Gardening Practices Research Articles

Seasonal nitrogen and phosphorus leaching in urban agriculture: Dominance of non-growing season losses in a Southern Swedish case study

Urban agriculture, as most agriculture, can potentially contribute to eutrophication via losses to ground and surface water. Few published studies have empirically measured nitrogen and phosphorus losses (including leaching) from urban agriculture, and even fewer have examined losses in real-world settings throughout the year. Here we investigated year-round (May 2020–2021) weekly nitrogen and phosphorus leaching from allotment gardens in Linköping, southern Sweden. We installed eight lysimeters (8 plots) and collected water 0.3 m below the soil surface in four gardens (2 plots per garden), each with their own gardening practices (organic fertilizers, irrigation, and crops). The gardens exhibited large nutrient leaching per area cultivated compared to observed nutrient leachate in rural agriculture in similar climates. There was a large variability among studied plots, where nitrogen leaching reached 39–191 kg ha−1 y−1 and phosphorus 0.9–2.4 kg ha−2 y−1. Importantly, the non-growing season, especially snowmelt, was a key period for leaching. Most of the nitrogen (78–91 %) and phosphorus (45–97 %) leaching occurred from November to April when the soil was bare, suggesting that mineralization of organic matter was important. Three of the gardens received high amounts of organic fertilizers, though no clear relation between inputs and leaching could be discerned. One plot deviated from the pattern, with less than 40 % of the nutrient leaching occurring in the non-growing season. This gardener had a fine net covering the plot to deter insects. This protected from precipitation as the water volume collected was the lowest, with only 26 % collected in the non-growing season, and nitrogen leaching was also the lowest. Our results illustrate that additional monitoring studies should occur year-round and in several gardens to account for high temporal and spatial heterogeneity and avoid under-estimating leaching losses from urban agriculture. Providing guidance on fertilization, irrigation, and soil covering may be a way to minimize leaching.

Comparing level of food insecurity between households with and without home gardening practices in Zege, Amhara region, North West Ethiopia: Community based study.

Globally, close to 1 billion people suffer from hunger and food insecurity. Evidence showed that prevalence of household food insecurity in Ethiopia is ranged from 25.5%-75.8%. Home gardening is one way to alleviate food insecurity. Hence, the study aimed to determine level of food insecurity and its associated factors between home gardening and non-home gardening household in Zegie, North west Ethiopia. Community-based study was conducted from February 10th-March 10th/2020. A total of 648 samples were included. First, 2142 total households who have 6-59 months of age children in the area identified and registered. Then, households categorized in to home garden practicing (1433) and non-home garden practicing (709). The calculated sample size, 324 for each group were selected using simple random sampling technique. The overall prevalence of food insecurity was 38.1% (95% CI: 34.29-42.11%). Food insecurity was significantly higher in non-home gardening groups than their counter parts 45.5% (95% CI: 39.80-51.20%). Having primary education and above (AO = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.25-2.86%), wealth index; 2nd quantile (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.25-0.85%), 3rd quantile (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.17-0.62%) and 4th quantile (AOR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.15-0.54%), dietary diversity (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.15-2.92%) and home garden practices (AOR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06-2.32%) were variables significantly associated with food insecurity. Food insecurity in non-home garden practicing households is higher than practicing households. The local agriculture sector needs to emphasis and empowered households on home gardening practices to realize food security.

Exploration of wheatgrass as functional food by using urban agriculture models for regulating growth & nutrients

Limitation to cultivable area and increasing food demand has steered development of urban farming. Practice of container gardening, patio gardening and rooftop gardening cause soil erosion while soil-less systems like hydroponics and aeroponics are expensive. Balancing traditional and contemporary methods need to be identified. We assessed the growth and nutrient values of functional food wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivated in different growth media – soil, hydroponics, aeroponics and paper-pulp based potting mix soil. Height, fresh weight, protein, minerals, and vitamins composition of wheatgrass plantlets were estimated. Construction and running costs for six-month period were compared. Plantlets harvested from potting mix soil had highest height & weight gain (at 88.67 cm and 15.13 gm) and all-around nutrient contents over others. Cost analysis shows that working costs for potting mix soil-based systems are most productive for a long duration (17x and 23x cheaper than hydroponics and aeroponics). The current study shows suitability of potting mix soil over other cultivation methods for wheatgrass for urban farming needs. Potting mix does not contribute to soil erosion as in case of natural soil based urban farming. Our results support the idea of utilization of potting mix for urban agricultural needs without indulging in cost- and technology- invested methods.

