Biodiversity and functional diversity of Australian stormwater biofilter plant communities

Abstract

Stormwater biofilters are an important part of the urban landscape in many Australian cities. Until recently, plant species have been selected primarily for their survivability and aesthetics. However, recent research has identified specific species that enhance biofilter functions such as pollutant removal and flood prevention (via infiltration). Prior to these findings, little attention was paid to developing planting plans that included plant species with specific functional traits, such as specific root length (SRL), percent fine roots (PFR), and relative growth rate (RGR); rather, biofilter planting plans often suggest planting a relatively large number of plant species with the expecta..