Articles
Thesauruses, not encyclopedias: embracing probability in plant selection
Article number
1429_3
Pages
25 – 32
Language
English
Abstract
We are currently witnessing a revolution in the way we gather and use evidence: in the fields of medicine and aviation, our planes and drugs have become safer and more effective because statistical tools are deployed to quickly apply new findings to practice, and we have the potential to see a similar leap in horticulture.
This leap is urgently needed: the biosecurity and climate risks of using ill-fitted plants are well known, and recent research has found that fewer than a quarter of landscape developments are planted with the density and diversity of species that are approved by the local authority, presenting major blind spots in our understanding of the ecosystem dynamics in our green infrastructure.
Plant selection is a procurement challenge as well as an ecological challenge: our research has shown that supply chain issues and contractual relationships are key to understanding how and why substitutions to contracts are made.
As such, the commercial horticulture sector has a performance gap both in the technical knowledge and resources to select the best plants and the means by which contracts and skills are handled between clients and contractors.
To overcome this, we need to move on from the idea of ‘the right plant for the right place’ and harness horticultural and ecological data that allow us to identify the multiple possible alternatives for any given planting situation.
Metrics for understanding functional diversity are well-established in the field of plant ecology and in this paper, I present a method for generating the right types of data for horticultural plants and integrating them within designers’ digital workflows.
This approach demonstrates that we have the potential to not only improve the technical skills base within our sector but also overcome the hurdles presented by supply chains, contract law, and the planning system.
This leap is urgently needed: the biosecurity and climate risks of using ill-fitted plants are well known, and recent research has found that fewer than a quarter of landscape developments are planted with the density and diversity of species that are approved by the local authority, presenting major blind spots in our understanding of the ecosystem dynamics in our green infrastructure.
Plant selection is a procurement challenge as well as an ecological challenge: our research has shown that supply chain issues and contractual relationships are key to understanding how and why substitutions to contracts are made.
As such, the commercial horticulture sector has a performance gap both in the technical knowledge and resources to select the best plants and the means by which contracts and skills are handled between clients and contractors.
To overcome this, we need to move on from the idea of ‘the right plant for the right place’ and harness horticultural and ecological data that allow us to identify the multiple possible alternatives for any given planting situation.
Metrics for understanding functional diversity are well-established in the field of plant ecology and in this paper, I present a method for generating the right types of data for horticultural plants and integrating them within designers’ digital workflows.
This approach demonstrates that we have the potential to not only improve the technical skills base within our sector but also overcome the hurdles presented by supply chains, contract law, and the planning system.
Authors
H. Watkins
Keywords
urban ecology, species selection, green infrastructure, nature based solutions, ecosystem services
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