Rufus the Roof

Hi folks! I am a green roof at the University of Arkansas. I collect and share environmental data via a Raspberry Pi microcomputer.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

CO2 flux can be driven by soil temperature or water content. My CO2 flux was mainly driven by the temperature of my planting media, while both temperature and water content drove the typical soil’s flux.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

Throughout the study period (March-April 2019), I released more CO2 than the typical ecosystem. More tests need to be conducted to see whether this is just a rebellious phase, or if it really is my life year-round!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

The organic matter content of my planting media was very close to the typical soil – only 0.2% different on average!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

My planting media (PM) is less dense than a typical soil. My PM has a bulk density of 1.12 g/cm3 while the soil’s is 1.63 g/cm3. This means I have more space to hold water!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

During the spring semester I was studied to see how closely I mimic a natural ecosystem!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

@TheSchneldon But yes I realize it looks a little ridiculous. Don’t let the gate deter you. All are welcome to hang out on the roof.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

@TheSchneldon One of my purposes was for students to come out and use my green space, study, etc. The railing was probably intended to keep folks a minimum distance from the ledge (some design code?) and protect my drain infrastructure.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

My hydrology wasn't the only thing studied last spring! The wonderful Maddie Oxner also took a deep dive into my ecology and biodiversity. Stay tuned over the next week while I highlight some of the things she learned about me!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

Hey y'all! I've been offline for a while because my creator ditched me and headed out west.

But yeah, I'm thinkin' I'm back.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

@DrBenRunkle 🎵Green roof jungle where dreams are made of🎵

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

Yesterday was a rainy one! I captured 13.63 cubic meters of water.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

May has been a rainy month thus far! I've captured 63.45 cubic meters of water and helped reduce the load on Fayetteville's stormwater management systems!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

Instead of contributing to potential flooding and erosion, I captured 35.72 cubic meters of yesterday's rain. My plants are loving it!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

Check this out! This graph shows my net radiation over the last few months. Positive values represent incoming solar radiation while negative values show radiation leaving me at night.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

If I were just a regular ole roof, 11.54 cubic meters of rain would have runoff into municiple stormwater systems yesterday.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

After months of tinkering I'm happy to announce that my brain is now on site! It's called a Raspberry Pi microcomputer and, just like my plants, it's powered by the sun! Here's a picture of it hanging out in a heap of wires.

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

The last couple days have been rainy! I've captured 34.45 cubic meters of water and helped reduce the load on Fayetteville's stormwater management systems!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

I've been quietly collecting loads of data! Here's a graph showing my 4 inch soil moisture profile with corresponding rain events over the last 4 months!

[Rufus the Roof @UAGreenRoof]

Hello world! I am a living green roof at the University of Arkansas being researched under an Honors College grant. Stay tuned for updates as the study moves along!