Landscape Design Sustainable Landscaping 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'xeriscaping' and in which US regions is it most commonly practiced?
- Exotic tropical plant landscaping, common in Florida and Hawaii
- Water-efficient landscaping using drought-tolerant plants, most common in arid western and southwestern US (Correct answer)
- Underwater garden design for coastal regions
- Zero-maintenance artificial turf installation
Correct answer: Water-efficient landscaping using drought-tolerant plants, most common in arid western and southwestern US
Xeriscaping is a landscaping approach that minimizes water use through drought-tolerant plant selection, efficient irrigation, and mulching, most commonly applied in the arid western and southwestern United States.
Question 2: What is a 'pollinator garden' in sustainable landscape design?
- A garden designed to block wind and reduce pollen dispersal
- A landscape designed with native flowering plants to support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators (Correct answer)
- A greenhouse for growing pollinating crops year-round
- A garden section treated with artificial pollen attractants
Correct answer: A landscape designed with native flowering plants to support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
A pollinator garden features native flowering plants that provide nectar, pollen, and habitat for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects essential to ecosystem health.
Question 3: What does 'integrated pest management' (IPM) mean in sustainable landscaping?
- Using only chemical pesticides approved by the EPA
- A pest control approach that combines biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to minimize environmental impact (Correct answer)
- Hiring certified pest control professionals for all pest problems
- Installing physical barriers around all landscape plantings
Correct answer: A pest control approach that combines biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to minimize environmental impact
IPM is a holistic pest management strategy that uses the least harmful methods first, combining cultural practices, biological controls, and targeted chemical applications only when necessary.
Question 4: What is a 'bioswale' in sustainable landscape design?
- A composting system for landscape waste
- A vegetated channel designed to slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff (Correct answer)
- A solar-powered irrigation control system
- A natural windbreak made from native shrubs
Correct answer: A vegetated channel designed to slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff
A bioswale is a vegetated, sloped channel that manages stormwater by slowing runoff velocity, filtering pollutants through plant and soil uptake, and promoting infiltration into the ground.
Question 5: Which of the following is a recognized benefit of maintaining healthy urban tree canopy in US cities?
- Increased surface water runoff
- Reduction of urban heat island effect and energy costs (Correct answer)
- Elimination of need for stormwater infrastructure
- Reduction in property values due to maintenance costs
Correct answer: Reduction of urban heat island effect and energy costs
Urban tree canopy reduces the heat island effect by shading surfaces and releasing moisture through transpiration, lowering cooling energy costs and improving air quality.
Question 6: What is 'composting' and how does it support sustainable landscape management?
- A chemical process to speed decomposition using synthetic accelerants
- The biological decomposition of organic materials into humus, recycling nutrients back into the landscape (Correct answer)
- A water treatment process for gray water reuse in irrigation
- The process of testing soil for contamination before planting
Correct answer: The biological decomposition of organic materials into humus, recycling nutrients back into the landscape
Composting converts organic landscape waste into nutrient-rich humus that improves soil health, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and diverting waste from landfills.
Landscape Design Sustainable Landscaping 1
What is 'xeriscaping' and in which US regions is it most commonly practiced?