When green infrastructure turns grey: Plant water stress as a consequence of overdesign in a tree trench system
Genre
Journal articleDate
2020-02-19Department
Architecture and Environmental DesignSubject
EvapotranspirationGreen infrastructure
HYDRUS-2D
Leaf water potential
Low impact development
Optimization
Overdesign
Stomatal conductance
Simulated runoff test
Static sizing
Stormwater control measure
Tree trench
Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/6206
Metadata
Show full item recordDOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020573Abstract
Green infrastructure (GI) systems are often overdesigned. This may be a byproduct of static sizing (e.g., accounting for a design storm’s runoff volume but not exfiltration rates) or may be deliberate (e.g., buffering against performance loss through time). In tree trenches and other GI systems that require stormwater to accumulate in an infiltration bed before it contacts the planting medium, overdesign could reduce plant water availability significantly. This study investigated the hydrological dynamics and water relations of an overdesigned tree trench system and identified factors contributing to, compounding, and mitigating the risk of plant stress. Water in the infiltration bed reached soil pits only once in three years, with that event occurring during a hydrant release. Moreover, minimal water was retained in soil pits during the event due to the hydraulic properties of the soil media. Through a growing season, one of the two tree types frequently experienced water stress, while the other did so only rarely. These contrasting responses can likely be attributed to roots being largely confined to the soil pits vs. reaching a deeper water source, respectively. Results of this study demonstrate that, in systems where soil pits are embedded in infiltration beds, overdesign can raise the storm size required for water to reach the soil media, reducing plant water availability between storms, and ultimately inducing physiological stress.Citation
Tu M-c, Caplan JS, Eisenman SW, Wadzuk BM. When Green Infrastructure Turns Grey: Plant Water Stress as a Consequence of Overdesign in a Tree Trench System. Water. 2020; 12(2):573. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020573Citation to related work
MDPIHas part
Water, Vol. 12, Issue 2ADA compliance
For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.eduae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/6188