Plant Biodiversity and Functional Diversity Effects on Bioretention System Functions

This thesis investigates how plant functional traits and diversity influence the performance of bioretention systems, key components of green stormwater infrastructure. Through a global review and controlled experiments, it reveals that plant functional traits and species identity are stronger determinants of hydraulic and pollutant removal performance than plant native status, planting strategy, or spatial arrangement. The findings challenge native-only design practices and advocate for a flexible, trait-based approach to vegetation selection, enabling bioretention systems to achieve greater efficiency, resilience, and multifunctional ecosystem benefits in urban environments.