Gravel turf is habitat!!! Plants, insects and micro organisms may exist and play their important role in the ecosystem. Ecological benefits of gravel turf are:
- high biodiversity
- interlinking of habitats
- on site seepage of precipitation
- renewal of groundwater
- improvement of the microclimate through plant evaporation
- pollutant decomposition or absorption
- usage of recycling materials is resource saving
- erlaubt hohe Artenvielfalt.
- trägt zu Lebensraumvernetzung bei.
- durch offene Bauweise können Niederschläge versickern.
- das Grundwasser wird erneuert.
- Evaporation der Pflanzendecke mildert Temperaturextreme ab und verbessert somit das Mikroklima.
- Schadstoffe werden im Bodenkörper abgebaut oder gebunden.
- durch die Verwendung von Baustoffrecyclingmaterialien werden die natürlichen und endlichen Ressourcen geschont.
Therefore gravel turf fundamentally differs from sealed, hard surfaces. The negative consequences of sealed surfaces have been documented extensively and are well known. Air-Soil exchange is prevented as well as water and nutrient input. Soil organisms die off, to name only one of the consequences. Sealed areas constitute limits to habitats. Pollutants are accumulated on their surface and have to be drained away in cost intensive seepage systems to be purified by not less expensive wastewater treatment plants.
