E&E Seminar: “Designing Urban Landscapes to Enhance Biodiversity, Ecological Benefits, and Services” by Basil Iannone (University of Florida)
November 16, 2021
Basil Iannone (University of Florida) will present their research on Nov. 9, 2021.
Host: David Wise
Abstract: Residential and low-density housing now accounts for approximately 25% of total US land cover. Within these landscapes, lawns are the most dominant plant community, with turfgrass now covering 2% of total US land cover, more than any other irrigated crop. The maintenance of residential landscapes often requires irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides, all of which have environmental impacts. Residential land development also leads to habitat loss and fragmentation. The work of the Residential Landscape Ecology Lab aims to mitigate these impacts by informing the design, construction, and management of urban and residential landscapes that support greater levels of native biodiversity and ecological functioning.
My talk will focus on two research projects. The first quantifies interactions among plant diversity, vegetation structure, landscaping management practices/intensity, and ecosystem services in residential yards. These relationships will inform the design of future residential landscapes that balance human and ecological needs. Specifically, I will discuss the degree to which management intensity relates to ecosystem services that people desire from their yards. The second project explores the utility of increased forb diversity in lawns as a strategy to offset irrigation and fertilization needs. For this project, we quantified the effects of flowering forbs in lawns on pollinator activity, arthropod communities, and perception of homeowners and landscaping professionals. These projects have revealed a disconnect between yard management approaches and the services that people want from their yards and commercial opportunities to enhance native plant diversity in urban landscapes
Date posted
Aug 19, 2021
Date updated
Nov 5, 2021