Adaptive Ecosystems
climate change adaption
Climate change is altering the range of plants we can - and should - grow. Climate zones are moving away from the equator much faster than Nature can shift plants by seed dispersal, so it up to us to anticipate and accelerate that process; this is particularly important in the Middle East region, where temperatures are already extreme. Even some native plants may suffer as conditons worsen, so it is as well to look at those adaptive plants which also survive without irrigation. Some of these might be considered invasive but often it is a matter of management, or selection of benign sub-species etc.
Urban Coppice Landscapes
ecological management systems
Landscape planting must deal with more then just aesthetics - they need to generate active ecosystems that promote thriving communities and generate ecosystem services. We do this by incorporating Nature Based Solutions, layering planting with appropriate species. Urban coppicing and mulch production is one possible method of managing such planting.
Adaptive planting can be of huge benefit to insects and birds
Plants such as Neltuma juliflora produce nectar and coppice well
Generating Soil Health
soil ecology and health
Landscape Health Depends upon Soil Health
We have misunderstood or ignored the vital role of soil in supporting both local and planetary health. Good soil supports a teeming diversity of microbes, insects and fungi, sequesters carbon, stores water and supports all life. The soil under a tree is vital to the health of everything. We are drying out our continents, yet small changes in management can have an immediate local effect and benefit. It may be as simple as de-compacting and mulching soil.
Replacing coastal soil with 'sweet soil' does nothing to generate soil health
Mulches are essential to create good, active soil ecology. Using landscape waste as mulch protects and feeds the soil.
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