscape and providing relaxation to the city dwellers, not to mention the alleviation of global warming by absorbing $CO_2$. In addition to the general merits of roof planting, the grass roof has its own unique qualities. Only herbaceous species are planted on the roof, resulting in light weight which allows roofs of existing buildings to be planted without structural reinforcement. The species chosen are mostly short, tough perennials that don't need to be maintained. These conditions provide an ideal situation where massive planting can be done in urban areas where roofs are often the only and definitely the largest space available to be planted. If roofs are planted on a massive scale they can play a significant role in alleviating global warming, heat island effects and energy shortages. Despite the advantages of grass roofs, there are some problems. The most significant problem is the invasion of neighboring plants. They may be brought in with the planting medium, by birds or by wind. These plants have little aesthetic value comparing to the chosen species and are usually taller. Eventually they dominate and prevail over the original species. The intended planting design disappears and the roof comes to look wild. Since the primary value of a grass roof is ecological, a change in attitude towards what constitutes beauty on the roofscape is necessary. Instead of keeping the roof neat through constant maintenance, people must learn that the wild grass with bird's nests on their roof is more beautiful as it is.