With sustainable use of local inputs, urban agriculture delivers community benefits beyond food

Urban agriculture is becoming increasingly important in developed countries, especially in terms of its economic and social benefits. If urban gardens are managed according to agroecological principles - involving the efficient and sustainable use of local resources and inputs - there are many environmental benefits to local communities. We studied urban gardens in Berkeley, California, and Madrid, Spain, to see how agroecology is practiced. Communities such as these that utilize good ecological practices in urban gardens obtain a wide range of valuable ecosystem services - the kinds of services provided by healthy ecosystems, including cultural services such as a place to socialize. These communities can serve as model urban agricultural centers which can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including good health, food security and sustainable cities.

“We Live in a Very Toxic World”: Changing Environmental Landscapes and Indigenous Food Sovereignty

The purpose of this article is to understand how historical oppression has undermined health through environmental injustices that have given rise to food insecurity. Specifically, the article examines ways in which settler colonialism has transformed and contaminated the land itself, impacting the availability and quality of food and the overall health of Indigenous peoples. Food security and environmental justice for Gulf Coast, state-recognized tribes has been infrequently explored. These tribes lack federal recognition and have limited access to recourse and supplemental resources as a result. This research fills an important gap in the literature through exploring the intersection of environmental justice and food insecurity issues for this population. Partnering with a community-advisory board and using a qualitative descriptive methodology, 31 Gulf Coast Indigenous women participated in semi-structured interviews about their healthcare experiences and concerns. Through these interviews, participants expressed concerns about (a) the environmental impacts of pollution on the contamination of food and on the health of tribal members; and (b) the impact of these changes on the land, such as negatively impacting gardening practices. The authors of this study document how environmental changes have compounded these concerns and contribute to the overall pollution of food and water sources and unviability of subsistence practices, severely effecting tribal members’ health. In conclusion, we show how social and environmental justice issues such as pollution, industry exploitation, and climate change perpetuate the goals of settler colonialism through undermining cultural practices and the overall health of Indigenous peoples.

Stakeholder Perceptions of the Ecosystem Services of Health Clinic Gardens in Settlements and Small- to Medium-Sized Cities in the North-West Province, South Africa

Gardens provide spaces for connectedness to nature, which contributes to human well-being and promotes pro-environmental behavior. However, the provision of ecosystem services (ES) in gardens of sub-Saharan Africa is challenged by a lack of knowledge, resulting in inefficient gardening practices. Stakeholders also influence the manifestation of ES provisioning through their perceptions, learning, and decisions. Health clinic gardens may be able to address some of these challenges where other types of gardens fail because of a lack of awareness of other garden benefits and a lack of gardening skills and knowledge, among other factors. Thus, this study aimed to assess stakeholder perceptions of ES provided by health clinic gardens in the North-West province, South Africa. Survey questionnaires were administered to 218 stakeholders across 105 health clinic gardens to ascertain their involvement and prioritization of the ES provided by the gardens and their perspectives on gardens in general. The diversity and abundance of stakeholders per clinic garden were enumerated based on the respondents’ reports. Stakeholder prioritization of ES was scored out of 5, where 1 is the least prioritization. Health clinic gardens have a diversity of one to five types of stakeholders per garden, and more than 80% of the gardens were reported to have a groundsman. Stakeholders spent 1.5 ± 0.5 to 4.7 ± 0.12 days/week engaged in garden activities. Groundsmen spent the most time (4.7 ± 0.12 days/week) in the gardens, while facility managers spent the least (0.90 ± 0.12). Regulating and cultural ES, each scoring an average of 3.7 out of 5, were perceived as the most valuable ES of health clinic gardens. A “garden” was mainly associated with vegetable cultivation and rarely linked with recreation or aesthetical appreciation. A case for establishing these gardens across the country and other developing countries of the Global South can be made through the assessment of their potential ES from the perspectives of stakeholders. This study addresses this topic and contributes to an understanding of the importance of a variety of stakeholders for maintaining functional health clinic gardens.

