Why use native plants in urban landscapes? – City of Huntsville (.gov)

Report on Sustainable Urban Landscaping Initiatives in Huntsville and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report details the City of Huntsville’s strategic shift towards sustainable urban landscaping, with a particular focus on the implementation of native plant species. These initiatives directly support several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by enhancing ecological value, promoting biodiversity, and increasing urban resilience. The program replaces high-maintenance, conventional landscaping with functional, vibrant ecosystems that contribute to community well-being and environmental health.

Core Initiative: Native Plant Integration

The City’s Landscape Management Department is actively implementing landscaping projects that prioritize the use of native flora. This approach is founded on the principle that local species are better adapted to the regional climate, soil, and ecological context.

Project Examples and Ecological Benefits

• Lowe Avenue Project: Near the U.S. Courthouse, plantings of native species such as coreopsis, purple coneflower, switchgrass, and mountain mint have been established. This project serves as a model for supporting local wildlife and reducing resource consumption.
• Legacy Park Project: The use of native grasses with deep root systems demonstrates a significant contribution to environmental management. These grasses can absorb up to ten times more water than traditional turf, directly mitigating erosion and reducing flood risk from stormwater runoff.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Huntsville’s landscaping strategy provides a tangible framework for achieving key SDG targets at the municipal level.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The initiative is central to making Huntsville a more sustainable and resilient urban environment. Key contributions include:

• Target 11.7: Providing universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible green and public spaces.
• Enhancing urban aesthetics and community well-being through ecologically functional landscapes.
• Building resilience against environmental shocks by reducing urban heat islands and managing stormwater effectively.

SDG 15: Life on Land

The focus on native species is critical for protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems and halting biodiversity loss.

• Supporting essential native wildlife, including pollinators like bees and butterflies, as well as birds and beneficial insects.
• Reducing habitat fragmentation by creating interconnected green corridors within the urban landscape.
• Combating land degradation through erosion control, as demonstrated by the deep-rooted grasses at Legacy Park.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Urban greening with native plants is a direct climate adaptation and mitigation strategy.

• Mitigating the urban heat island effect, thereby reducing energy demand for cooling.
• Improving air quality through the absorption of atmospheric pollutants by plant life.
• Strengthening the city’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat and precipitation events.

SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) & SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

The low-maintenance nature of native plantings aligns with goals for responsible resource management.

• SDG 6: Native plants typically require less irrigation, conserving water resources. Their role in absorbing runoff helps protect the quality of local water bodies.
• SDG 12: The reduced need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides promotes sustainable consumption patterns and minimizes pollution.

Recommendations for Maximizing Ecological Impact

To further enhance the benefits of these sustainable practices, the following actions are recommended:

1. Allow plants to complete their full life cycle before cutting them back, ensuring seeds are available as a food source for birds and other wildlife.
2. Adopt an integrated pest management approach that minimizes insecticide use, thereby protecting beneficial insects and the broader food web.
3. Continue public education to foster community understanding and support for wildlife-friendly landscapes and their contribution to a sustainable future.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article directly addresses this goal by focusing on urban landscaping practices that make cities more sustainable. It discusses the creation of green public spaces, improving air quality, managing stormwater, and reducing urban heat islands, all of which are central to creating sustainable urban environments.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This goal is a primary focus of the article. The text emphasizes the use of native plants to “reduce habitat fragmentation,” support “essential native wildlife — birds, bees, butterflies,” and maintain balanced ecosystems. These actions directly contribute to halting biodiversity loss and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article connects to this goal through its discussion of stormwater management. It highlights how native plants with deep root systems help “manage stormwater by minimizing runoff” and “prevent erosion and flooding,” which are natural methods for protecting water resources and quality.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This goal is relevant as the article points out that plants “cool our cities by reducing heat islands.” This is a key climate adaptation strategy to build resilience against the effects of rising global temperatures in urban areas.

Identified SDG Targets

1. Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces.

   The article provides concrete examples of efforts to enhance public spaces, stating, “In Huntsville, you can see examples of native plantings along Lowe Avenue near the federal courthouse… At Legacy Park, native grass with deep root systems absorb up to 10 times more water.” These actions directly contribute to creating accessible and ecologically valuable green public spaces.

2. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

   The core argument of the article supports this target. It states that a key reason for the shift to native plants is that “these landscapes help reduce habitat fragmentation” and “support essential native wildlife — birds, bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects that keep ecosystems balanced and thriving.”

3. Target 15.9: Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning.

   The article demonstrates this target in action at a local level. The initiative is led by the “City’s Landscape Management Department,” which has actively chosen to plant native species on public land like “Lowe Avenue,” showing an integration of ecological values into municipal landscaping plans.

4. Target 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems.

   The article explains how the landscaping choices contribute to this target by describing how native plants “manage stormwater by minimizing runoff” and how native grasses at Legacy Park “absorb up to 10 times more water than a traditional lawn—helping prevent erosion and flooding.” This represents a nature-based solution to restoring the health of urban water cycles.

5. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

   The benefit that plants “cool our cities by reducing heat islands” is a direct example of strengthening resilience to climate-related hazards, specifically extreme heat, which is a growing threat in urban environments.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicator for Target 11.7: Area of public green space enhanced with native, sustainable plantings.

   The article implies this indicator by naming specific locations like “Lowe Avenue” and “Legacy Park” where projects have been implemented. Progress could be measured by the total area (in square meters or acres) of public land converted to native landscapes.

2. Indicator for Target 15.5: Number and diversity of native plant species introduced and the subsequent increase in local wildlife populations.

   The article explicitly lists plant species being used (“coreopsis, purple coneflower, switchgrass, and mountain mint”) and the intended beneficiaries (“birds, bees, butterflies”). An indicator would be the count of native species planted and observational data on the presence of local wildlife in these restored habitats.

3. Indicator for Target 6.6: Volume of stormwater runoff reduced or absorption rates of planted areas.

   This is directly implied when the article states that native grass can “absorb up to 10 times more water than a traditional lawn.” This suggests that a key metric for success is the measurable improvement in stormwater absorption and the corresponding reduction in runoff and erosion.

4. Indicator for Target 13.1: Reduction in surface temperature in landscaped areas.

   The stated benefit of “reducing heat islands” implies that progress can be measured. A direct indicator would be the measurement of surface or ambient air temperatures in the areas with native plantings compared to non-landscaped or traditionally landscaped areas, showing a quantifiable cooling effect.

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: huntsvilleal.gov