Towards a more sustainable main quad landscaping scheme

Introduction: The main quadrangles are at the heart of the University of Chicago campus. They are full of beautiful oak trees and surrounded by buildings that are more than a century old. Unfortunately, current landscaping practices on the quadrangles tend to be wasteful and insensitive to the ecological heritage of the region. In particular, plantings on the central quadrangle plant huge monocultures of non-native bulbs (tulips in particular) to provide spring color. After blooming, these bulbs are removed and replaced with a mix of plants for the summer. In the south quads (both to the east, near Social Science Research, and to west, near Classics), landscaping consists almost entirely of lawn. While lawns on the central quadrangle are popular with students for socialization and studying, the lawns on the south quadrangles see little use. At the same time, heavy traffic on the south quadrangles leads to trampling and destruction of the grass there, which must be frequently replaced. (Map of the area). Many of these problems can be addressed through an increased focus on landscaping with plants native to Illinois and to prairie ecosystems.

Ecological principles: Completely replicating a historical ecosystem on a large scale is not practical for a formally landscaped site like the University of Chicago. Hyde Park's soil ecology was dramatically transformed when it was drained and filled - previously, it was boggy terrain, and now it is mostly dry. This does not mean, however, that steps can't be taken to reduce the inefficiency, artificiality and number of non-native species on the quadrangles. In this case, environmental and common-sense concerns converge. The same steps that make the central quad landscaping program more efficient and optimize land use in the south quads will allow the proliferation of native plants on campus. While these plants will be integrated into a structured landscape (and mixed with some non-native species and ornamental cultivars), they will have both practical and educational benefits for the campus.

Current state of the sites: At multiple times during the spring, University of Chicago facilities services dig up plantings along the main quad paths and replace them with others. Further replacements are necessary in the fall, when a new set of plants is put in for the winter. The plantings overwhelmingly consist of non-native, ornamental species that require a great deal of maintainance. Nearly all are annuals - and those that are perennials are removed periodically anyway. Specifically, the current plan involves early spring planting of huge numbers of non-native ornamental tulips - the current plan calls for an amazing 7950 - to provide spring color. Though perennials, after the tulips flower they are dug up (not sure if the bulbs are saved) and replaced by mixed plantings that include some native plants - perhaps 1/3 by species (source). However, the new plantings still contain hundreds of non-native plants, such as 140 asian Day Lilies. Only three varieties of tulips are planted, in batches of 2650. Tulips used for landscaping are planted not as seeds, but as offsets. Offsets are all clones of a single individual (source). Thus, the tulip plantings are not only a monoculture, but actually consist of only three individuals, genetically speaking! Close planting of plants with such low genetic diversity increases vulnerability to disease, and in fact tulips are vulnerable to a number of fungi and viruses (source). Fungal diseases require the deployment of anti-fungal agents to be cured, whereas viruses (such as tobacco mosaic, tulip breaking virus, cucumber mosaic and many more) cannot be treated except by replacing the infected plants. 8000 tulips may require considerable amounts of fungicide, which might have unintended environmental effects or contaminate groundwater. [DID YOU EVER ASK BUMSTEAD HOW MUCH HE ACTUALLY USED?] Replacing tulips would require the purchase of even more than the thousands that are already there. The only shrubs on the central quads are 183 Taunton Yew. While presumably these are chosen for being low-maintainence (at least, I hope so) having monocultural plantings of non-native species is less than ideal. Yew are also generall allelopathic: they kill seedlings that attempt to grow under them (source). While this is useful for weed control, it perpetuates the current monoculture. Presumably, however, some native shrubs resistant to the Yew's effects can be found that can be interplanted with it in order to create diversity and a native presence. While no exact numbers are available, plantings around the Administration building currently appear to involve a monoculture of hundreds and hundreds of Narcissus (daffodils). I'm not sure at the moment what the plans are for these daffodils as the year continues, but the species is vulnerable to bulb rot in warm, moist conditions (source). Such conditions are common in Chicago in late spring and early summer, when sudden thunderstorms drench the soil and are rapidly followed by warm weather. THEY ARE CUT BACK IN JULY AND BULB COME AGAIN NEXT SPRING

Furthermore, the Classics and Social Science quads along 59th street, unlike the main quads, are shaded during much of the day - and during much of the school year, are boggy and muddy. They also see significantly less foot traffic (on the Social Science side in particular; Classics quad has traffic to Cobb) than other areas. For these reasons, they are not particularly popular sitting areas for students. However, they are still covered almost entirely by lawn, along with some beautiful old oak trees. Certain central pathways do have considerable foot traffic (such as the two diagonals across Classics Quad). The grass next to them sustains major damage from foot traffic and has to be entirely re-seeded periodically. With sod prices rising (source), this is an expensive and laborious practice. While this fills in the grass temporarily, by late fall the grass is gone again, leaving only bare mud. The huge bare patches that result are unsightly, and their mud further deters recreational use of the area.

Goal: Ideally, central quad plantings should be replaced with a focus on sustainable native species, or, if this is not possible, ornamental cultivars of native species. In particular, the two-step planting process in the spring, in which thousands of ornamental bulbs are planted, then removed a few weeks later, should be eliminated. A mix of plants, with as many natives and perennials as possible, should be developed that can be sustained year-round without the need for total replacement.