Forest Dynamics and Agroforestry History since AD 200 in the Highland of Sumatra, Indonesia

Understanding past forest dynamics and human influence is essential for future forest management and ecosystem conservation. This study aims to provide insights into the forest dynamics and agroforestry history in the highlands of Sumatra for the last 1800 years. We carried out palaeoecological multi-proxy analyses of pollen, spores, non-pollen palynomorphs, macro-charcoal, and X-ray fluorescence on a limnic sediment core taken from Danau Kecil in the submontane area of Kerinci Seblat National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. Our results provide an 1800-year record of forest dynamics under climate change and human influence including the transition from forest opening to shifting cultivation and eventually permanent agroforestry. Indicators for forest openings and secondary forest formation have been present since the beginning of records (AD 200). This is followed by the possible initiation of sugar palm (Arenga) cultivation (AD 400). Since AD 500, potential agroforestry and forest gardening practices have promoted major timber trees such as Lithocarpus/Castanopsis, Bischofia, and Dipterocarpaceae combined with sugar palm (Arenga). Permanent agroforestry systems were possibly established since AD 1760, evinced by an increase in commodity trees such as Dipterocarpaceae for resin production. With the Dutch invasion ca. AD 1900, agroforestry intensified and expanded to the Kerinci Valley. This was followed by land use intensification and potential rice cultivation around Danau Kecil since the 1940s. This study provides the first details on past forest dynamics around Danau Kecil since AD 200, showing among others how appropriate forest management and a closed canopy could reduce fire vulnerability in submontane rainforest.

Community Gardens in China: Spatial distribution, patterns, perceived benefits and barriers

Community garden is an important mean of promoting urban and society sustainable development due to its comprehensive values. But there is little research as to community garden practices in China. Taking Chinese community gardens as research objects, this study focuses on their spatial distribution and related factors based on the kernel density estimation and overlay analysis methods in ArcGIS, and analyzes the patterns, perceived benefits and barriers of community gardens through field investigation, questionnaire and interview conducted in 35 community gardens. The results indicate: (1) The spatial distribution of community gardens varies among different regions in China and is correlated with precipitation, temperature and policy. (2) There are similarities and differences in patterns of different types of community gardens. (3) The recognitions for social, ecological and health benefits are higher than that for economic benefit. The barriers perceived by gardeners are identified as lack of design and technology, rational management, and effective operation. The barrier perceived by non-gardeners focuses on institutional constraint. This study further proposes optimizing strategies, which could serve as a reference for the development of community gardens. The results of this study may also be useful for policy-makers to use community gardens for promoting urban sustainable development.

Zhao Liewen’s Gardening Practices and Activities as Reflected in His Diary Nengjingju Riji – A Secondary Publication

Zhao Liewen, a late-Qing-dynasty scholar, wrote more than a million characters in his diary titled Nengjingju Riji. Through analysis of Zhao’s text, the author of this paper reconstructs the daily life in the Tranquil Garden (Jing Pu) and brings light to the site selection, house construction, garden planning, as well as the‘elegant gatherings’of literati that took place in the garden. More specifically, in the 7th and 8th lunar months of 1865, the 4th reign year of Emperor Tongzhi, Zhao traveled to the south of the Yangtze River. After considering the prices of houses and fengshui of the sites in different cities, he finally chose a place in Jiuwanwei, Changshu. As his family was growing, the house and garden became more clearly divided according to their functions. Especially, the library space of Tiangfanglou, and the garden area along the Tranquil Stream (Jing Xi) were rebuilt on several occasions. Zhao often invited relatives and friends to gather here. The creative work inspired by his life at the Tranquil Garden was modeled after the Wangchuan poetry collection of Tang poets and born from the gatherings held in the garden between 1876 and 1877, the 3rd and 4th reign years of Emperor Guangxu (r. 1875‒1908).

