Modelling the impact of planting choices and management on the delivery of multiple ecosystem services by domestic gardens

What we plant and how we manage our gardens can have a significant impact on the environment. Domestic gardens cover up to 30% of UK urban areas, and recent research has linked garden plant characteristics (in terms of their structure and function) with provision of key ecosystem services. Using garden plants with specific environmental benefits could reduce risks posed by extreme weather (droughts, floods, heatwaves) while increasing the sustainability of urban spaces.

Solid scientific evidence that brings together information on how green space planting choice influences the local climatic conditions, and the delivery of multiple environmental benefits, now and in the future, is much needed. It would inform the advice that organizations such as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) provide the UK gardening public to help them maximize beneficial ecosystem services, whilst minimizing environmental risks.

The student will investigate the following research questions:

a) How will plant choice and plant management affect the water- and energy balance of plant types (forbs, grasses, hedges and trees) that are currently pervasive in domestic UK gardens

b) What are the implications of these plant choices for a range of ecosystem services (e.g., cooling, runoff reduction), and ecological benefits such as micro-climate refugia, increased biodiversity and associated service provision (e.g., pollination services) c) What are the trade-offs between these various services and benefits?

d) Based on a-c, what recommendations can be made to UK gardeners in the context of climate change adaptation?