WERA_OLD1013: Intermountain Regional Evaluation and Introduction of Native Plants
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
WERA_OLD1013: Intermountain Regional Evaluation and Introduction of Native Plants
Duration: 10/01/2008 to 09/30/2013
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Water is one of the most limiting resources for crop production and landscape management. The problem is magnified in the Intermountain West, where recurrent drought cycles, rapid urbanization, unprecedented population growth, and climate change are straining water resources(1). Stakeholders in this region consistently cite yard and garden issues as extremely important, and home and commercial landscape irrigation accounts for the greatest proportion of non-agricultural water use in the Intermountain West states(2). Expansion of native-inspired landscapes in urban settings is considered a regional priority. Use of regionally adapted native plants in home and commercial ornamental landscapes can lower water use and decrease demand for limited water supplies(3). The regional market for native plants is expanding rapidly, but cost of production currently limits many native plant growers, who rely largely on limited local demand for their plant materials. In an effort to improve marketability, some growers have selected and are promoting a limited number of cultivated varieties. The source and quality of these plant materials varies widely, however, and most native plant species and cultivated varieties have not been evaluated independently and objectively for their tolerance to landscape conditions and for their adaptation to the varied climates across the region.
Some Western universities have begun limited-scale evaluation programs, and these programs have resulted in identification of native plants that are adapted to local climatic conditions(4,5). However, experimentation with native plants over broad bioregions, and along elevational, latitudinal, and precipitation gradients, was cited as a significant need by Colorado landscape designers in a recent survey(6). A coordinated effort among Intermountain West universities to evaluate plants regionally will identify those plants capable of wider environmental adaptation and improve reliability of plant materials. Regional evaluations also will broaden the market for selected native plants and cultivated varieties, enabling large-scale production and reducing cost of production for growers.
The factors that most limit the widespread use of native plants by landscape professionals in Utah(7) and much of the Intermountain West are lack of plant availability caused by production and marketing challenges, and limitations in landscape professionals' knowledge about landscape use and adaptation constraints of native plant materials. According to industry stakeholders, landscape professionals are increasingly willing to include native plants in their landscape designs, and growers desire to produce native plants to meet the demand. However, demand for specific native plant materials often does not match supply because some desirable native plant species require a longer production time than traditional landscape plants, and landscape professionals are not knowledgeable about species availability and plant size limitations. Regional efforts to match supply with demand for native plants will increase demand for native species that can be produced cost-effectively, and will allow growers the lead time to produce plants for which there is high demand. Collaborative regional educational programs targeted to landscape professionals, growers, and consumers will stimulate demand for and knowledge about native plant species deemed appropriate for landscape use.
Objectives
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Establish a regional system for development, evaluation, and introduction of new native plant materials and cultivars, especially plants that facilitate water conservation.
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Coordinate regional efforts to provide education to both the public and industry professionals on native plant propagation/production, water conservation benefits and use in ornamental landscapes, and maintenance of native-plant-dominated ornamental landscapes for efficiency of water use.
Procedures and Activities
Candidate native plant species will be identified by collaborators and stakeholders in individual participating states. Plant species that are common to some or all states will be evaluated reciprocally, based on their native origin, across the region. Species unique to a region(s), or selections from those species, will be evaluated at sites in which their horticultural and sustainable qualities are likely to be expressed, and/or where a potential market exists. Plants will be evaluated for at least three years at participating sites in the Intermountain West region.
Each university evaluation program will be responsible for establishment and maintenance of trial sites, and the donor of plant materials will reserve the rights and privileges that may accrue from selection and introduction of cultivated varieties. Plant materials will be distributed either in the form of origin-specified seed or as liner plants, along with propagation instructions and recommendations for cultural practices and planting location (e.g., sun vs. shade). Plant characteristics that will be evaluated include heat and drought tolerance, cold-hardiness, ease of production, invasiveness potential, and limits of environmental adaptation.
The committee, including stakeholders, will meet annually to distribute candidate plant materials, share results of plant evaluations, and make recommendations for plant use and adaptability. A subgroup of this committee will assess the educational resources of each participating state and devise strategies for public and industry education. In particular, the committee will explore the possibility of organizing a series of regional landscape professional seminars, and will establish a website devoted to increasing awareness about native plant use.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Increased knowledge about the reliability and regional adaptability of native plant materials targeted for use in water-conserving landscapes.
- Opening of new regional markets for native plants, facilitating production of native plant materials on a larger scale and resulting in greater profitability for propagators and growers.
- Regional education and outreach programs leading to greater willingness of homeowners to adopt native plant concepts and landscape professionals to promote native plant designs.
- Increased use of water-conserving native plants by landscape professionals and by the consuming public as measured by increased sales of native plant materials by growers and retailers.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Inputs will include demonstration gardens, regional professional seminars, regional web-based educational resources, and published materials. Information on native plant use, benefits related to water conservation, and maintenance of native plant landscapes to promote water sustainability will be integrated into appropriate university courses and master gardener programs, and will be made available to the horticulture industries and the public. Information will be disseminated by individual group members by way of classroom lectures, extension publications, and oral presentations at industry meetings. The committee will establish a website dedicated to disseminating results of regional native plant evaluations and to educating the public about effective use of these plant materials in water-conserving ornamental landscapes. Efforts will be made to provide language-appropriate educational opportunities in regions where such issues exist. Assessment of outcomes and impacts will occur as a result of, but are not limited to, tracking of website visitations, industry focus group meetings, and pre- and post-seminar surveys. The result of regional educational collaboration involving universities and industry stakeholders will be a concerted effort to stimulate demand for and knowledge about water-conserving native plants, improve the quality of available plant materials, and facilitate introduction of new plant materials to improve profitability of native plant production.
Organization/Governance
Standard description.
("The recommended Standard Governance for multistate research activities includes the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.")
Literature Cited
(1)Western Governors: federal research dollars for climate change should focus more on adaptation. News release by Western Governors' Association, 3 May 2007.
(2)Kjelgren, R., Rupp, L, and D. Kilgren. 2000. Water conservation in urban landscapes. HortScience 35: 1037-1040.
(3)McPherson, E.G. 1990. Modeling residential landscape water and energy use to evaluate water conservation policies. Landscape Journal 9: 122-134.
(4)Mackay, W.A., George, S.W., Davis, T.D., Arnold, M.A., Lineberger, R.D., Parsons, J.M., Stein, L.A., and G.G. Grant. 2001. Texas Superstar and the Coordinated Educational and Marketing Assistance Program (CEMAP): how we operate. HortTechnology 11: 389-391.
(5)Anella, L.B., Schnelle, M.A., and D.M. Maronek. 2001. Oklahoma Proven: a plant evaluation and marketing program. HortTechnology 11: 381-384.
(6)Potts, L.E., Roll, M.J., and S.J. Wallner. 2002. Colorado Native Plant Survey: Voices of the Green Industry. Native Plants Journal 3: 121-125.
(7)Hooper, V.H., Endter-Wada, J., and C.W. Johnson. 2008. Theory and Practice Related to Native Plants: A Case Study of Utah Landscape Professionals. Landscape Journal 27:127-141.