Native Plant Ecology and Restoration

This assignment delves into the crucial role of native plants in maintaining healthy ecosystems. It examines various aspects, including the impact of exotic plant invasions, the benefits of incorporating native plants in landscaping and restoration efforts, and the importance of understanding ecological principles for successful restoration projects. The assignment also touches upon the challenges associated with invasive species and the need for sustainable practices to protect native biodiversity.

Native Plants in Landscape Architecture
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NATIVE PLANTS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
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Introduction
Almost every construction project has an impact on its site. To some extent, some of them
require a modification to the landscape. A landscape forms the integral and the highly visible
section of the built environment. This feature establishes the main reason behind a thoughtful
design and maintenance of all the aspects of the project. It is a call for the architects to be
conscious of the various benefits of native plants. Unlike the invasive plant species that have
adverse effects on a site’s ecosystem, designers should view native plants as beneficial
considering their survival nature. This study explores the need for the conservation of the native
plants. It also explores the various features of native plants that enable them to survive harsh
climatic conditions.
The Current Literature on Native plant and Landscaping
The recent ecological study of (Chong et al., 2014) found that various landscaping
choices can have an impact on biodiversity. The US Environmental Protection Agency also
reported that there is the extensive replacement of native plants with non-native plants (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). The report stated that this replacement in managed
landscapes is an increasing problem for various organisms that depend on the diminishing native
plants for food and shelter. The report went further to state that there is documentation of the
negative effects of non-native plants on both insects and such as abundance and diversity of
insects and herbivores. For instance, ornament plants cannot provide enough food for these
organisms.
The definition of native plants states that these are plants that have evolved together with
both insects and herbivores that depend on them (Steiner, 2011). Therefore, both these plants and
animals that rely on them share an evolutionary history. On the other hand, exotic or non-native

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plants are those plants species that people take from their original evolving places and introduce
them to new areas (Steiner, 2011).
There was another observation that that creates a clear understanding what how
landscaping can be detrimental especially with the introduction of exotic plants (Chong et al.,
2014). The work of (Janz, 2011) first gives this insight by stating that plants and insects share a
co-evolution. This relationship creates an adaptation that serves the leading role of acting as a
defense. When landscaping removes these native plants, it takes away the adjustment and the
primary host of these organisms. Similarly, (Martin and Murray, 2011) studied the impact of
landscaping and conservation of native plants and found a close link between native plants and
the diversity of organisms such as spiders, reptiles and mycorrhizal fungi. Where landscaping
eliminates native plants, the same takes away the native species of these organisms through food-
web dynamics or other non-predictable mechanisms (DeVore and Maerz, 2014).
Many states have come up with ways of blending native plants with landscape
architecture. For instance, the US federal and state agencies together with conservation groups
have launched campaigns for the conservation of biodiversity in urbanized areas (Hostetler,
Allen, and Meurk, 2011). Also, other countries like Australia and New Zealand have strategies
for national biodiversity and conservation planning for the conservation of native plants and
threatened species. It is advisable that landscaping artchitects to keep watch of the principles laid
out for the conservation and also study the plants before taking them to the garden. In the United
States, there are organizations such as the Native Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation,
and government bodies such as EPA that take the work of overseeing the conservation of native
plants.

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However, there are hurdles to efficient use of native plants in the landscaping. One major
challenge is the ornamental plants seems to be both economically viable and ecologically
functional. Another problem is the economic factors. There is a need to introduce native plants to
the market system the same way ornamental plants appear in the market. There should be some
attention to local adaptability and genetic diversions where landscaping plants should also focus
on meeting some consumer demands. It is more of a system where native plants would be
delivering some profit as in horticulture industries. The same cost-effective and ecological
functions like ornamental plants should come to the native landscaping plants.
Statement of The Problem
The timing of this study is relevant to both the society and the time. Understanding a
local environment, the nature of the plants that grow in the region helps in forming and educated
decisions towards creating an attractive landscape. Currently, humans have dominated most parts
of the world. This dominance has come with a new landscape design that has also caused
significant environmental disturbances (Jogiste et al., 2017). The combination of effects arising
from privately developed landscapes is creating much influence on the habitat and other primary
ecological attributes.
People should now come up with innovative landscapes that aim at incorporating
ecologically stable land patterns to prevent further ecosystem imbalance. Currently, people have
destroyed the natural vegetation to create yards that are mainly turf lawn. These yards are
contributing highly to most of the environmental problems. For instance, they require high fossil
energy consumption during their preparation and chemical input such as herbicides, fertilizers,
and pesticides (Aktar, Sengupta and Chowdhury, 2009). As a result, people start getting health

