Pamphlet Landscape Architecture Volume 1
Reclaimed by Nature Shawn Park
Pamphlet Landscape Architecture Volume 1
Reclaimed by Nature Shawn Park
LA401 Andy Wilcox
California Polytechnic State University Pomona
Contents Introduction Urban Ecology Messy Ecosystem Humans and Wildlife: The New Imbalance Nature’s Resiliency Immigrant Ecology Spontaneous Urban Vegetation Abandoned Domain Absence of Man Natural Invasion Earth Without People Lexicon
Nature is not a passive victim, but an active force.
Introduction
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. - Albert Einstein Arrogance of humankind continues to permeate throughout our planet, clearly establishing the presence of man above and well below the surface. Considering that human civilization is relatively new when juxtaposed next to the existence of the natural phenomenon, the notion of anthropocentrism is left vulnerable for much interrogation and dubiety. If scientists’ claim that the Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old is a fact, and not blasphemy, then the existence of civilization does not even equate to a significant fraction of the natural world’s presence on this planet. Thus, the action of humans can only be seen as out of place and an exhibition of foolishness, analogous to a fish’s attempt to swim on land, only to exert its energy more quickly.
The fate of humankind is comparable to that of a fish flopping on land because the end has already been predetermined. Despite the apparent arrogance, egotistic aura, and pointless boastfulness of earthlings, Mother Nature will ultimately reclaim her rightful possession. It is indifferent to the needs of the invaders; however; it does not directly repel against human disturbance. In the end, nature dominates all for it is not a passive victim, but an active force. The human existence is merely a phase of the natural earth cycle, therefore, after the extinction of humankind, a new kind of ecology awaits as natural world continues to persevere. If this notion reveals any level of truth, it’s that people cannot outsmart the entity responsible for providing humanly habitats and sustaining complex systems necessary for life. To compete against this undefiable force is absurd and reasonless.
Urban Ecology
Messy Ecosystems, Orderly Frames Joan Iverson Nassauer
There is a cultural misconception of quality landscapes as being aesthetically pleasing and looking natural. The way people identify nature is influenced by the picturesque, an aesthetic ideal introduced in the 18th century; however this is a cultural, not an ecological concept. Ergo, the picturesque landscape does not in any way represent the undisturbed appearance of the natural phenomenon. In fact, people tend to depreciate the wild and untamed state of landscapes which in reality reflects the actual qualities of the natural world. When spontaneous vegetation is introduced in an untended environment, it is merely the natural world’s response to rising opportunity to restore what once belonged to Mother Nature. Natural systems are constantly active and takes advantage of areas that have been abandoned by humans. This active force that often situates itself in urban environments is an extension of the larger phenomenon, acting as an agent responsible for
reclaiming susceptible terrain. These naturally driven landscapes not only reflect the genuine and unromanticized reality of nature, they also express robustness and sustainability. These messy ecosystems within the urban environment are part of a larger pattern and system, and that is partially why the process of natural reclamation is indefinitely sublime. Regardless, these untamed and wild landscapes are unfavored by many people because it is an unfamiliar domain. As humans continued to pursue territorial exploration, leaving no lands unknown, we as a species lost connections to the natural world. Over time, the vernacular and cultural perception of nature will change as it fits the era. Until then, in order to implement these robust and natural qualities in the urban environment to define landscapes of greater ecological quality and functionality, there needs to be a hybridization of orderly frames and messy ecosystems.
Diversity
Self-seeded
Seasonal variation
Hardiness
Adaptability
The High Line inspired by the existing landscape that grew between the rail tracks exemplify the orderly framing of a messy ecosystem.
Cues to Care
Mowing
Wildlife Feeders and Houses
Flowering Plants and Trees
Trimmed Shrubs, Plants in Rows, Linear Planting Design
Bold Patterns
Fences, Architectural Details, Lawn Ornaments, Painting
These cues tied together with the messy ecosystem is a means of adapting cultural expectations to recognize new landscape forms that include great biodiversity and increased efficiency.
Abandoned lot in West Philadelphia exemplifies the untamed and untended condition of plant material.
Invasive plant growing in the Los Angeles River.
Humans and Wildlife: The New Imbalance Jim Sterba Humans have always interacted with nature and wildlife over the course of history. More specifically in the US, Native Indians have had predator / prey relationship with wildlife prior to the settlers landing on the Plymouth Rock. Products from wildlife have been used as currency and served other purposes as trade commodities.
As humans decided to abandon pasture and cropland, forests grew extensively along with other layers of vegetation. However, the disturbance catalyzed a new nature because the new forest was not the same as the old forest. There were different species and they were of different maturity.
