Description
Abstract Human impacts on land use, whether from land clearing for agricultural crops or building cities, have caused serious disruption of global and local ecosystems, and are acknowledged as a main driver of biodiversity loss and species extinction. Scientific evidence has shown that biodiversity underpins ecosystem health and function. Ecosystems are complex systems that include plant and animal species, and additionally regulate nutrient cycles including the nitrogen and carbon cycles. These cycling processes are vital to human survival and well- being. Many city agencies are becoming aware of human-induced environmental impacts and are seeking sustainable solutions that focus on resiliency, lowering carbon footprint and providing green infrastructure for citizen well-being. The first part of this thesis provides foundational research to support a design solution that integrates biodiversity into urban areas with the planting of habitat gardens. The second part describes the design, planning and planting of a native habitat garden in Richmond, California. Traditionally, urban landscapes planted by city landscape departments are designed without regard for ecosystem functioning, biodiverse planting choices or understanding of ecosystem performance. Planting this garden required collaboration with a local nonprofit and resulted in the successful planting of the first portion of larger garden that is planned for the future. The replacement of invasive species with native plants has increased the biodiversity and begun to restore ecosystem functioning to a degraded land area. The garden borders a pedestrian walking and bicycle path. The habitat garden is improving the aesthetic quality of the area and is encouraging people to use the path. In addition to aesthetic and health benefits, habitat gardens can provide working and educational models to educate urban citizens about biodiversity. As we think about designing for a sustainable future, the goal of securing ecosystems services and supporting biodiversity is both large and critical. Integrating biodiversity by planting habitat gardens supports urban infrastructure as well as goals for sustainability and resilience.