Annika Spaet
Annika Spaet
Class of 2023
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Project: Water retention of small-scale green roofs with edible vegetation
Project: Water retention of small-scale green roofs with edible vegetation
Mentor: Dr. Tyler Carson, Arcadis Engineering
Mentor: Dr. Tyler Carson, Arcadis Engineering
Entrant, Regeneron Science Talent Search ‘23
Entrant, New York-Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium ‘23
Entrant, Terra NYC STEM Fair ‘23
MC, ASR Symposium ‘21
Green roofs (GRs) are roofs that are partially or completely covered with vegetation, which can reduce the effects of climate change. GRs have many environmental benefits, including water retention, which reduces runoff – the harmful draining away of excess liquid into larger bodies of water. GRs are increasingly being used to grow edible vegetation, such as peppers. However, there have been conflicting studies on how much water GRs with peppers can retain as compared to GRs with Sedum (a succulent popular in GRs).
In this study, water retention was compared among three different vegetation types: two Sedum setups, two pepper setups, and one unvegetated/bare setup. I procured all the materials and put them on my building’s roof. I independently took measurements with a scale, an evaporation pan, and a rain gauge. The scale was used for measuring the change in depth of water in inches within the trays, the evaporation pan was used to calculate evaporation, and the rain gauge was used to measure total rainfall.
There was not a statistically significant difference in water retention between the different vegetation types, and the peppers wilted by the end of the study and did not produce food. These results indicate that Sedum should be used in future GRs because it can retain high amounts of water and provide many benefits other than water retention.
Annika Spaet senior project overview.mov[online] Annika Spaet Symposium 2023 Final Poster.pdfQ & A with Annika
Q & A with Annika
Most satisfying aspect of your research project?
My project involved spending many many months emailing back and forth with manufacturers of green roof materials. This involved a lot of waiting and some disappointments with some people never responding, despite many follow-ups. However, after spending most of my junior year in ASR working to get my materials for my green roof, I finally got everything for my project! Seeing my green roof in front of me validated all of the work I had done. I had tangible evidence of the work I did, which is still one of the most satisfying moments of my academic career.
What inspired you to choose this topic?
I knew that I wanted to research something that could help people in some way – I wanted whatever I researched to be bigger than myself. While my project is a very minuscule contribution to the field of green roofs, it puts us one step closer to creating an environment more resilient to climate change and to alleviate food insecurity.
What influence did the older ASR classmates have on you?
They inspired me. The people who have graduated from the program are some of the most hardworking, yet humble people I have ever had the pleasure to learn with. While sometimes it was daunting when the older students challenged me, they only did so because they cared about me and wanted me to improve.
What were some of your fears and worries when you applied to ASR, and what would you say to younger students who have them?
I was terrified to join ASR. I didn’t perceive myself as a “science person” and didn’t think I would be able to succeed. However, I stuck with it. If you put in the work and have the passion for your topic, conducting meaningful research is possible for anyone.
Most important thing you’ve learned in ASR?
It's that many of the things I don’t think are possible for me, I can actually do. In sophomore year, I didn’t think I was going to be able to find a mentor and I certainly didn’t think I would be able to write my research paper by senior year – but I did. In other words, ASR taught me that many of the things that seem unthinkable for me were actually attainable with hard work.
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