APPLICATION OF STRUCTURAL SUBSTRATE WITH BIOCHAR COMPONENT INTO THE URBAN WATER RETENTION MEASURES

Abstract

The use of the structural substrate has the potential to be a valuable element in the planning and implementation of the blue-green infrastructure elements in the urban environment. The main objective of water retention measures in urban conditions includes absorption, sedimentation, infiltration, filtration, accumulation, and evaporation. The system of planting woody vegetation - the most important component of green infrastructure, into the structural substrate with biochar component shows the utilization of the filtering and absorbing capabilities of greenery and substrate itself in smaller rooting volumes. These parameters are essential in the environment with significant negative environmental conditions such as insufficient possibilities for the rooting system, urban heat islands, air and soil pollution associated with the immediate vicinity of the traffic communication, salination, lack of rainfall during the growing season. The paper presents methods focused on the utilization of structural substrates with a biochar component in the conditions of Slovakia.