Landscape Design for Carbon Sequestration: A framework for design, installation, and management of complex adaptive landscapes for carbon sequestration
Loading...
Date
2021-03-24
Authors
Lynn, Deanna
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Landscape architects have the potential to contribute to climate change
mitigation through natural climate solutions that sequester carbon in
ecosystems. However, landscape architects lack resources on how to design
landscapes for carbon sequestration and, in particular, soil carbon sequestration.
I address these gaps by translating and interpreting the scientific literature to
create an actionable framework for landscape architects. The framework consists
of principles, strategies, and actions for design, installation, and management of
landscapes for carbon sequestration. A key recommendation is that increasing
the functional diversity of plants increases the potential carbon sequestration of
the landscape by increasing its productivity and resilience. Additionally, plant
functional diversity supports the soil microbial ecosystem, which is key to longterm
soil carbon storage. This framework emphasizes that designing landscapes
for carbon sequestration should prioritize belowground carbon dynamics and
the functioning of the whole landscape system.
Description
Committee Chair: Bart Johnson
Keywords
Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, Landscape Architecture, Natural Climate Solutions, Complex Adaptive Systems