When settlers landed on the lands of America, they viewed the wilderness, including the indigenous tribes as unattractive and untamed. Later when settlements became more established and American population were dominated by European settlers, clearing woodlands and hunting wildlife became celebratory. Remnants of trees stripped of its bark and left to stand as stumps were rejoiced by the people. The 19th century was known as the era of extermination because despite the people’s belief that they would never run of out of trees and wildlife, it became a reality. Events leading to the extinction and endangerment of species, triggered the conservation movement.
The relationship between humans and the natural phenomenon has always been a fluctuating cycle of disturbance and abandonment. This leads to the question, should we leave nature alone or maintain it as responsible stewards? The actions of people tend to contradict their own beliefs because if they believe in the preservation of historical ecosystems, then they should not impact the natural world in the first place. However, if their motive is to in fact introduce new nature, then the use of native species no longer become priority and it is just a matter of accepting the new nature that takes place as a result of human presence.
Era of extermination
undisturbed land
development
abandonment
Imbalance
new nature
Nature’s Resiliency
Immigrant Ecology Peter Del Tredici When speaking of plant communities, there is a dichotomy between invasive and native species. According to Del Tredici, this fallacious notion counteracts the nature of urban ecology. There is a common judgment towards invasive species as being this problematic bad guy that exists to antagonize the ‘good’ native species. Instead, a new dichotomy of immigrant and native species should be implemented. The urban ecology is the relationship between living organisms including humans and other species; therefore, human impact on the environment is an essential factor of the urban ecology. Because plant species adapt to the presence of humans, they share resembling qualities. The vegetation is as cosmopolitan as the people that influence it. There is this constant push for restoring historical ecology and
growing native species in cities where completely new environmental conditions replaced the old native platform. In actuality, this is merely a romanticized idea with a lack of rational basis. If the intent is to restore wastelands and abandoned domains into the native ecosystem that prevailed centuries ago, then the soil profile must be replaced with the native soil profile. In large scaled restoration, this is not a economically viable option nor an efficient one. Then what is man to do? Considering immigrant ecology as an alternative to utilizing native species is a recent concept that has been brought up in the field of landscape architecture. These species that thrive with no maintenance or care seem to be more efficient and effective than enforcing native species that are no longer native to the new urban ecology.
Immigrant species travel from all over the world.
The members of the Los Angeles urban ecology: human, wildlife, + vegetation.
Spontaneous Urban Vegetation Peter Del Tredici
People tend to vilify nonnative species as being weeds and pests, looking past the ecosystem services provided by spontaneous vegetations. Exotic species have a long history within the urban environment throughout the world. It is more prevalent in European cities than North America due to its longer history of agriculture and urbanization; however, the increasing migration of people from the countryside into the cities have recently prompted ecologists to study the ecological functionality of these neglected species. Spontaneous vegetation do not carry the same level of social and aesthetic value as native species; however, in the context of urban landscapes and systems, it is a more viable planting option. Rather than prioritizing the restoration of historical ecosystems, the urban environment should focus on the ecological and sustainable potential of these robust species. According to Del Tredici, “[. . .] notion that selfsustaining, historically accurate plant associations can be restored to urban areas is an
idea with little credibility [. . .]� because of the change in infrastructure that led to the removal of original vegetation, increasing abiotic conditions limiting growth, and the large pool of non-native species that have naturalized in cities that compete against native species. Since new environmental conditions have formed, then the historical native species that once flourished are no longer native to the new niche. Due to the changed urban environment, the role of ruderal vegetation has also changed. Ecosystem services provided by these cosmopolitan species include: temperature reduction, food and/or habitat for wildlife, erosion control, stream and rank stabilization, excess nutrient absorption in wetlands, soil building in disturbed grounds, improved air and water quality, sound reduction, phytoremediation, and carbon sequestration. These benefits outweigh the aesthetic qualities of native plant materials. If humans desired to retain historical ecosystems, then urbanization should not have been an option at all.
If the urban environment is constantly changing, then the historical ecosystem becomes part of the past while new native species rise.
Intense competition
Increase in abiotic conditions
Addition of infrastructure
Biotic
astr Infr
re
uctu
Abandoned Domain
Vacant Plots + Houses in Mantua, Philadelphia Visiting West Philadelphia definitely enabled me to rethink about the presence of spontaneous vegetation in the urban environment. Philadelphia has approximately 40,000 vacant lot / buildings across the city, with most of the vacancies existing in West Philadelphia. These vacant lots generally take the form of a square plot with untended plant material growing rambunctiously. Often times, these wild vegetation bled out onto the sidewalk and road, blurring the lines between the parcel and the street. At times, these parcels were as large as a football field, and other times they were only ten feet wide. Despite the negativity directed towards invasive species by many people, and the disbelief
in the beauty of these species, I found peace in the wilderness of Mantua, Philadelphia. Personally, the vacant lots of West Philadelphia exemplified naturalness, not Central Park or Fairmount Park. Towards the end of the selfguided journey through the wilderness of Mantua, I came across an abandoned house, ironically, full of life. This empty house has been taken over and reclaimed by nature, demonstrating the natural process of reclamation by the natural phenomenon. Although the overly robust appearance of invasive species may not be as aesthetically pleasing as native species, the dynamic process of reclamation over time was sublime.
