SUSTAINABILITY Lisa M. Dunaway, LEED AP Owner, Sensible Ecology, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY Lisa M. Dunaway, LEED AP Owner, Sensible Ecology, LLC Instructor of Urban Planning, Ball State University Melissa Begley, AICP Assistant Planning Director, City of Columbus, Indiana

Landscape Ecology Why does the environment work the way it does?

Biodiversity “Life” + Diversity  Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or the entire Earth.  Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.  The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Web of Interdependence

Biodiversity  We discover 18,000 new species a year  26,000 species go extinct each year Tree of Life Source: Audubon Nov/Dec 2010

Why we need Biodiversity  When biodiversity is high/healthy, nature can keep everything in balance:  Clean air  Clean water  New soil  Minimal soil erosion  Resources for creatures, including humans

Ecosystem services  Without biodiversity, our quality of life decreases rapidly.  Biodiversity provides: Plentiful & diverse food (veggies, fruits,  & fish) Lumber  Oxygen  Useable water  Carbon sequestration  Buffer large weather systems 

Balance of nature Nature keeps a balance but humans  overwhelm the system.

Why we need Biodiversity Biodiversity = Ecological health  Ecological health = Economic Sustainability  Biodiversity = Economic Sustainability  =

Threats to Biodiversity 1. Non-native species 2. Fragmentation Emerald Ash Borer Urban Sprawl Source: michigan.gov Source: planningwithpower.org

Native Species What are native species? A species whose presence in a region is the  result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism (as opposed to a  domesticated organism) has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native. In the United States, native species are  typically considered to be those who were present before European settlement (~1600s).  (Source: Wikipedia)

Non-native Species  Introduced, alien, exotic, invasive, aggressive, non-indigenous  A species living outside its native distributional range.  Arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental.  Introduced species are damaging to the ecosystem they are introduced into; they negatively affect agriculture, natural resources, and health of animals and humans.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Why are they bad?  Non-natives are often aggressive (invasive) and outcompete the native vegetation.  They can hybridize native vegetation.  Natives usually don’t have defenses against alien invaders and will become ill or die.  Non-natives do not contribute to the food web.  They alter the frequency of wildfires.  Change the availability of surface and ground water.

Why are they bad? ( con’t )  Decrease soil biota diversity.  Deplete soil nutrients.  Degrade aquatic systems.  Increase the threats to endangered species.  Increase soil erosion.  Introduced species of animals, plants and microbes cost the U.S. $123 billion a year  (Source: Scientific American)

Examples of Non-natives  Pear Tree  Zebra Grass  Daylily  Juniper  Ginkgo  Lilac  Hosta Hostas Source: ligrows.com

Monocultures  Lawns are a monoculture  Do not contribute to biodiversity  All the lawns in the US add up to the twice size of Lawns! Indiana! Source: americanconsumernews.com

Invasive Species  Emerald Ash Borer  Dutch Elm Disease  AIDS virus  Kudzu  Asian Carp  Zebra mussels  Rats  Feral cats Cats! Photo: Lisa Dunaway

So what? Natives Non-natives

So what?  Every non-native planted takes the place of a native that could have lived there.  The more natives the better:  Safety in numbers  Food source for native wildlife  Provides ecosystem services

Food If you don’t have insects  – you don’t have anything.  Non- natives aren’t good for native wildlife: Don’t taste good  Our wildlife hasn’t had  time to evolve with them  Don’t recognize non - Insect “damage”?! natives as food Haven’t evolved the  Source: harpercollege.edu means to digest them  90% of insects are specialists Can’t use them as homes 

Scary Facts  Lawns in the US are the twice size of Indiana.  We’ve bought in ~50,000 non -native species.  There are 5,000 documented invasive plants in the “natural” areas of North America.  Introduced species of animals, plants and microbes cost the U.S. $123 billion a year.  (Sources: Tallamy, Milesi, Scientific American)

Native vs. Non-native  “Aren’t some non-natives okay ?”  Play it safe  Not a matter of IF but WHEN  Supply & demand  i.e. Chestnut blight  Remember the global scale  If you’re truly interested in sustainability – plant natives ONLY

Best Natives for Wildlife Source: Tallamy

North American Natives  Oaks: 80 species  Willows: 97 species  Cherries & Plums: 31 species  Birches: 16 species  Poplars, Aspens, Cottonwoods: 8 species  Crabapples: 4 species  The berries: 21 species  Maples: 9 species  Pines: 35 species  Elms: 7 species  (Source: Tallamy)

Habitat Fragmentation Urban Sprawl  Fishers, Indiana Source: Google Maps

Habitat Fragmentation Patches Areas of similar  habitat Often left after  disturbance Corridors Connections between  patches Matrix The remainder of the  landscape Fragmentation in Southern Indiana Source: newsinfo.iu.edu

Patches Areas of similar habitat  Edge v. interior habitat  & species Local extinction  probability Source: Dramstad, et al.

Edges The perimeter of  patches Edge structural  diversity: horizontal & vertical Edge as a filter  Source: Dramstad, et al.

Corridors Connections  between patches Stepping stone  connectivity Distance between  stepping stones Loss of a stepping  stone Source: Dramstad, et al.

Corridors  Cluster stepping stones (ideal)  Also called “linkages” Source: Dramstad, et al.

Matrix The remainder of  the landscape, the context Animal perception  of scale of fragmentation Source: Dramstad, et al.

Local Extinction Probability Local Extinction Probability New species are created more rapidly in  large habitats than small habitats. Species go extinct slower in large habitats.  We have put all our wildlife into tiny islands.  Inbreeding  No genetic diversity  They are trapped 

Extinction Debt “Extinction debt” We degrade habitat and there is a lag before  species begin to die off. When the “debt” is paid – we will lose all  native biodiversity. Restore habitat before it’s too late !  (Source: Tallamy) 

Scary Facts  1:1 correspondence If we lose 50% of the habitat, we lose 50% of  our species. We have taken & modified 95-97% of all land  in the lower 48.  Effectively shrank wildlife habitat down to 1/20 of its original size.  By the time our current “debt” is paid we will have lost 95% of the species that were here when the Mayflower landed.  (Sources: Rosenzweig, Tallamy)

Scary Facts ( con’t )  Paved roads in the US cover an area 1.2 times the size of Indiana!  2 million acres – size of Yellowstone – were lost to development each year between 1982 and 1997.  Suburbia has increased as much as 5,909% since 1960.  (Sources: Hayden, McKinney, Elvridge, Tallamy)

Restoring Connectivity Plan for restoration of corridors  Bolster existing patches  Find creative ways to link patches  Source: cache.marriott.com Source: mw2.google.com

Restoring Connectivity Establish and maintain functional habitat:  Food  Water  Cover  A place to raise young  (Source: Indiana Wildlife Federation) 

Food Supply as much food as possible through  native vegetation in order to meet the year- round needs of a variety of species. Trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants,  succulents, and even grasses produce foods such as acorns and other nuts, berries, fruits, and seeds. Buds, catkins, foliage, twigs, sap, nectar, and  pollen are all other important wildlife food produced by plants.

Water Like food, every living thing needs clean  water, for drinking, bathing, and sometimes breathing! Be sure to keep in mind the different types of  wildlife that might use your property when selecting and designing your water feature. An elevated birdbath is fine for flying and  climbing animals, but creatures like toads, rabbits and turtles will need water provided closer to the ground to meet their needs.

Cover Wildlife needs protective  cover as protection from predators as well as extreme weather. Plants play an important  role in creating this component of habitat. A variety of human- Bat House  Source: yardenvy.com designed wildlife housing can be built or purchased.