Impact of COVID-19 in the forestry sector: A case of lowland region of Nepal

All walks of life have been affected by COVID-19 but smallholders from developing countries have been impacted more than others as they are heavily reliant on forest and agriculture for their livelihoods and have limited capacity to deal with COVID-19. Scholars are heavily engaged in assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing, gender, food production and supply, stock market and the overall economy but not on the forestry sector. Using questionnaire surveys and key informant interviews—informed by grey literature and published articles— representing Division Forest Offices, Provincial Forest Directorates, and the Ministry of Forests and Environment in Nepal, this study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the forestry sector of Nepal. Our analysis suggests that: (1) nature-based tourism is more severely affected than other sectors; (2) private, religious and leasehold forests faced minimal impacts of COVID-19 than that of community and government-managed forests; (3) wild boar (Sus scrofa), different species of deer, and birds have been more impacted than other wild animals; (4) the price of the timber has increased significantly whereas the price of non-timber forests products (NTFPs) has decreased; and (5) illegal logging and poaching have increased but the incidence of forest encroachment has been reduced. Our study further reveals that agroforestry practices in home gardens, borrowing money from neighbors/banks/landlords and liquidating livestock remained key alternatives for smallholders during COVID-19. Many studies reported that reverse migration could create chaos in Nepal, but our study suggests that it may enhance rural innovation and productivity, as returnees may use their acquired knowledge and skills to develop new opportunities. As COVID-19 has created a war-like situation worldwide, Nepal should come up with a forward-looking fiscal response with alternative income generation packages to local living to counter the impacts of COVID-19 on the forestry sector. One of the options could be implementing similar programs to that of India’s US$ 800 Compensatory Afforestation Program and Pakistan’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Program, which will create a win-win situation, i.e., generate employment for reverse migrants and promotes forest restoration.

The Enclosed Garden and the Medieval Religious Imaginary

The Enclosed Garden and the Medieval Religious Imaginary

Infrastructuring Gardens: The Material Politics of Outdoor Water Conservation in Los Angeles

Historically, urban developers, politicians, and public water utilities have invented Los Angeles as a semitropical oasis in a dry climate. During the California drought of 2011 through 2016, however, the city’s residential gardens became a new frontier of water conservation policy. Water agencies started to subsidize the replacement of lushly irrigated lawns with California Friendly® landscapes, thereby endorsing a technology-centered “infrastructuring” of gardens to increase water conservation. This approach contrasts with California native plant gardening promoted by nature conservationists, which uses vernacular horticultural techniques to restore native plant biodiversity and reduce irrigation. The article shows that each approach has important political implications for urban space and water use, the value accorded to nature and gardening work, and relations between citizens and experts. Analyzing the differences between these approaches, we critically interrogate Los Angeles’s modern infrastructure regime that shapes water conservation policy. Particular attention is paid to how new material objects, knowledges, and practices in gardening recompose relationships between water, plants, technology, humans, and urban space. We argue that the notion of infrastructuring gardens offers a fruitful lens for ascertaining how expert cultures shape urban environmental change and how alternative gardening practices (re)produce urban nature differently.

Home gardening in sub‐Saharan Africa: A scoping review on practices and nutrition outcomes in rural Burkina Faso and Kenya

AbstractHome gardening is promoted as an adaptation strategy to ameliorate the increasing food insecurity from climate change impacts among subsistence farming families in rural sub‐Saharan Africa. Yet, the geographic distribution of home gardens, their setup, management, and the effects on nutrition outcomes have not been fully described. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize recent evidence on home gardening for two exemplar countries: Burkina Faso and Kenya. Between June and August 2020, we searched, screened, and extracted evidence about home garden projects in both countries, following the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. Peer‐reviewed scientific publications, and gray literature in English and French that reported about subsistence horticulture in rural settings of Burkina Faso or Kenya were included. The characteristics of the documents and the data pertaining to our research objectives were extracted into predefined spreadsheets. The data were synthesized in the form of a narrative review. Our search yielded 949 documents, of which 20 documents were included in the synthesis (Burkina Faso: 8, Kenya: 12). While the gardens varied in composition and size, the majority provided green leafy vegetables and indigenous horticultural crops. The challenges for successful home garden implementation comprised unfavorable climatic conditions, access to and affordability of inputs, water and land, and lack of know‐how. We identified trends for improved food security, diet quality, and nutritional status among the target populations. This scoping review found that there is limited evidence on home garden practices in rural Burkina Faso and Kenya. To enhance the sustainability of home gardens, research and resources should be invested in codesigning context‐specific home gardening projects. Pending rigorous impact evaluation, home gardens appear to be a promising tool for climate change adaptation while simultaneously improving food security and the nutritional situation among women and young children in these two exemplar countries of sub‐Saharan Africa.

