dynamics of plant communities on walls (whether manmade or not) to create a successful novel landscape patch that could integrate the city into the regional matrix. )URP WKH SRLQW RI YLHZ RI D SODQW FLWLHV have become similar to deserts. Merriam Webster GHÀQHV D GHVHUW DV ´DULG ODQG ZLWK XVXDOO\ VSDUVH YHJHWDWLRQ HVSHFLDOO\ such land having a very warm climate and receiving less than 25 centimetres (10 LQFKHV RI VSRUDGLF UDLQIDOO DQQXDOO\ ¾ EXW IRU WKH SXUSRVH RI WKLV SUDFWLFXP D GHVHUW ZLOO EH GHÀQHG DV DQ DUHD WKDW UHFHLYHV YHU\ little precipitation. Though not all of these FRQGLWLRQV DSSO\ WR FLWLHV WKH PRVW FULWLFDO FRQGLWLRQ ODFN RI SUHFLSLWDWLRQ LV DSSOLFDEOH due to the lack of permeable surfaces. Much of the ground cover in cities is concrete or asphalt or occupied by a building - all of ZKLFK KDYH YHU\ KLJK UXQRII FRHIÀFLHQWV +LJK UXQRII FRHIÀFLHQWV PHDQ WKDW YHU\ OLWWOH stormwater runoff can be absorbed by the ground underneath the concrete. This can OHDG WR GURXJKW OLNH RU GHVHUW OLNH FRQGLWLRQV 7KLV HIIHFW RFFXUV RQ ZDOOV DV ZHOO WKRXJK LW LV PRVWO\ GXH WR WKH OLPLWHG à RRU DUHD WKDW the wall occupies. Unless surrounding runoff is designed to drain into the vertical gardens QHDUE\ WKH DPRXQW RI SUHFLSLWDWLRQ DEVRUEHG from the sky will be minimal. On days when ZLQG SXVKHV UDLQ LQ WRZDUGV WKH IDoDGH D vertical garden will receive some natural LUULJDWLRQ EXW VXFK HYHQWV DUH QRW SUHGLFWDEOH nor are they frequent enough to be counted on. Integrating pre-settlement landscapes or native habitats like prairie grasslands into cities will require the re-evaluation what a 21st century urban habitat matrix can be. Communities that thrive in unbuilt areas
adapt and change drastically to thrive in urban environments. A grassland community that grows in an unbuilt area will be different from that same grassland community growing in the city. They will be composed of GLIIHUHQW SODQWV WKDW KDYH VSHFLĂ€F DGDSWDWLRQV necessary for survival in the city such as SROOXWLRQ GURXJKW DQG Ă RRG WROHUDQFHV DQG will occur in different abundances compared to their rural counterparts. Pre-settlement re-creations would likely be more suited to SXEOLF SDUNV IRU H[DPSOH EHFDXVH RI WKH amount of care needed to maintain them in an urban environment. )RU YHUWLFDO JDUGHQV LQ :LQQLSHJ WKH anticipated outcome of this design practicum will be a hybrid of various Manitoba SODQW FRPPXQLWLHV FOLII DOYDU GHVHUW OLNH VDQG GXQHV PL[HG JUDVV SUDLULH DQG SUDLULH SRWKROH GHVLJQHG WR KRVW VSHFLĂ€F LQYHUWHEUDWHV OLNH EXWWHUĂ LHV RU VPDOO ELUGV The mix will use plants from each community that will be the hardiest and most well adapted to the stresses of living on an urban ZDOO H[SORUHG LQ GHWDLO LQ FKDSWHU
8.4 Urban Cli Hypothesis /DUVRQ¡V 8UEDQ &OLII +\SRWKHVLV SURYLGHV many clues as to how skyscrapers and roads can be similar to cliffs and valleys. The number of plants that can survive in cities is OLPLWHG EXW WKH 8UEDQ &OLII +\SRWKHVLV SRVLWV WKDW WKH SODQWV DQG DQLPDOV WKDW ZH QRZ ÀQG to be nuisances in cities were once endemic to cliffs and caves and have evolved out of prehistoric caves with us. The environments we tend to create are arguably similar to those prehistoric spaces - mostly hardscapes with PLQLPDO SODQWV /DUVRQ 0DWWKHV DQG .HOO\
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