Native Plants in Landscape Architecture 5
complications associated with those chemicals (Aktar, Sengupta and Chowdhury, 2009). Also,
these lawns demand high volumes of water, decrease biodiversity, and increase solid wastes.
Alternative, a close examination of yard designs featuring native plants discovered that
such a yard requires reduced external inputs and it also supports more biodiversity. Regarding
appeal, the study of (Hoyle, Hitchmough and Jorgensen, 2017) found people tend to like yards
with native plants as it is more natural than yards with exotic plants that the user has been
struggling to maintain.
Importance of native plants
There are various uses of native plants. However, most of the applications revolve within
land improvement and ecological restoration. In (Hooper, Endter-Wada and Johnson, 2008), the
work provides a variety of advantages of native plants such as aesthetics, easier maintenance,
shelter, water conservation, landscape maintenance, and source of energy. Most of native plants
uses and benefits are a purification of stormwater, sustaining landscape, wildlife habitat, soil
redemption and stabilization, water conservation, bio-energy, and carbon sequestration.
Stormwater Purification
This mechanism works through filtering, infiltration, and evapotranspiration. Stormwater
management is crucial to the current rise of landscape development. When stormwater runs
through the environment, it passes through different types of pollutants. Treatment methods aim
at capturing unhealthy water and transforming it into healthy water before it reaches ecological
habitats. Biofiltration is a biological process that filters and adsorbs pollutants in stormwater
through a vegetated mechanism (Culbertson and Hutchinson, 2004). This method requires a
proper choice of vegetation since plant species tolerate moisture regimes differently. They also
vary in their filtration and uptake of elements. The study of (Culbertson and Hutchinson, 2004)

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observed that five different plant species performed differently in this process. These species
were the fragrant sumac, yellow twig dogwood, buffalo grass, switchgrass, and daylily. The
study found that daylilies and switchgrass had better performance than other species in
infiltration.
Landscape Sustainability
Most people us native plants around the home compounds and gardens. Lots of native
plants are persistent to harsh weather conditions, and they have extensive root systems. The long
roots slow soil runoff and harden the ground (Crewe, 2013). For instance, growing native
grassland along roadsides can be helpful in as it is drought resistant, requires relatively low
maintenance, and it provides and solid perennial vegetative cover. It also allows little or no weed
growth hence requires no use for herbicide treatments. A study of long-established native grass
growing along the roadside of Yolo County provided some further details species (O'Dell, Young,
and Claassen, 2007). This survey confirmed that native plantings have the capability of surviving
with minimal maintenance and can grow for than a decade.
Wildlife Habitat
Another essential characteristic of native plants is their self-sustaining and the support
they offer wildlife. These plants are a source of nectar and pollen resources to many animals.
Also, both wildlife and native plant have a developed symbiotic relationship that has existed for
thousands of years. Therefore, these animals have grown to know the native plant as their source
of their necessary requirements. In (Moir et al., 2010), the paper studied redundancy in a subset
of some native plant that the study had selected for the restoration of fauna habitat after a critical
disturbance. After a successful restoration of the plant species, the study noted that the host-
specific hemipteran species that depended on that plant also returned.

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Bio-energy
The growing global oil consumption causes adverse climatic effects. This creates a need
for alternative sources of energy which also need to be renewable. However, successful
alternative will depend mainly on biomass. As such, biofuel is currently the only possible
alternative agreeable that can adequately replace fossil fuels yet supporting flexibility on large
scales (Brethauer and Wyman, 2010). The new development and the discoveries of biorefinery
technologies have come with an easier way of using plant biomass for the production of biofuel.
The study of (van der Weijde et al., 2013) reviewed the capabilities of five C4 kinds of grass in
the release of biofuel. These were the switchgrass, sorghum, sugarcane, maize, and Miscanthus.
Among them, switchgrass proved to have more benefits regarding its persistence in harsh
weather and higher volume of energy production.
Water Conservation
Native plants help in water conservation (Steiner, 2011). After the establishment of these
native plants, they no longer require additional watering. However, one must be careful with the
species since these plants depend on specific type of soil and climate. For instance, to establish
turf lawns on summer, one requires to water them once per week with an inch of water. Since
native plants require no watering after an establishment, there would be no need to water them in
the rest of summer months (Cavaleri et al., 2014). Therefore, they would be the best tool to keep
the garden looking good yet no water usage.
Soil Quality/Remediation
Heavy metals have the potential of causing severe damages to the surrounding
environment. They are also a health hazard to other animals and human beings when they enter
the food chain. Phytoremediation is the process of using plants to for recovering the soil quality

