LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGY

AR6009
UNIT I INTRODUCTION
Introduction to landscape architecture, ecology, ecological balance, landscape conservation,
reclamation and landscaping of derelict lands, environmental impact assessment.

UNIT II ELEMENTS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Hard and soft landscape elements; Plant materials - classification, characteristics, use and application
in landscape design; Water and Landform,

UNIT III GARDEN DESIGN

Landscape and garden design in history - Japanese, Italian Renaissance and Moghul gardens in India,
Study of notable examples, Spatial development in landscape design.

UNIT IV SITE PLANNING

Organisation of spaces - circulation, built form and open spaces, site planning and micro climate, site
planning for neighbourhood parks, children’s play area and campus development.

UNIT V LANDSCAPING OF FUNCTIONAL AREAS

Urban open spaces and principle of urban landscape; Street landscaping, landscape design for
waterfront areas and functional areas in urban centers; green roofs and walls.
 UNIT I INTRODUCTION

Introduction to landscape architecture, ecology, ecological

balance,
landscape conservation,
reclamation and landscaping of derelict lands, environmental
impact assessment.
Landscape Architecture
Definition

Landscape architecture is the profession which applies artistic and scientific principles
to the research, planning, design and management of both natural and built
environments.

Landscape is more than just scenery..

LAND means both a place and

the people living there.

SCAPE means to shape and also

mean association, partnership.
Importance Of Landscape Architecture

•Support our health and wellbeing.

•It encourages physical outdoor activity and an antidote to stress.
•Offers aesthetic enjoyment, escapism, tranquility, and a sense of belonging to an area with a
distinct natural and cultural identity.
•Landscape is the result of the action and interaction of Natural and or
human factors.

Landscaping is an activity that modifies

the visible features of an area.
Improves aesthetic appearance of the
area.
Changing the existing landform, adding
ornamentation, plating trees and shrubs
etc.
Fields Integrating Landscape

•Botany
•Horticulture
•Fine arts
•Architecture
•Industrial design
•Geology
•Earth sciences
•Environmental psychology
•Geography
•Ecology
Landscape Architects design outdoor and indoor spaces to serve specific purposes and meet
certain needs of the users.
Role of Landscape Architects

Apply creative and technical skill, scientific cultural and political knowledge in the planned
arrangement of natural and constructed elements on the land integrating ecological
sustainability.

Resulting environments shall serve useful, aesthetic, safe and enjoyable purposes.
Ecology
The study of the interactions of living things with each other and their physical environment

Levels of Organization
– 9. The Biosphere
– 8. Ecosystems = Biomes
– 7. Communities
– 6. Populations
– 5. Organism
– 4. Organ Systems
– 3. Organs
– 2. Tissues
– 1. Cells
ECOSYSTEM - How to define it?
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms
(biotic factors)….

…..in an area functioning together with all the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the
environment.

No Plant or animal inhabits in a place as single….

They exist as a collection termed as COMMUNITY

Several similar individuals form a Community

ECOLOGICAL BALANCE

The balance between the living beings and also with the non- living
environment is called the Ecological Balance or simply a Balance in Nature.
Unfortunately, however human activities have upset the ecological balance in nature, so it is more
essential that balance in nature should be established soon because it is essential for our own
existence.
Trophic levels
The flow of energy is the important factor that controls what
kind of organisms live in an ecosystem and how many organisms
the ecosystem can support.

AUTOTROPHS - PRODUCER (PRIMARY

ENERGY SOURCE)

Most life on Earth depends on photosynthetic

organisms, which capture sunlight and convert it to
chemical energy in organic molecules called food.

Primary productivity determines the amount of

energy available in an ecosystem.

All other organisms in an ecosystemCONSUMERS -

HETEROTROPHS Special class of consumers called DETRITIVORES

Consumers are those organisms that consume plantsDetritivores

or are organisms which obtain their
other organisms to obtain their energy. energy from organic wastes and dead bodies
Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Omnivores produced at all trophic levels.

They are the decomposers of the food chain;

helping return their nutrients to the Earth.
 ENERGY FLOW - FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB
oThe path of energy through the trophic levels of an In most ecosystems, energy does not simply
follow one path on one level because
ecosystem is called a food chain
organisms often feed at many different
levels of a food chain.
There are two basic types of food chains:
This creates a complicated interconnected
o GRAZING (autotrophs are the primary source of group of food chains called a food web.
energy for the initial consumers) and
o DETRITAL (the initial consumers, primarily
bacteria and fungi, use dead organic matter as
their source of energy).

A simplified food web that

illustrates movement of nutrients is
cyclic, whereas the movement of energy
is unidirectional and non cyclic
Eg. Pond ecosystem Eg. Forest ecosystem
C A R RY I N G C A PA C I T Y O F E C O S Y S T E M

•The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is the number or biomass of

different kinds of organisms that the ecosystem can support.
•That carrying capacity is a function of the number of people, the amount of
resources each person consumes and the ability of the earth to process all the
wastes produced.
E C O L O G I C A L C O L O N I Z AT I O N

•Colonization is the process in biology by which a species spreads to new

areas and refers to successful immigration where a population becomes integrated
into a community, having resisted initial local extinction.
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
•Ecological succession is the observed process of change in the species structure of
an ecological community over time. The community begins with relatively few pioneering
plants and animals and develops through increasing complexity until it becomes stable or
self-perpetuating as a climax community.

NEW BARE COLONIZING SUCCESSIONIST

CLIMAX STAGE
SUBSTRATE STAGE STAGE
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY

ECOLOGY - The study of interactions among organisms and their environment

LANDSCAPE - An area that is spatially heterogeneous in at least one area of

interest.

•LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY is the study of structure, function, and change in a heterogeneous land
area composed of interacting ecosystems.
•It is an interdisciplinary science dealing with the interrelationship between human society
and our living space.

CHARASTERISTICS OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY

Landscape Structure — Spatial pattern or arrangement of landscape elements.
Landscape Function — Movement and flows of animals, plants, water, wind,
materials and energy
Landscape Change — Dynamics of spatial pattern and function over time.
Landscape Conservation

•Working with nature to reduce pollution,

•conservation landscaping incorporates environmentally sensitive

design, low impact development,

•non-invasive native and beneficial plants,

•and integrated pest management to create diverse landscapes that

help protect clean air and water, support

wildlife, and provide a healthier and

more beautiful human environment.

Elements of Landscape Conservation
1. Is designed to benefit the environment and function efficiently and

aesthetically for human use and well-being .

2. Uses locally native plants that are appropriate for site conditions.

3. Institutes a management plan for the removal of existing invasive

plants and the prevention of future nonnative plant invasions.

4. Provides habitat for wildlife.

5. Promotes healthy air quality and minimizes air pollution.

6. Conserves and cleans water.

7. Promotes healthy soils.

8. Is managed to conserve energy, reduce waste, and eliminate or

minimize the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Methods of Landscape Conservation

•The issues to be identified

•Mapping The Existing Condition

•Soil Conservation

•Water Conservation

•Proper landuse planning

•Enhancement Of The Socio Economic Factors By Not Degrading The

Environment

•Wild Life Conservation

•Study on the native species and plant materials

•Study on various layers of the ecosystem