Charles County Community College: An Ecological Approach to the Landscape Development of a Campus Arboretum
Date
1973-05
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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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