The proportion of an ecosystem that is impervious, or does not allow water to pass through it and soak into the ground. Paved surfaces and building facades are impervious, while a lawn or a forest form pervious surfaces.
Used to calculate:runoff into streams, stormwater drainage, floodwaters, standing water and soil water
Varies by: ecosystem
| Used | ecosystem | Reference | Location: Ecosystem (study period) |
Value | Units | Notes |
|---|
| * | Agricultural field / vegetable garden | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Airfield | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Airport terminal | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Alley | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Apartment building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Beach | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Bike lane | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Bioswale | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Boulevard (arterial) | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Bridge | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Camp | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Cemetery | California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 2010- User's Guide for the California Impervious Surface Coefficients | California: urban area () | 0.37 | proportion (0-1) | |
| * | Cistern / rain barrels | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Cliffs and rock outcrops | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Cogeneration plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Compost bin | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Computer data center | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Cottages / Mobile home | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Deep water estuary | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Derelict structures | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Diesel power plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Disturbed Land | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Eelgrass meadow | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Elevated train | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Estuary | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Factory | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Freshwater marsh | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Fuel storage tank | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Garage | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Gas station | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Geothermal pump | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Graywater recycling | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | proportion (0-1) | |
| * | Greenhouse / vertical farm | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Green roof | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 50 | % (0 - 100) | Green roofs are assumed to cover no more than 50% of a roof |
| * | Hardwood swamp | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Heavy rail line | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Hemlock – northern hardwood forest | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | High salt marsh | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Highway | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Hospital | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Hotel | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Landfill | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 25 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Lawn | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Light rail line | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Low salt marsh | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Meadow | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Mixed use: office / residential building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Mixed use: restaurant / office building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Mixed use: restaurant / residential building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Mixed use: restaurant / retail building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Mixed use: retail / office building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Mixed use: retail / residential building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Natural gas power plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Oak hickory forest | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Office building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Orchard | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Ornamental garden | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Parking lot | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Park savanna | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Paved ball field/court | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Pedestrian bridge | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Pedestrian street / plaza | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Permeable pavers | NC State Agriculture 2008 permeable pavement: research update and design implications | North Carolina: urban impervious area (2008) | 60 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| Permeable pavers | NC State Agriculture 2008 permeable pavement: research update and design implications | North Carolina: urban impervious area (2008) | 40 | % proportion (0 - 100) | pedestrian traffic over pervious | |
| Permeable pavers | NC State Agriculture 2008 permeable pavement: research update and design implications | North Carolina: urban impervious area (2008) | 80 | % proportion (0 - 100) | auto traffic over pervious | |
| * | Photovoltaic panels | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Pier | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Pond | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Public assembly hall | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| Puddles on hardtops | NULL REFERENCE | NULL REFERENCE LOCATON: NULL ECOSYSTEM (NULL STUDY PERIOD) | None | DUMMY UNIT | ||
| * | Restaurant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Retail building | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | School or university | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Sewage treatment plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Shrub land | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Sidewalk | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Single family home | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Solar energy facility | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Solar heating panels | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Solid waste transfer plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Stadium | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Stream | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Streetcar line | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Street (collector) | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Street trees | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 0 | % (0 - 100) | |
| * | Subway | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Swimming pool | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Tidal energy facility | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Traffic slowed street | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Trail | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Tunnel | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Utility yard | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 50 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Warehouse | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Waste energy power plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Water treatment plant | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Water/wastewater storage tank | Assumed | New York City: Urban Area () | 100 | % proportion (0 - 100) | |
| * | Wind farm | Assumed | New York City: Mannahatta () | 0 | % proportion (0 - 100) |