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(Cudic, Stojiljkovic and Jovovic, 2016). Phytoremediation one of the least expensive
biotechnology approaches to pollutant eradication. The method relies on the efficacy of natural
attenuation, biodegradation and physicochemical activities in decreasing toxic concentration.
These mechanisms work the influence of both the contents of the plant root lipid and organic
material within the surrounding soil (Mirza et al., 2014). Therefore, plants have to be used to that
contaminated soil for their survival. This concept meant that only native plants that can work in
remediating the soil in which they have been toleran of the environmental conditions. Further,
native plants demand little attention hence suitable when considering the cost factor.
Soil Stabilization
Soil erosion is having critical effects on the environment in many landscape’s terrestrial
ecosystems (Crewe, 2013). Erosion causes multiple damages to the crops, forest, pastures, and
the entire natural ecosystems. Soil erosion is characterized with rapid water runoff that sweeps
valuable nutrients from the soil. As a result, diversity in species animals, microbes, and plants
diminish significantly. The most effective way of preventing erosion is the use plant covers.
There are varieties of plants that function as cover crops, but the most efficient way is the use of
native plants (Ghestem et al., 2014).
The Efficacy of Native Plants in Balancing the Ecosystem
The demand for understanding and quantifying the ecosystem behavior and the condition
have created much attention in environmental policies. The main reason has been the greater
emphasis on the need to attain an ecological sustainability. In the context of attaining an
environmental sustainability, much focus has been directed on understanding the effects of native
plants on the ecosystems.

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The emphasis on the balance of ecosystem by the native plants studies the flow of energy.
The native plants receive light energy through a biological system. Through the process of
photosynthesis and respiration, the native plants transform this energy into chemical energy that
is inorganic molecules (Jorgensen and Fath, 2008). It is at this time where a native plant that is
adapted to this region performs better than the introduced plants. For instance, plants that are
adapted to low degree of sunlight will do better in their areas than the plants that are introduced
from high-level sunlight intensity.
Another important aspect of native plants can also be observed in the photosynthesis
process. The plants capture carbon dioxide released from other organism and give out oxygen. At
the same time, these plants form carbohydrates and other nutrients that go back to the ecosystem
through as food for the herbivores and omnivores. Again, it requires native plants and native
animals to work together since they have evolved together through time. Elimination of one
organism will also eliminate the other (Isaacs et al., 2009).
Further, herbivores and omnivores are animals that become the source of food for the
carnivores. This is a form of transformation where energy from the plants passes indirectly to
animals that rely purely on fresh (Jorgensen and Fath, 2008). When both animals and plants die,
the same energy in the form of elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus or carbon goes back to the
soil for plant absorption
Other support to the ecosystem is that native plants offer is the prevention of soil erosion.
Soil erosion no only carries elements from the soil, but it also takes organisms that help in
decomposition. In addition, it also carries away seeds and destroys hiding places for the animals.
For instance, most animals give birth or lay eggs in places where there is a ground cover (Prevey
et al., 2009). This not only offers comfortability; the plantation cover protects the organisms

Native Plants in Landscape Architecture 10
from excessive heat from the sun. Ground cover also protects the organisms from their predator.
Soils erosion can cause indefinite ground and loss of ground cover forcing the native animals to
move to better areas.
Few Examples of Native Landscapes
There are few examples of native landscapes. One type of them is the rain garden that is
created with indigenous plants. People build rain gardens with the aim of reducing runoff and
capture stormwater. This process allows water to infiltrate into the soil. The study of Barr
Engineering Company in Minnesota aimed to test the efficacy of rain gardens in reducing
stormwater runoff and improve its quality (Barr Engineering Company, 2006). The company
created 17 rain gardens with prevailing curbs and gutters along one street. This trial covered a
56.9-acre watershed. For comparison, they used an adjacent 81.9-acre watershed. Preliminary
results indicated that rain gardens managed to reduce stormwater runoff at 82 percent.
Residence showing before and after rain garden (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2016)
Another type of native landscaping is Wildflower native gardens. People in different
countries use this term to describe varieties if indigenous showy flowers that grow in some drier
climates. These flowers are common in Western Australia, North America, and Southern Africa.
Native wildflower plant gardens have a unique, beautiful landscape that that attracts insects for
pollination. These plants are easier to grow because once they have been established, they later

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require very little maintenance. However, the plants provide wildlife habitat for decades. These
plants are also resistant to many diseases, and they can survive their adapted harsh local climate.
Windflower garden (Priesnitz, 2016)
People living in desert climates can also create a high-desert landscape. Lack of
precipitation in high-desert regions can be a challenge in creating a colorful landscape. It is hard
to maintain any plan without means of irrigation in such places. However, there are varieties of
resistant grasses and perennial plants that survive well in waterless desert landscape. Also, many
of these regions plants have adapted to becoming dormant during the hot summer, leaving the
garden full of tans and browns. These plants give the landscape its form as no other plants can
survive in such conditions.

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Drought-tolerant native plants for desert landscape (Rose, V., 2010).
Conclusion
This paper has discussed the issue of native plants. The aim was to bring into light the
importance of native plants in landscaping architecture. The paper found that native plants are
ecologically suitable to maintain a stable ecosystem. All over the world, each place has a plant
that can comfortably survive within that place’s environmental conditions. Using such plant for
landscaping brings much benefits in supporting the soil, easier maintenance, water purification,
habitat for other organisms among others. Therefore, it is necessary to study the plant before
introducing it to a certain area.

Native Plants in Landscape Architecture 13
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