Ecology & Plants II

Catalog description

This course applies knowledge gained in LARCH 145 by emphasizing planning and design based upon a systems approach to plants, soil and water. The course consists of lectures, campus walks, guest lectures and one day-long field trip to a public garden. The lectures and campus walks focus upon the identification of native plants in the landscape. Guest lectures cover additional, related topics. Students learn about specific native plants and plant communities as the basis for ecological planting design in reference to the ways these plants adapt to local climate, soil and hydrologic regimes. The use of native plant communities in planting design as practiced in this course also promotes the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and the promotion of human wellbeing. It can minimize the use of fertilizer, irrigation, and costly maintenance regimes. Students are also introduced to landscapes that have been shaped by the interactions between people and their environment. The use of native plant communities can be part of the preservation and re-creation important vernacular and historic cultural landscapes. Native plant communities express the identity and beauty of place. A primary goal of the course is to develop students' understanding of the values and uses of native plant communities toward achieving sustainable solutions to the problems of environmental degradation, resource scarcity and global climate change. Course assignments are linked directly to this goal by providing students with experience in designing landscapes where natural processes can function effectively.