Transforming Landscapes to Boost Biodiversity and Support Wildlife
By Rose Morrison, managing editor of Renovated.
Households can transform their properties into sustainable wildlife havens. Most lawns are pristine and clean-cut, but landscaping can invite beautiful flowers and diverse species. Taking action can bring much-needed balance back to local ecosystems. Here are the most impactful ways to create a wildlife-friendly garden and engage in ecosystem landscaping.
1. Reimagine the Traditional Lawn
The conventional lawn displaces tons of wildlife, including essential pollinators. It is because most grasses are invasive and outcompete what was there before. Households waste too much water, keeping them bright and too much fuel to trim them.
These activities make them uninhabitable by most native species and encourage non-native variants to flourish. Caterpillars have yet to find a way to thrive among foreign flora. Around 5% of native plants are responsible for supporting 75% of the caterpillars birds eat.
A wildlife habitat requires people to reconsider what a lawn and yard could look like. It will look unintuitive at first, crowded with more weeds and mismatched plants. However, these are more diverse and supportive of local plants. Instead of a completely flat lawn, get used to the idea of wildflowers with varying heights, seeing more insects and cutting grass less often.
2. Plant Native Species
Indigenous plants are adapted to the region. They also restore habitats and the soil of nutrients they have lost. Nonnative plants take more from the environment to thrive due to their different composition, so landscapers should remove these and replace them. Some native varieties are so foundational to local species they are known as keystone plants. People can make the most difference by prioritizing them.
Choosing native species for flower beds and produce gardens will make growth cycles healthier and food more nutritious. It also makes the land climate resilient, making the property stronger against environmental stressors like severe weather.
Planting appropriate plants also lowers the maintenance needs of outdoor spaces. Some spend over $400 on lawn irrigation and even more on tools and fertilizer. Plants are more likely to grow successfully without chemical assistance or excess watering.
3. Learn About Invasive Species
Knowing which plants should be planted in an area is as important as knowing which plants should not. Removing invasive species is sometimes an extensive and expensive process, primarily if the person removing the nonnative species uses incorrect methods. Uniformed techniques may unintentionally spread the unwanted plant variety further.
If landscapers are confused, they can contact local authorities to report invasive species sightings and ask for the best course of action. Professionals may need to intervene. It is critical to remove all invasive species before planting native wildlife to prevent cross-contamination and competition.
Learning about indigenous species will also help homes preserve native wildlife already on the property trying to survive and eliminating destructive species. These include harmful plant and animal species, such as the spotted lanternfly in the eastern U.S. Their persistence has continued to grow over the years, so much so that state departments are encouraging citizens to scrape egg masses that they find on trees. These invasive, nonnative insects destroy various crops and local plants, causing a great deal of damage to the U.S. agricultural sector.
4. Layer the Land
Most landscaping efforts require leveling the ground. Yet, biodiverse areas have topographical features at all heights. There are tall trees for ground cover and shrubs for creatures to hide.
Homes may need specialized equipment to facilitate these edits, but they are useful in the long term. For example, renting a skid steer loader is excellent for establishing a rock garden, considering fuel efficiency, while renting other landscaping equipment can help trim back plant limbs for optimal growth. An inground composting setup could introduce worms to the property while giving nutrients back to the soil.
Landscaping with greater texture better resembles natural habitats like forests and wild meadows. The features make it perfect for inviting once-present helpful birds, insects and more into the area again.
5. Create Water Sources
Something as small as a birdbath or as large as a rain garden does wonders for biodiversity. A clean and accessible water source helps passing wildlife stay hydrated and bathed, but it also gives the food web more options. There are more places for water-loving bugs to grow and support other creatures that need them to survive. It could also help amphibians and turtles grow.
6. Offer Food
Wild garden landscaping strikes a balance of growing food for indoor cooking and feeding passersby outside. Berry-blossoming bushes, seed-dropping flowers and nut-producing trees give animals more options when nutritious, biodiverse foods are scarce because of conventional landscaping practices actively deterring wildlife.
Edible landscaping is vital for biodiversity and overcoming the increasing prevalence of food deserts. Countless urban areas experience scarcity because of minimal access to native crops. Transforming properties into food for all species allows animals, plants and humans to overcome systemic inequalities presented by urbanization.
7. Remove Chemicals
Pesticides and herbicides introduce toxic contaminants into the air, soil and water. Eventually, these make their way into animals, known as trophic transfer. Then, species get sick and the population decreases because of the pollutant spread.