Absence of Man
Natural Invasion
Taylor Yard in Los Angeles, CA Taylor Yard used to be one of the largest service and maintenance yard for locomotives that passed through the yard. Only a small portion of the original railroad still remains in tact used by the Union Pacific. Today, it is the new wilderness specific to Los Angeles. It is inhabited by hardy species that became native to the abandoned habitat. In order to reach the destination, I had to walk through a portal through the vandalized fence bordering the park adjacent to Taylor Yard. As soon as one enters the place, a new realm reveals itself to the wanderer. Looking around, there is a variety of exotic species that has established its niche in this abandoned zone. These species have
been introduced to the site via wind, human introduction, and other means of unintentionally transporting invasive species. However, this does not necessarily have to be seen in a negative way. The wild grasses and invasive palms express robust qualities, making it the dominant vegetation existing onsite. This location hints at the effects of the absence of man at an early stage. The untamed landscape resonates its own defined beauty which can be appreciated in its sublimity. Although neglected by most, this domain is utilized by individuals that want to escape the urban environment and immerse in the wilderness of Los Angeles.
Earth Without People Alan Weisman
What would happen if people were to disappear from the face of the Earth? There already exists zones on the planet where people no longer inhabit such as the Demilitarized Zone along the 38th parallel between North and South Korea. This zone now acts as an unintentional preserve that hosts a variety of both plant and wildlife species with areas that were once rice paddies transformed into natural marshes. Many rare species can be found in this niche due to the absence of man. Another example of a landscape that is uninhabited by man is Chernobyl, once a nuclear test zone. Even though the area has been affected by heavy chemical contamination, due to the absence of man, many species have began to associate it as their home. It is an interesting notion that the disturbance of humans is more detrimental to the natural world than the nuclear contamination itself. There is no more hope of reverting the world back to its pristine condition; however, a new type of wilderness is being
introduced to landscapes that were once inhabited by people. This reinforces the fact that the natural world is always changing and it will never move backwards. It may reset itself at one point, but historic ecosystems will never return as natural adaptation continues on. When humankind completely disappears from the Earth, a second nature will come into play, offering qualities never experienced before. It will take thousands of years to remove all traces of man on this planet because of the chemical and toxic wastes spilled onto the ground and seeped deep into the subsurface. Regardless of the impact humans have had on the world, wilderness will eventually consume all cities and devour all human intervention. Cities and states will submerge into the deep waters of the ocean and those that won’t will transform into deteriorated remnants of the arrogant species that was once so egotistic in their accomplishments, yet they are not the last ones standing. Mother Nature is the dominant phenomenon in the end.
10,000 years
Glaciers move across Manhattan wiping.
20,000 years
Indian Point reactors continue to leak.
1,000 years
Hell Gate Bridge falls.
300 years
Most bridges collapse.
100 years
Oaks and maples recover the land.
50 years
Concrete chunks tumble from buildings.
20 years
Corrosion of subway steel columns.
10 years
Sidewalks crack and weeds invade.
Lexicon
Cos•mo•pol•i•tan
| adj.
Merriam -Webster
: found in most parts of the world and under varied ecological conditions Robust plants growing in urban environments that do not require human care to survive exemplify the characteristic of being cosmopolitan. There is this negative presumption about invasive plants and its impact on native vegetation, yet it is merely an expression of the principal of survival of the fittest. If these cosmopolitan mix of species are in fact successful in different parts of the world under varied ecological conditions, then its concrete proof that the product of the natural world can self-sustain and thrive beyond the norm of what is humanly.
Pre•ad•ap•ta•tion
| n.
The Free Dictionary
: the possession by a species or other group of characteristics that may favor survival in a changed environment According to Darwin, over time species evolve. Simple as that. Considering this notion, does that mean that the so-called invasive species possess a special trait that make them more viable survivors and successors of a new nature? Then one’s favor of native species over the preadapted species is merely a selfish obsession held by human. Preadaptation takes place for a reason; it manifests that time is always moving forward and that the world was evolving long before people stepped onto the face of the Earth. It is a sign that the natural world actively replaces one with another and worldly materials are no exceptions.
