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consumption achieves record peaks. A household with an automatic landscape irrigation system that is not properly maintained and operated can waste up to 25,000 gal of water annually ( U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2021b ). Water conservation can
. Thus, the urban landscape is one area that is a target for water conservation. This might be due to two reasons: 1) the urban landscape is highly visible to the public and is apt to be regulated, and 2) increasing urbanization is favoring a shift in
conservation may be related to their perceptions about the importance of plants and landscapes. Attitudes about water conservation, plants, and the importance of landscaping can potentially influence the investment of water resources in existing and future
38 Colloquium 1 (Abstr. 700–705) Water Management and Water Relations of Horticultural Crops
Water conservation is making journal headlines nationwide because of drought, contamination, pollution, and over development. While the idea of xeriscaping began in the Western United States where landscapes can be truly dry, many water-saving principles apply to the Southeast, where home moisture problems and pest problems associated with moisture are a major problem. A year of drought maybe followed by three years of plentiful rainfall, and conditions are significantly different from the semi-arid regions of the country to which most of the present literature on water conservation is directed.
The purpose of this project was to provide information on water conservation to designers, landscape industry personnel, and homeowners in the Southeast. This was done by compiling recommendations based on research being conducted by professionals in building science, forestry, horticulture, entomology and landscape architecture.
An educational tool addressing the pressing national problem of water conservation with a regional emphasis, this project was designed to help readers increase landscape water efficiency by 30 to 50% while lowering maintenance costs and insuring greater survivability of landscape plants in times of water shortage. Through careful planning and design, economically attractive and aesthetically sound water conserving landscapes can be created.
A survey instrument was designed to determine public opinion on water conservation, water conserving landscapes, the use of native plants in landscapes, home irrigation systems, and the performance of five Texas native plant species [pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa); prairie verbena (Verbena bipinnatifida); red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora); ceniza (Leucophyllum frutescens); and ruellia (Ruellia nudiflora)] grown in low water use landscapes in the semiarid Southwestern United States. On six occasions during the 1999 growing season, participants viewed landscapes and participated in a survey. Survey data indicate that over 90% of respondents thought water conservation was important to the state of Texas. A majority of participants however, believed water conserving landscapes to be expensive to maintain and not aesthetically pleasing. The survey revealed 79% of participants would use native plants if native plants conserved water, and 86% of participants would use native plants if native plants were attractive. Chi-square approximations revealed participant's opinions regarding water conservation and home irrigation systems were influenced by education level and amount of time they participated in weekly horticulture activities. In an open-ended question, participants indicated flowers and healthy leaves were characteristics indicating a plant was performing well. Throughout the year, species in flower received higher ratings than nonflowering species.
in both nurseries and landscapes. The only representative data were the research nearing completion where plants were grown in closed canopies blocks. Knowing differences in water use existed between closed canopies and isolated plants, experimental
Interdisciplinary graduate degrees are becoming increasingly popular, filling both employer needs as well as student goals. The Plants and Soils Department at Utah State University offers an interdisciplinary master of professional studies in horticulture (MPSH) degree program specializing in urban landscape water conservation. The MPSH is a one calendar year degree consisting of a small group cohort with a strong emphasis on communication and policy development geared toward creating and managing water conservation programs. Core to this model is what personality type is drawn to an MPSH degree compared to the traditional, research-based master of science degree. We are comparing the personality types of 16 students in the MPSH to 15 students in, or having completed, the traditional MS degree program by using the Myers-Briggs test (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory (SII) test, and key informant surveys. Basic MBTI personality categories in extroversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling and judging/perceiving are being evaluated by comparison in contrast as well as consistency across the two degree types. Key informant surveys quizzed individual preference regarding the two degrees. Preliminary inspection of survey, MBTI and SII results indicate a definite link between type of graduate program and basic personality trait. Students in or having completed the traditional MS degree program that indicated a preference for the MPSH degree shared the same personality types as those in the MSPH program. These preliminary results suggest that an interdisciplinary professional degree in horticulture focused on a particular topic can appeal to horticultural undergraduates that might not otherwise consider a graduate degree.
We surveyed homeowners with residential landscapes in Las Cruces, N.M., to determine design features participants valued in their landscapes, their attitudes toward the landscape use of desert plants and opinions on factors that would encourage respondents to reduce landscape water use. We also determined whether the willingness to use desert plants in their landscapes related to the length of residency in the southwestern United States. At least 98% of respondents landscaped to enhance the appearance of their home and increase their property value. About half (50.6%) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the main reason to landscape was to display their landscape preferences. Many participants indicated they would use desert plants to landscape their front yard (80.3%) and back yard (56.3%), but relatively lower percentages of participants actually had desert landscapes in their front yard and back yard. Regardless of their property value, respondents were more likely to use desert plants in their backyard the shorter their stay in the desert. Data revealed that participants rank water shortages as the factor that would most likely cause them to reduce the amount of water they applied to their landscapes. We conclude that homeowners report willingness to use desert plants but desert-type landscapes are not a widespread feature of managed residential landscapes. Furthermore, water shortages and the length of time respondents spent in a desert environment would most likely influence water use in their landscapes.