Moveable Gardens: Itineraries and Sanctuaries of Memory ed. by Virginia D. Nazarea and Terese V. Gagnon

Reviewed by: Moveable Gardens: Itineraries and Sanctuaries of Memory ed. by Virginia D. Nazarea and Terese V. Gagnon Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo Virginia D. Nazarea and Terese V. Gagnon (Eds.) Moveable Gardens: Itineraries and Sanctuaries of Memory. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2021, pp. 301. (ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-4221-5 paperback) This edited book represents the latest efforts of anthropologists to understand how a wide variety of displacements (war, migration, precarity, late capitalist modernity and so on) lead people to re-engage with plant life in ways that create meaning and sustain biodiversity. The book offers a series of examinations into how quotidian practices of gardening, seed saving, and cooking serve as ways to restore a sense of social and cultural continuity, and to connect the lost past with newly found lives and places. The introductory chapter, written by the editors Virginia D. Nazarea and Terese V. [End Page 215] Gagnon, offers a beautifully written overview of the approach. They remind us that biodiversity “thrives best in marginal places, those small out-of-the way spaces where a sense of identity can be drawn from assemblages of plants and other cohabitants” (p. 3). What happens when this sort of life is disrupted? The book tackles this question in two sections, one with a series of chapters exploring “itineraries,” which is about plant-human engagements in movement, and one focused on Sanctuaries, more emplaced efforts of belonging. The volume is firmly rooted in anthropology and began as a session at the 2017 American Anthropological Association meetings. Yet this journal has decided to have it reviewed since it will be of interest to geographers and Latin Americanists. Foundational references include debates on the topic of multispecies relationships and ontological challenges, such as those by Ann Lowenhaupt Tsing (2015), and Donna Haraway (2016). Some relevant concepts and phrases that will surely become increasingly relevant emotional anchors for us all in this climate crisis era are “ecological grief,” “global mourning,” and “ecological memory” (p. 11). At this moment, there is probably not a reader who has not personally experienced some semblance of these feelings and practices. Some commentators maintain that edited books are always uneven in content and quality. I think a more accurate rendition of this old saw is that we, as readers, always gravitate to some chapters more than others. Space does not allow me to comment on all of the twelve chapters, so I will just discuss a few of my favorites. The first substantive chapter, by Terese Gagnon offers an excellent close-up ethnographic view of Karen refugees who have fled the mountain regions of southeast Myanmar for upstate New York. Engagement with the “materiality of biodiversity” (p. 19), in the form of tending gardens, preparing and eating homeland foods and foraging for food plants allows them to hold on to identity and collective memory, but it is not seamless, as the Karen refugees want to do this on their own terms. For instance, they refuse to garden in raised beds, a common structure in urban community gardens, but one which they experience as foreign, unnatural and distant from the earth. For various reasons, as Gagnon explains, the refuge is liminal and the sanctuary remains shaky. Another fascinating discussion is provided by Guntra A. Aistara’s chapter, Tomatoes Out of Time. Here the focus shifts to how post-socialist European governments establish biopolitical regimes to regulate tomatoes, which can be seen as “alien invaders” and carriers of disease. In this scenario, “multi-species biopolitics” is under state jurisdiction and clashes with cultural memory and traditional seed and plant practices. The section on emplaced sanctuaries includes fascinating looks at particular food, kitchen and eating practices, but a notable chapter is provided by Tracey Heatherington’s examination of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway. The seeds of the world, or more accurately, the secondary back up samples of these seeds, are stored here in air tight packages enveloped in non-descript boxes. Sci-fi futurism is already here, in the form of this seed warehouse located in the middle of a permafrost zone, and this chapter imaginatively includes a [End Page 216] comparative analysis of how two classic...

