Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project's long-term goal is to begin to define resiliency in the urban landscape as it relates to resilient housing concepts and sustainability through the establishment and adoption of best management practices (BMPs). Louisiana (LA) is a hot-humid state subjected to thirteen possible types of natural hazards with communities affected by combinations of drought, extreme temperatures, hurricanes, and flooding in recent years. The supporting objectives will focus on quantifying and demonstrating plant- and water-related best management practices for the landscape using a small plot demonstration site to explore the validity of various hypotheses. Specific objectives include 1) quantifying the full water cycle of four landscape designs crossed with two irrigation methods to determine differences in water quantity and quality occurring under varying environmental conditions, including after wet weather events and especially during natural disasters, 2) identifying factors that lead to social acceptance and behavioral changes for the different landscape designs that may create barriers to adoption, and 3) developing BMP recommendations for homes and landscapes that maximize resiliency while still enabling functionality and aesthetics. Additionally, this demonstration site will be utilized to quantify the inputs required for alternative landscape designs that contribute to aesthetic appeal such as upkeep requirements and investment or upkeep costs. As a strengthening seed grant proposal, it is anticipated that conducting this project will provide the scientific background for creating an initial set of adoptable sustainable and resilient landscape recommendations that can be leveraged to continue this work at the community or watershed scale.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This project's long-term goal is to begin to define resiliency in the urban landscape as it relates to resilient housing concepts and sustainability through the establishment and adoption of best management practices (BMPs). Efforts to reach this goal include the following specific objectives:Quantifying the full water cycle of four landscape designs crossed with two irrigation methods to determine differences in water quantity and quality occurring under varying environmental conditions, including after wet weather events and during natural disasters,Identifying factors that lead to social acceptance and behavioral changes for the different landscape designs that may create barriers to adoption, andDeveloping BMP recommendations for homes and landscapes that maximize resiliency while still enabling functionality and aesthetics.
Project Methods
Study Design and Setup: Four 1,000 ft2 plots will be established in open space located behind LaHouse Research and Education Center, Baton Rouge, LA (30.4051, -91.1879). Each plot measures 20 ft by 50 ft (Fig. 1) with one impervious 10 ft by 15 ft concrete pad positioned along the center line of each plot, which also represents the highest elevation in the landscape (Fig. 2). Each concrete pad has an open gable roof to simulate a building structure. This design creates the opportunity for mirroring the landscape design on each side of the concrete pad resulting in two subplots per plot. Each subplot will have more than a 5% grade sloping away from the concrete pad toward the subplot edge and slightly inward toward the middle of each plot. This land forming technique will route surface runoff to a single centralized location along the subplot boundary where it can be measured and sampled.Sub-plots within the same plot (i.e., front yard, backyard) will be duplicated in plant material and placement but vary by the type of irrigation system (i.e., sprinkler, micro-irrigation). Plant material for each plot will include: 1) turfgrass only, 2) half turfgrass, half annuals, 3) half turfgrass, half perennial natives, and 4) half annuals, half perennial natives. When true replication is not possible, replications of treatments will be obtained by repeatability of events over time.Techniques: The water cycle of an urban landscape can be quantified for each sub-plot by simulating the full daily soil water balance. The soil water balance uses the law of conservation of mass to balance water movement within the root zone.In addition to a water balance, the energy flux balance at the land surface will be estimated using an Eddy Covariance system.Data Collection: For research objective 1, each parameter within the soil water balance will be quantified and used to validate the full water cycle. Surface runoff volumes leaving each subplot will be measured as the velocity of the water exiting through the channel during wet weather events multiplied by the known cross-sectional area. During or immediately after wet weather events, water samples will be automatically collected and stored to determine water quality of runoff for each landscape design. Once collected from storage, samples will be processed for common agricultural contaminants such as nitrates, phosphates, potassium, and any other macro- or micronutrients of interest.In addition to physical factors affecting adoption of BMPs, there are complex societal, political, and educational limitations that must be identified and addressed to achieve social acceptance and behavioral changes across communities. As part of extension objective 2, our evaluation specialist will create a survey instrument to gauge knowledge level, opinions, interest, and possible barriers to implementing landscape BMPs. As part of the sustainable and resilient landscape features promoted through LaHouse, these research plots provide a direct connection to the public as a tourable educational facility. Thus, the survey will be administered to the public during open houses, groups that reserve the LaHouse Teaching Center, and to those that tour the project site both formally and informally. Since the survey will not be released until after the project site can be toured, questions will be structured to target opinions on landscape elements based on the results obtained from the first two objectives. Weatherproof informational signage that includes simple descriptions of the research will be required to accommodate self-guided touring and encourage survey participation. Additionally, co-PIs will work with LSU AgCenter IT staff on identifying an acceptable tool and methodology for creating a self-guided audio tour that can disseminate BMP information more effectively and better meet Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.Also included in extension objective 2, weekly maintenance requirements and seasonal landscape aesthetics can directly contribute to potential adoption barriers and will be estimated. Landscape quality will be assessed visually on a quarterly basis using a 1-9 scale and minimum acceptable quality rating of 5 by someone with demonstratable horticultural knowledge (e.g., Master Gardener). The entire subplot will be rated as a whole and independent of the type of plant material. Examples of data collection include labor hours, volume of generated plant debris, mowing/pruning frequency, and the frequency and scale of replacements for mulch or plant material, especially after certain types of disaster events. Chemical and nutrient applications including application rates will also be recorded when they occur.Data Analyses: Extension objective 3 will be accomplished by generating BMP recommendations for specific housing and landscaping combinations or elements that will increase resiliency of a residential or light commercial property. Results obtained from previous objectives will be utilized to guide the content of these science based BMPs. Analyses will focus on determining irrigation requirements (water quantity) and the generation of surface runoff (water quantity and quality) based on landscape design and irrigation system characteristics. Correlations between landscape quality, maintenance requirements, and perceptions of landscape BMPs with water quantity and quality results will also be explored and included in updated BMPs. Occurrences of extreme weather conditions will be identified as they occur, and results will be evaluated in isolation for additional considerations of resiliency in the landscape; this information will guide updates to BMPs as the project progresses. Extension-based materials that describe the BMPs, including benefits and limitations of each type of landscape, will be generated from these analyses and incorporated into the self-guided walking tour and all educational materials such as pamphlets, extension publications, or informational cards directing interested parties toward online resources.