Author Description

With this book the author gives translates the science of ecology into design practice. For constructed landscapes to perform as we need them to, we must get their underlying ecology right. This work explains key ecological concepts and their application to the design and management of sustainable landscapes, from public parks to backyards. Today, there is a growing demand for designed landscapes, from public parks to backyards, to be not only beautiful and functional, but also sustainable. Sustainability means more than just saving energy and resources. It requires integrating the landscapes we design with ecological systems. It covers biogeography and plant selection, assembling plant communities, competition and coexistence, designing ecosystems, materials cycling and soil ecology, plant-animal interactions, biodiversity and stability, disturbance and succession, landscape ecology, and global change. The author draws on real world cases where professionals have put ecological principles to use in the built landscape.The demand for this information is rising as professional associations like the American Society of Landscape Architects adopt new sustainability guidelines (SITES). But the need goes beyond certifications and rules. For constructed landscapes to perform as we need them to, we must get their underlying ecology right. This book provides the tools to do just that.