Charles County Community College: An Ecological Approach to the Landscape Development of a Campus Arboretum

Date
1973-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
This study was initiated to provide information to be used in making decisions related to the development of a new type of campus arboretum a t Charles County Community College, La Plata, Maryland. This arboretum would be based on an ecological approach to the selection of native plant material t o be used i n the landscape development of the Campus. After analyzing the site and its conditions, it was found that of the 173 acres, approximately 50% of the land had slopes greater than 10% and was therefore unsuited to conventional development. Of the remaining 50% of the land, approximately 25% is in a flood plain. Therefore, only 25% of the land is suited to development without major changes in topography or drainage patterns. Three line-transect surveys were conducted on June 20, 1972, to determine the indigenous flora associated with the six major soil types of Aura, Beltsville , Bibb, Croom, Iuka, and Sassafras. A total of 39 native genera, 48 native species, and 1 introduced genus were found indigenous to the Campus. In the lists of recommended plants for these soil types, a total of 95 genera and 166 species were included for use in the landscape development of the Campus to provide an arboretum of native plants. These plants were selected on the basis of those native plants from within a 250 mile radius of the College which were of ornamental value for use in landscaping in the various soil types. The lists are based on those native plants indigenous to the site on the soil types and those native plants recommended by Donald Wyman in his books entitled Trees for American Gardens, Shrubs and Vines for American Gardens, and Ground Cover Plants which have habitats similar to the existing site conditions of the soil types involved. These lists contain information on the habit, height, genus species, common name, flower color and month(s) of interest, fruit color or type and month(s) of interest, autumn color, and landscape comments on the plant involved. From these lists , the College or landscape architect can select the native plants which can be used in the various soil types which exist on the Campus. In addition, setting up the Arboretum as an independent organization has a number of advantages as elaborated in this thesis. Of advantage will be an herbarium, records system, library, and labeling system appropriate to the development of an arboretum of native plants.
Description
Keywords
Ecology, Garden design, University gardens, Native plants
Citation