Nutritional status of 6\u201359\xa0months of age children is not significantly varied between households with and without home gardening practices in Zege, North West Ethiopia, 2020: community based comparative study

BackgroundMalnutrition is a critical public health issue that has been related to a significant increase in mortality and morbidity rates. Despite the fact that children are expected to benefit from home gardening products, their nutritional condition in Ethiopia, particularly in the planned study region, is not thoroughly monitored. Therefore the purpose of this is to determine the nutritional status of 6–59 months of age children between households with and without home gardening practices at Zege.MethodsA community based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among paired mothers with 6–59 month children from February to March 2020. Data were collected using questionnaire and anthropometric measurement tools. Binary logistic regression models were used. A-p-value < 0.05 was used as cutoff point to declare statistically significant variables with the outcome variable.ResultStunting and wasting among children aged 6–59 months was high and did not show significant variation between households practicing home gardening (stunting 46.1%, at 95%, CI: 40.6–51.3 and wasting 9.1%, at 95% CI: 6.2–12.7) and not practiced home gardening (stunting 50.3%, at 95% CI: 44.5–55.8 and wasting 10.1%, 95% CI: 6.8–13.8). Having low dietary diversity (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.9–3.9), Being male (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4–3), feeding frequency < 3/day (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1–2.4), and presence of diarrhea (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4–4.6) were predictors of stunting. Unprotected-drinking water (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.0–4.2), not fully-immunized (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3–5.1) and being female (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3–4.6) were predictors for child wasting.Conclusionstunting and wasting are highly prevalent in both home gardening and non- home gardening households’ children of the community. Promoting diversified diet, protected water source, vaccinating children, access to a healthy environment and integrated with the access of nutrition education programs are vital interventions to improve nutrition.

Promoting pro-environmental gardening practices: Field experimental evidence for the effectiveness of biospheric appeals

Pro-environmental gardening practices can help to address climate change and biodiversity loss. However, little is known about how urban garden owners can be motivated to engage in such practices. In the present study, we tested the effectiveness of behavior change techniques for the promotion of pollinator-friendly garden flowers in a field experiment. Over a period of three weeks, we observed purchases of a pollinator-friendly seed mixture positioned in the checkout area of a Belgian wholesale store (total number of purchases = 162). Customers were exposed to posters that highlighted either the environmental benefits (e.g., conserving insect biodiversity) or the personal benefits (e.g., having a beautiful garden) of planting the seeds. In comparison to a control condition, seed purchases increased by 82% when environmental benefits were highlighted. The effect of stressing personal benefits was not significant. Our results indicate that pro-environmental gardening practices can be promoted by highlighting their environmental benefits at a point of decision.

Home Food Gardening: Benefits and Barriers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Santiago, Chile

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live in an unprecedented way. This includes severe impacts on people's health and wellbeing such as stress, reduced physical activity and loneliness due to confinement. In parallel, people had to find ways to secure their food, with fresh food especially scarce in some regions due to lockdowns and restricted flow of goods. As in previous massive crises, the practice of home food gardening seemed to have increased during this pandemic. Yet we largely do not know which parts of society took to home food gardening, in which urban setting home food gardening was practiced, and to which extent this practice contributed to people's daily livelihoods during the pandemic. In this case study we explore (a) who practices home food gardening, (b) the garden characteristics, and (c) the main perceived benefits and barriers bound to home food gardening during the pandemic. We set up an online questionnaire targeted at the population of Santiago de Chile, for which we received 305 responses. Our results clearly show that the possibility of being in contact with nature and feeling less stress through practicing home food gardening were the most significant perceived benefits, while lack of or inadequate space to garden and limited knowledge on home food gardening were the main barriers. These findings highlight for the specific context of a metropolitan region in South America that access to gardens and green space could contribute to a just urban society. Likewise, the practice of home food gardening can be a relevant tool to cope with the adverse consequences of the pandemic by informing public initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles during this and future crises contexts and also in the awaited “ordinary” times.

