Satisfaction, water and fertilizer use in the American residential macrosystem

Authors

Peter M. Groffman, Institute of Ecosystem Studies
J. Morgan Grove, USDA Forest Service
Colin Polsky, Florida Atlantic University
Neil D. Bettez, Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Jennifer L. Morse, Portland State University
Jeannine Cavender-Bares, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Sharon J. Hall, School of Life Sciences
James B. Heffernan, Duke University
Sarah E. Hobbie, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Kelli L. Larson, Arizona State University
Christopher Neill, Ecosystems Center
Kristen Nelson
Laura Ogden, Dartmouth College
Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, University of Vermont
Diane Pataki, The University of Utah
Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Clark University
Dexter H. Locke, Clark University

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Residential yards across the US look remarkably similar despite marked variation in climate and soil, yet the drivers of this homogenization are unknown. Telephone surveys of fertilizer and irrigation use and satisfaction with the natural environment, and measurements of inherent water and nitrogen availability in six US cities (Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, Los Angeles) showed that the percentage of people using irrigation at least once in a year was relatively invariant with little difference between the wettest (Miami, 85%) and driest (Phoenix, 89%) cities. The percentage of people using fertilizer at least once in a year also ranged narrowly (52%-71%), while soil nitrogen supply varied by 10x. Residents expressed similar levels of satisfaction with the natural environment in their neighborhoods. The nature and extent of this satisfaction must be understood if environmental managers hope to effect change in the establishment and maintenance of residential ecosystems.

Publication Title

Environmental Research Letters

Publication Date

2016

Volume

11

Issue

3

ISSN

1748-9318

DOI

10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034004

Keywords

environmental satisfaction, lawns, nitrogen, residential land use, urban ecology, water

Repository Citation

Groffman, Peter M.; Grove, J. Morgan; Polsky, Colin; Bettez, Neil D.; Morse, Jennifer L.; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Hall, Sharon J.; Heffernan, James B.; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Larson, Kelli L.; Neill, Christopher; Nelson, Kristen; Ogden, Laura; O'Neil-Dunne, Jarlath; Pataki, Diane; Chowdhury, Rinku Roy; and Locke, Dexter H., "Satisfaction, water and fertilizer use in the American residential macrosystem" (2016). Geography. 591.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/591

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright Conditions

Published source must be acknowledged with citation: Groffman, Peter M., et al. "Satisfaction, water and fertilizer use in the American residential macrosystem." Environmental Research Letters 11.3 (2016): 034004.