Analyzing and Identifying the Effects of Using Native Plants in Urban Green Spaces

• Published in: محیط زیست و توسعه فرابخشی Vol. 9; no. 84; pp. 55 - 68
• Main Authors: Afsaneh Yousefpour Dokhaniyeh, Davood Vafadari Komarolya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Persian
• Published: Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (RCESD) 01-07-2024
• Subjects: ornamental plant planting design; urban landscapes; urban open space; urban spaces
• ISSN: 2980-9088
• DOI: 10.22034/envj.2024.455518.1373

Introduction: Landscapes and urban green spaces are considered the most important urban spaces and can play a significant role in improving the environmental conditions of cities. Components in urban green spaces such as plants can play this important role in adapting the conditions of cities for the life of citizens. Based on this, the aim of this research is to analyze and identify the effects of using native plants in urban green spaces.Materials and Methods: In order to achieve the goal of the research, library resources were used to write the introduction and interview experts in two stages to identify the effects of native plants, and the statistical population consisted of 27 experts. In the first interview, the indicators were obtained, then in the second interview, by forming the actor-target matrix, the experts were asked to give points from -4 to 4, where the number 0 is no comment, the number 4 is the highest score, and the number -4 Shows the lowest score. After collecting the given answers, the points assigned to each of the indicators were averaged by experts with a specialized field and entered into the actor-target matrix of Mactor software. This process was done for all six participating specialties (landscape architects, green space engineers, horticultural engineers, environmental engineers, plant medicine engineers and botanists) in the research until the final actor-goal matrix was completely completed. Next, the necessary analyzes were performed on the obtained matrix in Mactor software and the final results were obtained. Also, the texts obtained from the conducted interviews were examined word by word and line by line and the relationship between the codes in them was discovered, then these texts were entered into the TI Atlas software and the desired quotations and codings done and the relationship between the extracted codes was defined through the tools available in the software and finally these relationships were extracted from the software in the form of a final model.Results: The results showed that the effects of improving the functions of urban green spaces and reducing water consumption were the most repeated by experts, and the effects of familiarizing citizens with native plants and better flood control showed the lowest number of repetitions. The same results in the section of repetition, importance and convergence (net distance) of the effects of using native plants are observed significantly with other sections, which shows the continuity of the results and its reliability. In the following, we can point out the convergence between environmental engineers and botanists, who have had the most convergence, which shows the alignment of the two specialties related to plants and the environment, and doubles the importance of the results of the effects of using native plants.Discussion: In general, it can be stated that urban planners and designers should pay special attention to the effects of growing native plants mentioned in this research, so that by creating a desirable urban landscape and green space, they can gain the satisfaction of the citizens and benefit from the potential of the region to be used effectively like native plants.