Thesis
The challenges and opportunities of diversifying plant species within the urban landscape
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2008
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102367
Abstract
A growing lack of plant species diversity in urban landscapes all across Washington State has the potential to become a major problem. Across the United States, low species diversity leads to greater incidences of environmental, insect and disease mediated plant deaths. To determine the cause of low landscape plant species diversity, wholesale nurseries were studied to identify their role in the issue. The initial hypothesis was that the problem stemmed from a lack of education in wholesale nurseries, the initial suppliers of most landscape plants. To test this hypothesis, a survey was created and distributed online. The survey results showed that most Washington wholesale nurseries had positive attitudes regarding many plant diversity issues, suggesting that they understood some aspects of diversity. However, their low level of agreement with many plant species diversity statements showed that they did not have a very strong understanding of all related issues. Survey results also showed that education is crucial to increasing positive attitudes regarding species diversity. More in-depth research is needed to substantiate these results. An interactive educational module, created with the purpose of educating students before they enter various horticulture and design-related fields, supplemented the survey. The module garnered constructive feedback, with students generally understanding the main points in addition to learning new information. This feedback was used to revise and improve the module.
Metrics
3 File views/ downloads
8 Record Views
Details
- Title
- The challenges and opportunities of diversifying plant species within the urban landscape
- Creators
- Nicole Rose Tharpe
- Contributors
- Virginia I. Lohr (Degree Supervisor)Teresa Koenig (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Horticulture, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525047301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis