Carbon Fluxes and Drought Resilience of Native Plants in Extensive Green Roofs

Abstract

Urban environments contribute substantially to global CO₂ emissions, increasing the need for vegetation-based mitigation strategies such as green roofs that can act as local carbon sinks. In regions with dry subhumid climates, the long-term success of these systems depends on using plant species that tolerate drought while sustaining carbon uptake. This dataset accompanies the study of the same title and contains measurements of growth, physiological traits, and CO₂ fluxes for three native species—Senecio ceratophylloides, Margyricarpus pinnatus, and Modiola caroliniana—cultivated in extensive green roof modules in Bahía Blanca, Argentina. Plant responses were monitored throughout a year that encompassed a broad moisture gradient, quantified by the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI-6).