The document discusses the importance of habitat and biodiversity in landscaping. It provides information on creating habitat structure and composition using native plant species to support local wildlife and ecosystem diversity. Specific benefits mentioned include maintaining native plant populations, providing food and shelter for birds and insects, and buffering against invasive species. The document emphasizes using only native and non-invasive plant species suited to the local bioregion in order to best support biodiversity.

1. Ecological Landscaping Miriam R. Sachs Martín [email_address]

2. Landscape should provide... What have you learned so far? Habitat Biodiversity preservation Enjoyment human habitat Do no harm Invasive species Carbon impact Hayfield tarweed with pollinator. Photo by Richard Bicknell.

3. Habitat Location Structure Function Composition Native Plant Garden in Campbell, CA. Going Native Garden Tour

4. Habitat for whom? Birds Invertebrates Small mammals Humans Local scale Larger scale Image from Glencoe.com

5. Stepping-stone habitat Image © 2009, Asian Development Bank

6. Benefits of Connectivity Maintain native plant population Bioregion-specific Provide food / nectar for birds and invertebrates Can buffer edge effects Graphic from Gregory Brown, Principles of Landscape Ecology Lecture

7. Habitat ‘how’: Function Position function is more important than individuals. Pollination, nutrient cycling, predation, stream connectivity. Situation-specific. Invasive plants are benched. Photo from Raiders.com

8. Habitat ‘how’: Structure Diverse and complex structure Vertically Microtopography ‘ Resting places’ Photo from www.aventinoapartments.com Photo from Going Native Garden Tour

9. Top photos of Central Coast Wilds landscapes

10. Habitat ‘how’: Composition For every invasive plant, there is a native (or non-invasive) which can be used. Cal-IPC Cal-IPC

11. Composition: NO invasives! Content from Cal-IPC

12. A very few of my favorites Leymus triticoides Wet meadow rye Grindelia camporum Gumplant Baccharis pilularis Coyote brush Quercus and Salix Willows and oaks Photo by Tom Cochrane

13. Biodiversity From the proposed US Congressional Biodiversity Act (1990), “Biological diversity means the full range of variety and variability within and among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur, and encompasses ecosystem or community diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.“ Genetic diversity : the combination of different genes found within a single species. Coastal populations of Douglas fir are different from Sierran populations due to genetic adaptations to local conditions (i.e., coastal fog, summer Sierran sun). Species diversity: the variety of different organisms in an area. A ten acre area of Oakland contains different species than does a similar sized area in San Bernardino. Ecosystem diversity : the variety of habitats that occur within a region. One example is the variety of habitats and environmental parameters that constitute the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem: grasslands, wetlands, rivers, estuaries, fresh and salt water.” Content adapted from: http://biodiversity.ca.gov/Biodiversity/biodiv_def2.html

14. Biodiversity (plain English) Many different (native or non-invasive) species Genetic diversity within each species Diversity of ecosystems and habitat types California Soil Resource Lab

15. Biodiversity ‘how’ (function) Native, bioregion specific species Group similar function or habitat species together Watershed specificity! No invasives – not co-evolved with local fauna.

16. It All Ties Together Wildflowers: poppies, yarrow, buttercups, blue-eyed grass, wild onion, buckwheat, sanicles Perennial native bunch grasses: Red fescue CA needle grass CA oat grass Photo from natureinthecity.org. Plants from: sustainablecity.org/articles/presidio.htm

17. Skills and Practice Go hiking. Lots. Wander around the neighborhood and the parks. Look at maps and species lists. Learn your plants. Cultivate a list of favorite habitat-friendly alternatives. Advocate – with clients, nurseries, and professional organizations. This is a work in progress.

18. Difficult ?’s, No Easy Answers In addition to habitat and biodiversity, consider: Carbon impact Sourcing Sustainability (water, chemicals, maintenance type)

19. Extra work - Why? 4 E’s Education Ethics Ecology Economics Nature’s services Pollinators = food Medicine Air/water regulation Enjoyment

20. Questions, discussion