Thesis
The development of landscape design principles based upon ecosystem aesthetics, and their application in rehabilitating Diablo Lake Overlook, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Washington
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102400
Abstract
As development consumes more land once occupied by natural ecosystems, there is an increasing need for design professionals possessing the knowledge, skill and desire to imbue their works with properties of nature. No longer simply a matter of reduced aesthetic quality and social disconnect from the natural world, the disruption of ecosystem processes by development is accelerating the pace at which the environment is losing its ability to cope with the byproducts of modern civilization: pollution, resource depletion and loss of biodiversity. Ecologically based design offers a promising means for reconnecting humanity with nature’s processes. The structure of natural ecosystems and their biotic communities provides a template for ecological design which can be utilized for both new developments and the rehabilitation of degraded sites. Ecosystem aesthetics is a set of design principles and practices for creating self-sufficient landscapes similar in physical structure and species composition to regionally proximate natural vegetation communities. Benefits of this design ethic include the maintenance of biodiversity, the resurrection or perpetuation of ecosystem processes on developed sites, amelioration of the negative visual impacts of development, and a heightened appreciation for the beauty of natural ecosystems and the essential services they provide. Landscape architects must be both empathetic to the needs and desires of their clientele, and aware of the site’s ecological elements and cultural history. Educating oneself in the local biological and social vernacular will aid in the design process and result in a plan that celebrates the region’s unique character. This project employs the ecosystem aesthetic design principles to create a landscape at Diablo Lake Overlook that will give the public a glimpse of the natural beauty beyond the highway corridor, and return some ecological function to this severely degraded site. Surmountable challenges to the rehabilitation of Diablo Lake Overlook include cost and the availability of materials called for in the design. Long-term management objectives for this site must account for successional change in the vegetation component at the overlook, and determine the appropriate response that will protect both the resource and the quality of the visitor experience.
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Details
- Title
- The development of landscape design principles based upon ecosystem aesthetics, and their application in rehabilitating Diablo Lake Overlook, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Washington
- Creators
- Traci Michelle Degerman
- Contributors
- William G. Hendrix (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, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525148001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis