LARE LARE Stewardship and Design Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a primary goal of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in landscape stewardship?
- Eliminating all insects from a site
- Managing pests by combining biological, cultural, and chemical controls to minimize environmental impact (Correct answer)
- Applying maximum pesticide concentrations on a schedule
- Replacing all plant material annually to prevent pest cycles
Correct answer: Managing pests by combining biological, cultural, and chemical controls to minimize environmental impact
IPM uses multiple strategies to control pests at acceptable levels while reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and protecting ecosystems.
Question 2: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires landscape architects working on federal projects to:
- Submit designs to the local zoning board only
- Assess and document potential environmental impacts before project approval (Correct answer)
- Obtain a federal landscape contractor license
- Use only federally approved plant species
Correct answer: Assess and document potential environmental impacts before project approval
NEPA mandates environmental impact assessment for federal actions, ensuring decision-makers consider ecological, social, and economic effects.
Question 3: When applying the principle of 'design with nature,' a landscape architect should first:
- Select plant materials based on client preference
- Conduct thorough site analysis to understand natural systems, hydrology, and ecological patterns (Correct answer)
- Prepare construction documents
- Consult with the marketing team on aesthetics
Correct answer: Conduct thorough site analysis to understand natural systems, hydrology, and ecological patterns
Ian McHarg's 'design with nature' approach begins with deep site analysis to reveal natural systems that should guide design decisions.
Question 4: Which soil amendment practice best supports long-term landscape sustainability?
- Annual applications of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers
- Incorporating compost to improve soil structure, organic matter, and microbial activity (Correct answer)
- Sterilizing soil before planting to eliminate pathogens
- Replacing topsoil with imported fill every five years
Correct answer: Incorporating compost to improve soil structure, organic matter, and microbial activity
Compost improves soil health holistically by enhancing structure, moisture retention, and the microbial communities that support plant growth.
Question 5: A landscape architect discovers endangered plant species on a proposed development site. What is the appropriate stewardship response?
- Remove the plants before construction begins to avoid delays
- Document the species, consult with regulatory agencies, and redesign to avoid or mitigate impacts (Correct answer)
- Transplant the plants to a nursery without regulatory consultation
- Proceed with construction and note the species in the final report
Correct answer: Document the species, consult with regulatory agencies, and redesign to avoid or mitigate impacts
Endangered species require regulatory consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and design must be adjusted to avoid or mitigate harm.
Question 6: The design principle of 'legibility' in public spaces, as described by Kevin Lynch, refers to:
- The quality of signage typography in a park
- How easily people can understand and navigate an environment based on its physical structure (Correct answer)
- The clarity of construction documents
- The proportion of paved paths relative to planted areas
Correct answer: How easily people can understand and navigate an environment based on its physical structure
Lynch's legibility describes how well a city or landscape can be mentally mapped and navigated through identifiable elements like paths, nodes, and landmarks.
Question 7: Which practice aligns with the stewardship principle of 'closing the loop' in landscape material management?
- Sending all site-cleared vegetation to a landfill
- Chipping cleared vegetation for on-site mulch to reduce waste and improve soil moisture (Correct answer)
- Purchasing new imported materials for every project
- Removing all organic matter from the site before planting
Correct answer: Chipping cleared vegetation for on-site mulch to reduce waste and improve soil moisture
Chipping vegetation for mulch keeps organic material in the site's nutrient cycle, reducing waste and improving soil conditions without offsite disposal.
LARE LARE Stewardship and Design Principles 3
Which of the following is a primary goal of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in landscape stewardship?