For animals like fish that people harvest for food, can impact humans too. Consuming the contaminated fish will mean ingesting these harmful chemicals. The butterfly effect of pesticides is never-ending.
Instead, households can use natural pest control. Many could see certain birds or insects as pests, but they may actually be there to help drive away predators or support biodiversity. People are not used to seeing them around anymore, and they could mislabel biodiversity’s intentions without the right education. Organic, wildlife-friendly options include:
- Kaolin clay spray
- Neem oil
- Diatomaceous earth
- Essential oils
- Wood ash
8. Make Brush Piles and Embrace Debris
Landscapers tend to rake away leaves, throwing them into garbage bags to go to landfill. The practice is destructive for several reasons. The intensity of rake prongs is invasive to soil structure, making it vulnerable to many negative influences because of the additional openings.
Plus, many creatures make homes in leaf and branch piles. The brush and leaves are a shelter for everything from reptiles to mammals. People tending to their yards, lawns and gardens can organize them to be out of the way but keep them present to serve as another home. This way making their yard free from what so often is labeled pests while still protecting fauna and flora in the environment.
9. Build Animal Homes and Sanctuaries
Natural-forming shelters should always be encouraged, but landscapers can install human-made animal homes, too. Birds and bat houses are several popular options. Insect hotels and artificial bee hives are additional alternatives. Some individuals even go through the effort to get their yards certified as Natural Wildlife Habitats to help spread the word about how people can make use of their empty outdoor spaces.
Artificial animal shelters and supporting plant structures can strengthen certain endangered species populations. For example, milkweed is an essential yet frequently removed plant. Yet, its nectar helps Monarch butterflies create well-balanced ecosystems. Planting native milkweeds to make butterfly sanctuaries could restore their numbers.
10. Leave Snags in Place
Dead trees and logs may seem unsightly, but they provide an essential function to ecosystems. If they have fallen or broken in an inconvenient place rather move them to the edge of your yard than discard them completely. Dead tree limbs are crucial to around 1,000 species in the U.S. and even more worldwide. The constant removal of aged tree materials causes habitat losses for about one-fifth of the nation’s ecosystem.
Nesting birds use their cavities to protect eggs, and fungi can grow in the nooks and crannies. The moss and lichen that grow on them help nearby seeds grow. In addition, if the decaying limbs are relocated far off but still in the yard, landscapers could be less worried about termites eating vital home components.
Once these trees have served their purpose for animals, they decompose and return to the soil to keep it nutrient-dense.
11. Control Light Pollution
Plant biodiversity is a day and night job. Growth is most visible in the sun, but nocturnal wildlife is as important to consider as those walking around in the light. Many species are impacted by excess light pollution in suburban and urban centers. Bright lights can harm their migration patterns and mating rituals, causing species to decline. Places they used to be able to dwell have become brighter and, therefore, unsafe for them to be. This signifies habitat loss, too.
For example, excess light has harmed these species:
- Sea turtles
- Bats
- Amphibians
- Birds
- Insects
Landscapers should implement natural and hardscaping methods to combat light pollution. Trees can block intense lights, and awnings, fences and other shades control where light reaches. Buildings can also add shields to lights to minimize extensive illumination, honing their direction.
12. Install Corridors
Urban sprawl has fragmented habitats. Massive highways are a prominent example of this, as many deer and other animals risk their lives to cross these dangerous pathways. Some ecosystems are completely destroyed or left in partial disarray. Animals that previously had hunting or migratory patterns from one place to another may not have those safe avenues anymore.
Species should find it easy to move from the property if they need to for safety. Additionally, it could be extremely beneficial if there were some openings in the property’s boundaries for animals to move between the home and other habitats, such as wetlands and forests. Corridors connect these segmented habitats, so it is easier for populations to stay safe.
Creating Wildlife Habitats Close to Home
The front and back of a home provide unlimited opportunities for supporting biodiversity. A vegetable garden, flower bed, pile of leaves and shady trees all contribute to a supportive ecosystem. Even a rogue weed or two can invite new life to a previously vacant lawn. Landscapers should engage in these activities to bring balance back to sterile neighborhoods. If they do, pollinators will cause everything to grow with richness and color, brightening communities with a plethora of species once again.
About the Author
Rose is the managing editor of Renovated and has been writing in the construction, landscaping and sustainable building sectors for over six years. She’s most passionate about improving environments, reducing carbon footprints and incorporating resourceful methods to promote well-being in the planet. For more from Rose, you can follow her on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.