Selecting Low-Flammability Plants as Green Firebreaks within Sustainable Urban Garden Design

Colin Brown,Brad Murray,Daniel Krix,Megan Phillips,Leigh Martin

doi:10.3390/fire1010015

Abstract

In response to an increasing risk of property loss from wildfires at the urban–wildland interface[…]

Highlights

In response to an increasing risk of property loss from wildfires at the urban–wildland interface, there has been growing interest around the world in the plant characteristics of urban gardens that can be manipulated to minimize the chances of property damage or destruction
The future prospects of this scientific work will depend on how successfully the results are integrated into the broader context of garden design in fire-prone regions at the urban–wildland interface
Modern design of urban gardens must consider more than just the issue of green firebreaks, we and others [10,11] believe that selection of low-flammability plants should be high on the priority list of plant selection criteria in fire-prone regions

Summary

Firebreaks within Sustainable Urban Garden Design

In response to an increasing risk of property loss from wildfires at the urban–wildland interface, there has been growing interest around the world in the plant characteristics of urban gardens that can be manipulated to minimize the chances of property damage or destruction. An ideal resilient plant species for urban gardens is one that offers refuge or resources for native wildlife, is of low flammability, is weather-proof for the climatic region and into the future, presents no health risks for human welfare, and meets community values. The fundamental principle on which our selection process is based is that resilient plant species can perform multiple functions in their environments This is the key paradigm shift that is needed to lead to increased acceptance and successful inclusion of low-flammability plants into broader modern garden design. This leads a final selection health pool of risks plant species from which to choose garden(including future climate change,.

Country Fire

South African