Ru•der•al
| adj.
Merriam-Webster
: growing where the natural vegetational cover has been disturbed by humans Despite the robustness of the natural phenomenon, the species that it hosts are affected by human disturbances. If people were to extinguish human disturbances, native species will flourish and thrive in its state for a long time; however, due to the human role in the interruption of the natural state of the world, species must adapt in order to survive. This results in ruderal species becoming introduced in disturbed and abandoned areas where other species are incapable of growing. As ruderal vegetation sprawls throughout the site, it also restores and stabilizes its environment, mitigating the negative impacts of human intervention, a clear sign of the natural phenomenon taking back its belonging while cleaning up the mess.
In•ter•sti•tial
| adj.
Merriam-Webster
: situated in a small space that lies between things Spontaneous vegetation thrives on minimal resources and expresses signs of opportunism. It is indiscriminate of the area it inhabits and grows in oddest places. Amongst those are species that are situated in interstitial spaces such as the cracks on the sidewalk to the drain holes in a dry concrete channel. Often times they thrive in interstitial spaces between buildings, growing tall and wild to reach the light, a symbolic and literal gesture reinforcing Mother Nature’s ability to easily overcome the influence of human.
An•e•co•phyte
| n.
Wikitionary
: any plant found only in human-created habitats In disturbed areas, the presence of non-native species are more prevalent because they hold the characteristics that enable them to survive in unfavorable environments. Over time, species preadapted to these environments sweep through the area, introducing a new type of nature and habitat. Then what is considered the real native species, the non-invasive species that existed prior to the disturbance or the newly introduced anecophytes? Should the anecophytes be displaced by native species that preceded the disturbance in order for it be ‘restored’ ?
Ec•o•log•i•cal Suc•ces•sion |
n.
Wikitionary
: the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time The process of ecological succession occurs gradually over a prolonged period of time and shapes the members of the biological community. The current state of the world is a result of ecological succession over time, as the fittest species survive while the nonviable species become extinct. Due to the coexistence of the human world and the natural world, there are traces of biological communities evolving around the urban environment. Because there is virtually no longer any unexplored land, the new wilderness exists alongside the urban environment. When there is an opportunity to seize an area abandoned by humans, Mother Nature does not hesitate to conquer and prosper.
Pic•to•ri•al Con•ven•tion |
n.
Merriam-Webster
: widely accepted or desired landscape due to its aesthetic and charming qualities This cultural concept has become embedded in the common attitude towards nature that people tend to assume that it is intrinsic to the pristine condition of the natural world. However, the aesthetics of picturesque landscapes does not equate to ecological quality or sustainability. People’s familiarity with the picturesque landscape leads to the misconception of what it means to be actually undisturbed and unaffected by human influence. These landscapes resembling a painted picture are merely framed landscapes driven by human intention to generate a beautiful and visually attractive landscape.
Hu•man In•ten•tion |
n.
Merriam-Webster
: a design plan influenced by the cultural perception of what people assume to be visually pleasing, generally in the form of neatness and order When landscape architects design a place, their approach to the project is influenced by the intent. Therefore, landscapes created by people function as ecological systems but also communicate a message through its intent. The human intent highly focuses on what is visually pleasing to the eyes of the people. Often times, this is achieved through the use indigenous plant communities, mimicking the natural habitat of the place, which leads to the misconceived understanding of this type of landscape as being ‘nature’ . In fact, it is the exact opposite because these landscapes are intensively taken care of to maintain its aesthetic appearance.
Nat•u•ral•ness |
n.
Merriam-Webster
: the quality or state of existing in nature and appearing to not be influenced by humans When people use the term ‘naturalness’ , they are often referring to a landscape that reflects the wild qualities of the natural world; however, in order for that appearance to come about, it had to be designed. Consider Central Park for example, it is a picturesque landscape which people perceive as looking natural; however it was designed and engineered through intensive thought process and consideration. It is essential to differentiate between a landscape that has been designed to appear natural and the natural landscape defined and influenced by the absence of human intervention. Only then can one understand the importance of ecological function and quality.
Or•der•ly Frame |
n.
Merriam-Webster
: the basic structure of a landscape arranged or organized in a logical way influenced by vernacular language Orderly frames are not meant to diminish the importance of the ecological phenomenon to boost the ego of the anthropocentric humans. They enable one to embrace the ecological quality and function of the greater phenomenon and express it in the everyday landscapes. Though messy ecosystems can be framed, simply using spontaneous and invasive vegetation does not benefit inhabited landscapes. There needs to be an integration of cues that reveal care and quality and the naturalness of the natural world.
Be Bravely Curious.