Posts by wrisadmin
Pitching green infrastructures to political leaders: not just benefits, but also tax $
The COVID 19 pandemic exposed the limited and unbalanced access to green infrastructures (GIs). There are many publications about the benefits of GIs. Interestingly, most of the audiences/readers are the believers. It is more of “preaching to the choir”! At the same time, a significant percentage of population does not (or does not want to)…
Read MoreStresses on the Vegetation in Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Green Stormwater Infrastructures (GSIs) are typically built for multi-purposes: stormwater treatment and green space. Established vegetation is used to achieve the designed functions. However, plants often fail before established. When plants die, GSIs become a not-so-good sand filter. The main reason is that plants undergo constant stresses: either too wet or too dry. By design,…
Read MoreSoil Moisture: The Most Important Factor for the Survival of Newly Planted Trees
The most common cause of death of newly planted urban trees is under- or over-watering. To battle this problem, there are many guidelines written to prescribe how much water for newly planted. However, none of these prescriptions addresses the watering application efficiency: How much water evaporates, runs off, lost via drainage in porous soils, and…
Read MoreIt is Not Your Fault that the Plants Died Shortly, But You Could Give them a Better Chance of Survival
There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the survival and thrival of newly transplanted plants in landscaping industry. The most common reason is soil moisture: either not enough (underwatering) or too much (overwatering). Landscape architects are typically are not the parties to blame if a proper maintenance instruction have been included. Landscape…
Read MoreRoad Salt and Urban Forestry
Sodium Chloride, the most predominant salt used on streets for melting snow and ice, is the lubricant of the modern lifestyle in northern climates during wintry weather conditions. These same streets and parking lots are also the battleground where urban foresters strive to build green infrastructure for canopy coverage, stormwater management and aesthetics. Green Stormwater…
Read MoreSuccessful Tree Planting Projects Require More Than Just “Planting”
If there is anything good that has come out of this pandemic, it is the realization of the benefits of urban forestry by the general public. The increasing demand exposed a lot of the problems of tree planting projects in the past. 1-year warranty has nothing to do with the establishment period of a tree.…
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