FEBRUARY 18, 2017
Anderson Student Center, University of St. Thomas, St.Paul Campus
PLANTING MATTERS
What plant??? .....Which plant??? .....Why???
Which to choose—native plant or cultivar?
Does it matter to the life I want to attract?
How many species is enough to be bio diverse?
Does it really make a difference?
How do I select and plant for success?
We all face these questions and more whether planting for a small lot to large acreage, or staring at the bewildering array of nursery plants. Join us in learning and sharing insights on planting matters.
What you plant makes a difference!
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Are "Alien" Plants Bad?
DOUGLAS TALLAMY
University of Delaware, Entomology & Wildlife Ecology,Author of Bringing Nature Home
The expense of fighting alien plant invasions and the unpopularity of restricting the sale of ornamental invasives have motivated several public figures to question the wisdom of continuing to battle invasive plants. After all, they argue, if an alien plant helps a particular butterfly, bird, or bee, why not embrace it? Using data from several studies, Tallamy answers this and related questions, showing that we can determine the overall impact of alien plants on our ecosystems only by comparing what is gained from their use with what is lost when they replace native plant communities. Introduced plants are not the ecological equivalents of the native plants they displace because they do not support the diverse and stable food webs that run our ecosystems. Exchanging plants that support all of our animal diversity for plants that support only a few species is ecologically indefensible.
Biodiversity is rapidly changing. Fortunately, interest is growing to increase the number of plant species in many simple agricultural and managed landscapes. Since 1994, researchers at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve have studied the benefits of biodiversity in hundreds of test plots. We will explore results showing how plant diversity affects the function, stability, and services provided by an ecosystem both above- and below-ground. We will conclude with guidelines on sustaining and cultivating native plant diversity to enhance our landscapes.
The Nuts and Bolts of Selecting and Planting Trees
NATHALIE SHANSTROM
Registered Landscape Architect, The Kestrel Design Group
Trees offer many environmental, social and economic benefits. Unfortunately, most do not live long enough to provide nearly the level of benefits they do at maturity. An urban tree, for example, lives an average of only 13 years. We will focus on how to successfully integrate new trees into a landscape. Natalie discusses crucial keys of planning and design, selecting nursery stock, planting, and maintaining trees to help them live a long full life
Presented by
Wild Ones 2017 Design With Nature Conference is planned and managed by volunteers who are members of Wild Ones in the greater Twin Cities metro. Host chapters include Big River Big Woods, Northfields Prairie Partners, Prairie Edge, St. Croix Oak Savanna and Twin Cities.
Questions?
Email your question to info@designwithnatureconference.org or leave a voice message at 612-293-3833. A volunteer will contact you.
Questions?
Email your question to info@designwithnatureconference.org or leave a voice message at 612-293-3833. A volunteer will contact you.
