Vegetation Design and Function

In our research, we work to develop new concepts for the design, construction and management of attractive and functional urban greenery that contributes to sustainable urban development by mitigating climate change and delivering desired functions and ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, recreation, temperature regulation and stormwater management. We focus on the functionality and dynamics of vegetation in a long-term perspective, where management is an active tool for shaping and designing vegetation over time, and investigate the ability to deliver various ecosystem services in the long term. The group has a wide international network, with projects currently carried out in collaboration with researchers in countries such as Japan, Ethiopia, USA, Australia, Germany, Norway and Denmark.

Within the framework of urban greenery, we have ongoing projects on urban trees, green roofs, green walls, street-scapes, roadside environments, perennial plantings, urban forests and private gardens. This research is often carried out in inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations with larger projects funded by Formas, VR, Vinnova, Trafikverket, and Interreg. The group carry out much of their research in close collaboration with stakeholders, with many such projects funded by Movium partnership. The group collaborate with other theme groups across the faculty as well as broader within SLU through multiple projects.

In our research, we conduct a variety of measurements of vegetation properties to increase our understanding of how we can achieve viable ecosystems that deliver the ecosystem services needed. We combine methods from landscape architecture, plant physiology, plant and soil ecology, and ecosystem ecology, with measurements made in both lab and field settings, with focus on vegetated systems and people’s interactions with vegetation. Lab-based measurements include plant traits and plant physiology aspects, for example specific leaf area and colour, leaf water potential at turgor loss, tissue nitrogen and carbon content; as well as soil and water quality analyses including soil organic matter, carbon and nitrogen content, soil water holding capacity, and dissolved nutrient concentrations.

The groups research on perception and preference of vegetation is carried out through different form of surveys, interviews, focus groups and workshops with a diverse set of stakeholders. We conduct different forms of physiological measurements of reaction to vegetation in collaboration with SLU Sensola. Our experimental-based research is conducted in a number of different contexts and scales, including greenhouses, test beds on the Alnarp campus and in-situ in the city or in the countryside, often together with various societal actors such as municipalities, regional organisations and governmental bodies.

We are interested in seeing how we can use vegetation in the form of nature-based solutions to help create better living environments in a future climate, as well as meet other societal challenges. Through the research we are carrying out we provide knowledge that contributes to the teaching that the group carries out within the landscape architecture, landscape engineer and garden engineer programmes.