Turnover in floral composition explains species diversity and temporal stability in the nectar supply of urban residential gardens

Abstract Residential gardens are a valuable habitat for insect pollinators worldwide, but differences in individual gardening practices substantially affect their floral composition. It is important to understand how the floral resource supply of gardens varies in both space and time so we can develop evidence‐based management recommendations to support pollinator conservation in towns and cities. We surveyed 59 residential gardens in the city of Bristol, UK, at monthly intervals from March to October. For each of 472 garden surveys, we combined floral abundances with nectar sugar data to quantify the nectar production of each garden, investigating the magnitude, temporal stability, and diversity and composition of garden nectar supplies. We found that individual gardens differ markedly in the quantity of nectar sugar they supply (from 2 to 1,662 g), and nectar production is higher in more affluent neighbourhoods, but not in larger gardens. Nectar supply peaks in July (mid‐summer), when more plant taxa are in flower, but temporal patterns vary among individual gardens. At larger spatial scales, temporal variability averages out through the portfolio effect, meaning insect pollinators foraging across many gardens in urban landscapes have access to a relatively stable and continuous supply of nectar through the year. Turnover in species composition among gardens leads to an extremely high overall plant richness, with 636 taxa recorded flowering. The nectar supply is dominated by non‐natives, which provide 91% of all nectar sugar, while shrubs are the main plant life form contributing to nectar production (58%). Two‐thirds of nectar sugar is only available to relatively specialised pollinators, leaving just one‐third that is accessible to all. Synthesis and applications. By measuring nectar supply in residential gardens, our study demonstrates that pollinator‐friendly management, affecting garden quality, is more important than the size of a garden, giving every gardener an opportunity to contribute to pollinator conservation in urban areas. For gardeners interested in increasing the value of their land to foraging pollinators, we recommend planting nectar‐rich shrubs with complementary flowering periods and prioritising flowers with an open structure in late summer and autumn.

Impacts of Market Gardening Practices on Environmental Resources: The Case of Irrigable Lands in Bonkoukou (Imanan Rural Municipality, SW Niger Republic)

Due to increasingly extreme climatic conditions in the Sahel, irrigated crops are emerging as imperative innovations for agricultural transformation and resilience. This study is designed to assess the impact of market gardening on soil, water and plant cover in the western Niger Republic. Semi-structured survey data were collected from 78 site operators in the Imanan rural municipality (Filingué, Tillabéry). In addition to the survey, a photographic collection illustrated certain observable facts in the field. The survey shows that the wooden enclosures (70.65% of respondents) around the fields are renewed every year. The impacts are then substantial: deforestation of plateaus, clearing of valleys for new extensions, loss of wildlife habitat, changes in the water flow regime resulting from a geomorphological change in the commune. Itou, the preparation of the planks consumes a lot of water. Thus, the new sinking of water points and the load pressure increase the drawdowns of wells and boreholes in the sites (75.46% of respondents). The frequent spills of waste oil on the sites, as well as the numerous potato storage pits, are among the factors and vectors most likely to contaminate the soils and aquifers of the study area. Market gardening destabilizes the soils and induces regressive erosion as well as area runoff of rainwater on all sites and on the slopes. On the other hand, slash-and-burn practices, drying of branches intended for fences, as well as rain-fed cowpea crops, promote improved physical properties and soil fertilization. To reduce the risks of disintegration and especially of silting up of sites, the study suggests a policy of live hedges and wire fences so that common spaces can be imposed on operators.

Cost/benefit assessment of green infrastructure: Spatial scale effects on uncertainty and sensitivity

Green infrastructure (GI) is becoming a common solution to mitigate stormwater-related problems. Given the uncertain costs of GI relative to other stormwater management strategies, stakeholders investing in GI need performance-analysis tools that consider the full suite of benefits and the impacts of uncertainty to help justify GI expenditures. This study provides a quantitative and comparative analysis of GI benefits, including nutrient uptake from stormwater and air pollutant deposition. Economic costs and benefits of GI are assessed using two metrics, benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) and nutrient removal costs, at three scales: household, subwatershed, and watershed scale. Results from a case study in the state of Maryland show that the costs of nutrient uptake at the subwatershed scale can be lower than those at either the watershed or household scales. Moreover, rain gardens are far more efficient in stormwater treatment at the household scale in comparison to watershed scale, for which large-scale dry or wet basins are more efficient. Using a BCR metric, smaller subwatersheds show more promise, while using a nutrient removal cost metric indicates that upstream subwatersheds are more suitable for stormwater treatment. The results also show that implementation of GI at all potential pervious locations does not necessarily increase nutrient removal costs and that self-installation of rain gardens greatly reduces nutrient removal costs. Finally, the results show that using numerous small-sized rain garden practices in front of residential buildings yields lower nutrient removal costs in comparison to permeable pavements placed in parking lots and commercial buildings.