Learn the key differences between rain gardens and bioswales, how they manage stormwater, and which native plants thrive in each across Australian landscapes.
Designing for Wildlife: Creating Habitats with Plants
In an era where urbanisation is rapidly expanding, the role of landscape architects, designers and home gardeners in designing spaces that support biodiversity has never been more critical.
By creating habitats with thoughtfully selected plants, urban environments can become sanctuaries for wildlife, promoting ecological balance and enhancing the quality of life in cities.
This article dives into the art and science of designing for wildlife using plants, offering insights for qualified landscape architects aiming to optimise urban spaces for biodiversity. While exotic plants are often highly valuable for creating habitat, we’re going to be focusing solely on reliable, long-living natives here.
The Role of Plants in Urban Habitats
Plants are the lifeblood of urban ecosystems, providing essential habitats for wildlife. In public landscapes, commercial properties and domestic gardens, various plant types offer unique habitats that cater to the needs of local fauna.
By understanding the ecological roles of different plant layers, we can create diverse and thriving environments.
Types of Plant Habits and Their Ecological Roles
Ground Covers
These include short native strappy plants, prostrate shrubs and low-lying herbs, providing shelter and foraging grounds for insects and small mammals. They form the base layer of the habitat, crucial for soil stability and moisture retention.
Strappy Plants
Known for their long, narrow leaves, strappy plants offer hiding spots and food sources for insects and small birds. These include medium to tall true grasses and grass-like plants. Their architectural form adds texture to the landscape while supporting biodiversity.
Low and Medium Shrubs
These plants add complexity to the habitat. Low shrubs provide nesting sites and protection for birds and mammals, while medium shrubs offer dense foliage that attracts nesting birds and serves as a refuge for small creatures.
Tall Shrubs & Small Trees
Comprising screening-sized plants, this layer provides vertical habitats, attracting birds that prefer perches as well as a variety of flying insects. Consider providing plants with naturally shaped thicker branches, as well as hedge-pruned plants with dense foliage.
Climbers
Climbers enhance vertical diversity, supporting pollinators and contributing to habitat connectivity.
Trees
The tallest components of urban habitats, trees provide nesting areas for birds, roosts for bats, and shade that moderates urban temperatures, benefiting all ecosystem layers.
Australian Fauna Benefitting from Urban Habitats
In Australian urban landscapes, diverse plant habitats support a range of fauna. Birds such as honeyeaters and parrots find sustenance and nesting sites among shrubs and trees.
Ground covers and flowering plants attract insects like beetles and butterflies, while small mammals, including possums and microbats, utilise the cover and resources provided by densely planted areas.
If creating habitat is your purpose, embrace so-called “imperfections,” such as standing dead wood, tree hollows, piles of cut stems, small spaces of bare sand, exposed rocks, and other little hidey-holes where different critters can live and feed.
Pay particular attention to the margins and boundaries between different micro climates and habitats, as animals will play out their lives dancing between the safety of their home and the wide open world where they need to get their food from.
Benefits of Dense and Resilient Planting
Dense Planting: Planting densely rather than sporadically offers significant benefits. Dense plantings create more complex and contiguous habitats, supporting a wider range of species and enhancing biodiversity. They help stabilise soil, improve air quality, and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Additionally, dense vegetation efficiently captures rainwater, reducing runoff and improving soil water retention.
Resilient Plant Choices: Selecting resilient plants that thrive over long periods is key to sustainable urban habitats. These plants require minimal maintenance, decreasing the need for resources like water, fertilisers, and pesticides.
Resilient species and varieties withstand urban challenges such as pollution and climate fluctuations, ensuring habitats remain intact and supportive of wildlife over time. Consider planting 80% resilient species, with 20% more fragile species that may need to be replaced every few years.
Integrating Biodiversity Layers
A successful urban habitat design integrates multiple plant layers to create a thriving ecosystem. Ground covers shield soil and provide food for terrestrial creatures.
Strappy plants and low shrubs offer shelter and sustenance, while medium and tall shrubs provide nesting and perching sites. Climbers add vertical space and connectivity, with trees anchoring the ecosystem, offering extensive habitat opportunities and environmental stability.
Animals will move in three dimensions, including up and down the various layers. Magpies will sit on a branch and look for lizards and grubs on the lawn, sometimes marching around on the ground.
Lizards will sun on the rocks and then hunt grasshoppers eating the leaves of a ground-covering shrub. Micro bats will hide in a tiny tree hollow through the day, and then fly about the town each night; you’ll probably never even know they live in the garden.
Daniel’s Wrap
Designing for wildlife with plants requires a multifaceted approach with a deep basic of ecological principles and plant characteristics. By strategically incorporating diverse plant layers and fostering resilience, landscape architects and home gardeners can transform desolate urban spaces into vibrant ecosystems.
These efforts not only support Australian fauna but also contribute to sustainable urban development, enhancing the environmental and aesthetic value of our cities with carbon-capturing, heat-reducing organic beings.
As stewards of the urban landscape, let us embrace the challenge of creating habitats that harmonise with nature, ensuring a balanced coexistence between urban life and wildlife.
This material is protected by copyright. Except for use in landscape plans and fair dealing for private study, criticism, or review under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Direct enquiries to Ozbreed Green Life Pty Ltd.
The views expressed may be personal and not official policy. Plants are natural products and may die for various reasons. Ozbreed believes the information is correct at publishing but does not guarantee accuracy or accept liability for inaccuracies or photo colour discrepancies. Images are illustrative and may not reflect the actual product’s size, colour, or appearance.
All information is for general guidance and not a substitute for professional advice. Ozbreed makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the fitness or suitability of any plant or product for a particular purpose. Plant performance may vary based on regional climate, soil type, and other conditions. Users should independently verify the suitability of plants, products, and advice, consulting local experts to determine the best choices for their location.
Some plants may cause allergic reactions or require specific care. Users should research potential allergies, toxicity, or safety concerns before selecting or planting products. Review technical specifications to ensure products or plants meet your requirements. Ozbreed is not liable for how information is used.
Ozbreed is not responsible for the content or accuracy of third-party websites or resources linked on this site. Links are for convenience only and do not imply endorsement. Information is subject to change without notice. Ozbreed reserves the right to update or modify content as new information becomes available.
Image Attribution: 1
Related Posts
Comments (0)