Stressed, failing plants and landscapes are contrary to good environmental stewardship – and all to save a couple of percentages of the state's water resource.
We support the environmental benefits of
living, climate-appropriate landscapes
Stressed, failing plants and landscapes is contrary to good environmental stewardship – and all to save a couple of percent of the state's water resource.
We have sourced the information below to help you
understand more about water conservation.
THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND
BENEFITS LANDSCAPE PLANTS PROVIDE
Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity
Plants are the foundation of all life on earth. Every living thing on the planet either feeds on a plant or feeds on something that feeds on a plant. The biodiversity of the plant is fundamentally dependent upon plants.
Plants are the unique organism on the planet that does not feed on any other living thing. Instead, plants have the unique ability to make food from the sun, water, and carbon dioxide. Plants feed all life on earth.
Oxygen and a Reduction of Climate Change
Carbon sequestration, which mitigates climate change and global warming, is a world-wide crisis. Planting and conserving trees and other plants is an international movement and has global support and sound climate change strategy. Reducing landscape plants is contrary to this.
Landscapes function as environmental cleaners. They play a vital role in capturing smoke, dust, and other impurities. Plants capture carbon dioxide every day from the environment and produce oxygen in return. A single tree can inhale 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the environment every year.
Shade, Energy Savings and Cooling
Plants function as natural coolants and air conditioners for the surrounding locations. It is much cooler than asphalt, cement, or even bare soil. Trees that provide shade to buildings reduce room temperatures significantly and decrease glare.
Urban heat islands, created by large areas of concrete, asphalt, and other reflective surfaces effectively raise ambient temperatures. Trees and shrubs offset the rising temperatures by shading hot pavement and cutting energy consumption. Landscaping is often 15 degrees cooler than bare soil and 30 degrees cooler than pavement, rock, or artificial turf.
Rain Capture
Well maintained and healthy landscapes absorb runoff and reduce harmful chemicals from entering bodies of water. Plants act as stormwater absorbents, decrease the flow of toxins and residues to local water supplies.
Improved Air Quality
Through dust, erosion and airborne pollutant mitigation, landscape plants improve air quality. The leaves of trees and other plants remove dust from the air and absorb other air pollutants— such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide.
Reduced Water Pollution
Green spaces cleanse our water. When water is allowed to run through landscapes, it exits cleaner than when it entered, reduces storm water runoff, and keeps pollutants out of ground water. In contrast, impervious surfaces like asphalt and concrete simply move water and the pollutants into water supplies.
Fire Suppression
Plants that are not hydrated burn better, whether they are native or non-not native. The popular notion that native plants are more fire prone is not true. It’s all about whether the plants are hydrated or not. Put non-native rosemary or acacia on a slope and turn off the water and it will burn just the same. Fire resistance in urban/wildland interfaces is also greatly improved by frequent “refreshing splashes” in the evening, even three or four times a week in summer. These evening two minute splashes use extremely little water but keep good moisture levels in the plants and make them more fire resistant.
Sound Pollution
A hidden environmental benefit of plants and landscapes is their ability to reduce noise pollution. Plants can decrease noise levels by 20 to 30 percent when compared to hard surfaces.
Food
In addition to feeding the birds, butterflies, bugs and other creatures, plants feed us. More than ever, urban landscapes are supporting a multitude of fruiting and edible plants.
Mental Health and Well-Being
Landscaping enhances the quality of life especially in urban areas with its significant physical and psychological advantages. Lush green plants in the yard provide a soothing feeling that helps to regulate blood pressure in the body. Studies have proven that people residing amidst greenery have lower hypertension issues and a natural calming experience. Studies also say that people can get relief from everyday stress issues while staying connected to nature.
Locally, home-grown food increases consumption of healthy foods at home by families and saves consumers money. Meditation or healing gardens are a source of refuge for many, which help reduce stress and improve mental health. Gardening provides stress relief and exercise. The advantages of having a well-maintained yard with lush green plants have also shown numerous benefits for children. They feel relaxed when they regularly interact with trees and plants. Even the productivity of professionals was improved.
Enhanced Property Values
Attractive landscapes translate into the economic value of property in terms of the curb appeal that draws homebuyers, shoppers, and other customers. Businesses with attractive and well‐maintained landscapes enjoy more retail traffic, higher occupancy rates and reduced crime. Landscaping can add as much as 14 percent to the resale value of a building or home and speed up its sale by as much as six weeks.
Privacy
In an urban environment, with human density becoming greater and greater, plants provide privacy.
Cultural/Historic Value
Gardens and landscapes of community parks, scenic highways, rural communities, institutional grounds, cemeteries, battlefields, and zoological and botanical gardens are often critical to our culture. Historic sites and ethnographic landscapes also play important roles in society.
A Connection to Nature
Landscapes and gardens provide critical human connections to nature, especially in a crowded, industrial, and urban world. The Biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Urban gardens and an abundance of living plants create those connections.
The Nature Deficit Disorder concept is that human beings, especially children, are spending less time in gardens and nature than ever, and that this results in a wide range of behavioral problems.
The United Nation's Billion Tree Campaign
It is well established in the scientific community that vegetation, in the form of trees, shrubs and plants, is a significant offset to increasing atmospheric carbon levels, the cause of climate change. Significant campaigns are underway to encourage tree planting locally and globally. Efforts are underway in almost every community to encourage tree planting.
In addition, significant global efforts in place to discourage rainforest destruction and other loss of vegetation. The UN’s Billion Tree Campaign is just one example of a campaign for reforestation, in both urban and wildland. A reduction in landscape vegetation is contrary to the commonsense science of global climate change.
Here is a short Roger’s Gardens video discussing ways to
increase the habitat value of your landscape
| <<< | Only 7% of California Water is Used for Home Landscaping | Most Lawns Are Wasteful and Should Be Eliminated | >>> |
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