The south quads are a great place for the further introduction of native species to the campus. Instead of a designated prairie plot, like the one near Rockefeller center, I will propose that, as a preliminary step, some of the paths be given borders, as those on the main quads are. Here, too, attempts would be made to have as many native species, or cultivars thereof, as possible. Plantings might have to be modified for damper soil. Currently, passers-by walk on the grass margins of the paths, leaving bare patches in the lawn on either side of paths. ALSO WINTER SALT KILL. When the diagonal paths across the quadrangles cross, passers-by cut corners, leading to further degradation of the grass. Appropriate native plantings, that retain obvious foliage year-round, could keep walkers on the paths. This would keep the majority of grassy areas open for recreational use. Also, it would make the south quads more pleasant. Currently, students do not linger there much, while the main quads (which have more diverse plantings besides grass and oak trees) are much more popular, especially the south-west corner near Swift and Cobb halls. Since Classics quad gets a comparable amount of sun throughout the day, one might expect it to see heavier use as a place to stay instead of merely hurry through. Upon recent (unscientific) observation of the quads in question, I only saw three or four people lingering at any given time on each one of the south quads. In contrast, the portion of the central quadrangles at the corner of Cobb and Swift halls was packed, with over 10 people present almost all the time. Even more students were present in other parts of the central quadrangle.

Though the final landcaping will occur with the help of a professional designer, a number of native plants come to mind as possibilities. These include, in sunny areas, Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Praire Smoke (Geum triflora), Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccafolium), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberimma interior), Canada Wild Rye (blue form) (Elymus canadencis glaucifolius), switchgrass or its ornamental cultivars (Panicum virgatum "Heavy Metal" and others), etc. Possible plants for shady areas include Blue Flag Iris (Iris virginica shrevei), Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium), Wild Geranium (Geramium maculatum), etc. Some of these plants are already incorporated into landscaping elsewhere on campus, so the University is likely in touch with suppliers and has some experience with how the plants deal with soil and precipitation conditions in Hyde Park.

Procedure and estimated costs: The first step will involve a dialogue with the university administration and (as much as possible) the campus community to discuss a broad outline of how the plan will proceed. [I'LL PASS YOUR REPORT ALONG TO BUMSTEAD) Important topics include working out what the rough ratio of native to non-native plants will be (from my perspective, it should be as high as possible) and the size and placement of native plant borders on the south quadrangles. Once a rough consensus has been reached on these and other issues, a landscaping service will be contacted to provide us with a plan that is detailed, yet fairly flexible. Next, fine-tuning of plant choices and placement will occur - optimally, again, with participation from the campus community as well as the administration. Eventually, the plan will be implemented by the University's existing facilities services. (Most likely, implementation will occur in stages to minimize disruption on campus).

Funding will be provided by the current facilities budget. In the long term, the plan will save the University money. If necessary, it may be possible to secure a grant from the Joyce Foundation, which has many well-funded programs for restoration of native habitat in the Great Lakes area. The University of Chicago facilities department already receives substantial funding to maintain the areas in question. Hiring a landcape design firm and purchasing new plants will incur costs. Furthermore, native plants tend to be more expensive than non-natives. In the short term, they may also require significant maintenance, as they may not grow as quickly and aggressively to block out weeds. In the long term, however, the project will recuperate these costs. First and foremost, plants will no longer be replaced twice a season. Most will be perennials, and will only need to be replaced occasionally. [I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME ##$$] This will reduce plant and labor costs. Furthermore, native plants are more resistant to local fluctuations in temperature and (particularly) precipitation, saving water and minimizing plant die-offs from late frosts, etc. (as occurred this spring). Eliminating huge monocultures will reduce the need for fungicides and other maintenance procedures. Not planting and removing tulips would result in approximately $4500 annual savings on bulbs alone (based on wholesale prices; source). That figure does not include the labor and soil costs of tulip installation and removal. Those savings will easily offset increased expenditures on landscape design (which will cost a few thousand dollars), more expensive native plants and weeding in the long term.

Replacing frequently-reseeded turf areas in the south quads will, in the long term, lead to significant savings. Excerpts from the EPA's Sourcebook on Native Landscaping for Public Officials estimates the cost of sodded turf installation costing from $7,300 up to $13,440 an acre. Prairie plant installation, on the other hand, involves simpler installation processes and less intrusive installation, therefore costing $1,960 to $3,640 per acre. This is a significant reduction. Even more strikingly, once prairie plants are established, they will grow high enough to discourage traffic and will not need to be replaced, unlike sodded turf. The Sourcebook places maintenance of prairie plants at an incredible $168/acre after the first year. This likely doesn't include weeding and replacement of dead plants (even with native species, not every individual survives). Nonetheless, costs for prairie plantings tend to be significantly lower than for turf (source).

Benefits:

-Reducing the wasteful resource and labor consumption required for constant replacement of plantings, under the current planting scheme.

-Drought-resistant plant choices could reduce water consumption.

-Native selections may be better adapted to Hyde Park's sandy soil, reducing the need for soil enrichment with fertilizer (and in turn cutting down on runoff).

-Long-term, native perennials outcompete weeds, further reducing maintenance.

-No huge monoculture (of thousands of tulips) reducing the need for fungicides and other chemicals, as well as reducing the need for replacement of plants with viral infections.

-Lower risk of invasive species release into local ecosystems.

-Educational benefits - native plants could be labelled and information about prairie ecosystems could be provided. This would be a useful educational tool on campus - both formally (for core biology classes, for instance)  - or by merely raising awareness of prairie ecosystems and the area's ecological heritage. Hyde Park also has a number of primary and secondary schools, and they, too, could benefit from prairie-related educational resources on campus. The University's lackluster environmental record would also be improved. The University of Chicago, as a fairly well-known institution, would send an important message about its commitment to native ecosystems and sustainable landscaping practices.