Tag: soil
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Plants for Ecosystem Resilience
Ecological Function #4 Plants as Contributors to Ecosystem Resilience: Phenotypic plasticity and acclimation – Because environmental conditions change all the time, species have mechanisms for constantly adjusting their biochemistry, physiology, and growth/development – a phenomenon known as homeostasis. Plant scientists describe some of these adjustments as “phenotypic plasticity” (involving gene expression adjustments) and “acclimation” (involving…
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Plants as Regulators
Ecological Function #3 Plants as Contributors to Environmental Regulation: Water – According to the EPA, about 30% of the average household’s water use in the United States is used outdoors, mostly for irrigating lawns and gardens. Besides the fact that people tend not to like the look of dormant grass (commonly referred to as a…
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Diversifying for the Future
Principle #1: Using climate projections, enrich biodiversity in outdoor living spaces by converting lawn spaces to refugia gardens. Most refugia gardens will consist of trees, shrubs, and perennials. Because trees are long-lived species, pay special attention to their vulnerability and adaptability to climate change. Refugia are suitable for vulnerable species, but you will likely want…
