Modelling the impact of planting choices and management on the delivery of multiple ecosystem services by domestic gardens

我们种植什么以及如何管理我们的花园会对环境产生重大影响。家庭花园覆盖了英国30%的城市地区，最近的研究将花园植物的特征（就其结构和功能而言）与提供关键的生态系统服务联系起来。使用具有特定环境效益的园林植物可以减少极端天气（干旱、洪水、热浪）带来的风险，同时增加城市空间的可持续性。现在和将来，迫切需要确凿的科学证据，汇集有关绿色空间种植选择如何影响当地气候条件以及提供多重环境效益的信息。它将告知诸如皇家园艺学会（RHS）等组织为英国园艺公众提供的建议，以帮助他们最大限度地提高有益的生态系统服务，同时最大限度地降低环境风险。学生将调查以下研究问题：a)植物选择和植物管理将如何影响目前在英国国内花园中普遍存在的植物类型（牧草，草，树篱和树木）的水和能量平衡？ b)这些植物选择对一系列生态系统服务（例如冷却，减少径流）和生态效益（例如小气候避难，增加生物多样性和相关服务提供）的影响是什么？c)这些不同的服务和利益之间的权衡是什么？d)基于a-c，在适应气候变化的背景下，可以向英国园丁提出哪些建议？

What we plant and how we manage our gardens can have a significant impact on the environment. Domestic gardens cover up to 30% of UK urban areas, and recent research has linked garden plant characteristics (in terms of their structure and function) with provision of key ecosystem services. Using garden plants with specific environmental benefits could reduce risks posed by extreme weather (droughts, floods, heatwaves) while increasing the sustainability of urban spaces. Solid scientific evidence that brings together information on how green space planting choice influences the local climatic conditions, and the delivery of multiple environmental benefits, now and in the future, is much needed. It would inform the advice that organizations such as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) provide the UK gardening public to help them maximize beneficial ecosystem services, whilst minimizing environmental risks.The student will investigate the following research questions:a) How will plant choice and plant management affect the water- and energy balance of plant types (forbs, grasses, hedges and trees) that are currently pervasive in domestic UK gardens b) What are the implications of these plant choices for a range of ecosystem services (e.g., cooling, runoff reduction), and ecological benefits such as micro-climate refugia, increased biodiversity and associated service provision (e.g., pollination services)c) What are the trade-offs between these various services and benefits?d) Based on a-c, what recommendations can be made to UK gardeners in the context of climate change adaptation?